Chapter 11

Formal Uncial and Funky Variations

In This Chapter

Getting a grasp on the Uncial alphabet basics

Sealing the deal with serifs

Lettering the formal version

Putting it all together

Trying some less formal — but fun — versions

The Uncial alphabet is a really fun alphabet. It’s also one of the easiest and most popular calligraphy alphabets today. Over the years of teaching, many of my students have told me that this is their favorite alphabet. It’s a great looking alphabet that has a rich history. This alphabet, more than any other presented in this book, really shows off the variety of beautiful strokes that you can produce with the broad-edge pen.

Most people believe the name, Uncial (pronounced un-shell), comes from the Latin word, uncia, which means “inch.” Apparently the original letters were about an inch in height.

This style of calligraphy has many variations. So in this chapter, I first show you the basics of a formal version of Uncial. This version is similar to the style of writing used by the early Christians in the first through fourth centuries. Second, I’ll explain how to do an informal version called celtic (pronounced kell-tick) — a style of lettering that was used by the Irish scribes.

The letters in this alphabet are extremely “forgiving” when it comes to covering up many of your goofs. You can make mistakes in the letter shapes and the letter sizes with this alphabet that you wouldn’t dare make with other alphabets. Even if your letter shapes and sizes are not entirely accurate, the letters can still look pretty good. All you have to be careful about is keeping the strokes smooth and steady (shakey strokes are the bain of this alphabet).

Have What You Need?

For this chapter you will need either a Manuscript fountain pen with a 2B nib or a dip pen with a 11/2mm nib. You should also understand what pen angle means and what the guide lines are. If you need information about pens or pen angle, look in Chapter 3.

Understanding Uncial

I show you the formal Uncial alphabet in Figure 11-1, an alphabet that you can use for almost any purpose. This is an all-capital alphabet so there are no lowercase letters. The letters are fat — all the letters (except the i and j) are as wide as, or wider than, they are tall.

Figure 11-1: The Uncial alphabet — a formal version.

The body of these letters is 5 pen widths in height, and the ascender and descender parts of these letters are very short — hardly extending at all beyond the waist line and the writing line (see Figure 11-2). For that reason, we don’t bother to draw the ascender or descender guide lines for this alphabet. We use only top and bottom guide lines. Basically, this is an all-capital alphabet. Lowercase letters were never part of this alphabet.

Figure 11-2: Pen widths and the two guide lines for doing the Uncial alphabet.

This is another alphabet where you use only one pen angle throughout. The pen angle is 20 degrees (see Figure 11-3), which means that right-handers will be holding the pen so the barrel almost points directly back at them. The pen is just about perpendicular to the writing line.

If you are left-handed, you have several options. (To read about how left-handers hold the pen and which pen they should use, please see Chapter 2.) You will need to figure out how to hold the pen to obtain the 20-degree pen angle when you draw the letters. This is the same pen-angle that is described in Chapter 9 about the Roman alphabet. Doing the zigzag design below helps determine the correct way to hold the pen.

Figure 11-3: The 20-degree pen angle.

Practicing the angle helps you get a handle on doing the Uncial alphabet. Trace over the gray zigzag design below. If you’re holding the pen at the correct 20-degree angle, you will be able to duplicate the alternating thick and thin lines exactly as they’re shown.

The Uncial Serifs

Uncial has two very interesting serifs that resemble the flared end of a horn (see Figure 11-4). You use them at the ends of two kinds of strokes — the vertical and the curved strokes. For example, you can find the first serif used with the vertical stroke on the letter i and the second serif used with the curved stroke at the top of the c.

Figure 11-4: A close-up view of the two serifs used with several of the Uncial letters.

You can draw these serifs different ways. Choose the method that works best for you and gives you the best results. Basically, you have the option of either adding the serifs after you have made the letters or you can do the serifs as parts of the strokes as you make the letters. You can draw the serif on the vertical three ways and draw the serif on the curved stroke two ways.

When you place the serif on the vertical, you have the following options (see Figure 11-5):

Draw the serif first and then add the vertical as a a separate stroke.

Draw the vertical first and then lift your pen and add the serif. If you use this method, it is helpful to draw a thin diagonal at the beginning of the vertical stroke. This will help you see exactly where to place the serif.

Draw everything in one continuous stroke.

Figure 11-5: Options for drawing a serif on a vertical stroke.

When you place the serif on the curved stroke, you have the following options (see Figure 11-6):

Add the serif after the stroke is complete. If you use this method, it is helpful to end the curved stroke with a thin diagonal which will help you see where the serif needs to go.

Draw the serif without lifting your pen at the end of the curved stroke.

Figure 11-6: Options for drawing a serif on a curved stroke.

Practice tracing and copying the serif strokes. Trace over the strokes that are drawn in gray and then see if you can duplicate these shapes in the spaces that are in-between the ones you trace. Discover which method of drawing the serifs works best for you.

Getting a Handle on the Formal Uncial Alphabet

Although there are numerous variations on this alphabet, this formal version is a good starting point for any of the variations that you would like to try. We can divide the letters of this alphabet into four groups according to their shapes and the similarity of the strokes you use to draw them. The four groups are: the circular letters, the letters that have a strong vertical, the letters with diagonals, and three special letters.

Strive to keep the letters nice and wide, the strokes smooth, and the slant consistent, and you’ll do very well.

The circular letters

There are five letters that are circular in shape: c, d, e, g, and o (see Figure 11-7). I call this shape circular, but don’t be mislead — the letters are not really circles. They are shaped more like curved diamonds, than actual circles. This is particularly clear if you look at the shapes of the d and the o in Figure 11-7.

Figure 11-7: The circular letters c, d, e, g, and o.

For most people, these letters are simply a whole lot of fun to make. As you practice the circular letters, follow these tips:

Focus on keeping all your strokes smooth, deliberate, and steady.

Keep these letters really wide.

Don’t get “fussy” with the serif strokes on top of the c, e, and g. Leave them alone once you’ve made them. Don’t go back over them and try to fix any errors.

Have fun making these letters.

Letters that have strong vertical strokes

Twelve of the letters have vertical strokes that stand out as dominant features: b, f, h, I, j, k, l, n, p, q, r, and u (see Figure 11-8).

Figure 11-8: Letters b, f, h, I, j, k, l, n, p, q, r, and u.

The examples of how to do these letters are pretty self-exaplanatory; however, it helps to keep the following points in mind:

All the letters in this group except q, begin with a vertical stroke. All except n and q have a horn-shaped serif at the top of that stroke.

Make sure that the vertical strokes do not slant.

Make the serifs small. Make sure they are flat on top and curved on the side. Avoid serifs that look like triangular pennants!

Draw really short ascenders and descenders. For example, the ascender on the h, does not extend very far past the top guide line.

Letters with diagonals

There are six letters that have diagonals: a, v, w, x, y, and z (see Figure 11-9). These should look familiar. Although many of the Uncial letters are decidedly different in appearance from letters in other alphabets, these letters with diagonals resemble more closely the letters in other alphabets.

Figure 11-9: Letters with diagonals: a, v, w, x, y, and z.

As you practice these six letters, keep these suggestions in mind:

The diagonal that forms the right side of the a is made first. This is a departure from the left-to-right rule.

The w has two long diagonals that are parallel.

The right side of the v is exactly like the right side of the w and the top of the y.

Learning the three special letters

Three of the letters don’t fit into any of the other groups m, s, and t (see Figure 11-10). That doesn’t mean that these letters are any more difficult; they’re just a little different from the others.

Figure 11-10: Letters m, s, and t.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you practice these three letters:

Keep the two halves of the m equal in size.

Keep the bottom and top of the s balanced so that one does not look significantly smaller than the other.

Keep the c-shape of the t centered under the horizontal on top.

Putting the Letters Together

The spacing of letters when you put them together to make words and sentences requires no special skill with this alphabet. With most other alphabets, spacing can be a problem. Not with Uncial. The only rule you need to follow is simply space the letters so they look right to you. It’s that simple (see Figure 11-11).

Figure 11-11: Words using Uncial.

You have lots more opportunities to practice all these things in the Appendix in the back of this book. But for now, use the following exercise to practice the letters from this chapter.

Varying the Uncial Alphabet

The Uncial letters are extremely elastic. You can create some very interesting variations of this alphabet by simply stretching and compressing the letters. Indeed, it is virtually impossible for you to make them too wide or too narrow. In addition to variations in width, you can add flourishes and curly-cues to these letters. The Celtic scribes are especially famous for their designs.

Have fun being creative with this alphabet. Let your imagination have free rein. Experiment and see what interesting things you can do with these letters. Think of it as simply doodling with the pen.

How much experimentation is allowable and what should you avoid? The answer is not easy, because there is so much latitude with this style. However, there has to be a limit. I believe that the limit lies at the point where the letters begin to look sloppy and hastily or haphazardly done. So, what are the guidelines that need to be followed? Really, I suggest that you follow one rule — use your imagination and be creative, but never be sloppy.

Narrow variation

One of the really interesting things you can do with this alphabet is experiment with different letter widths. A narrow width leads to a very nice variation.

Figure 11-12 is an example to give you an idea of what is possible. It isn’t necessary for you to try to duplicate the letters I used. Don’t copy my letters; create your own!

Figure 11-12: A narrow variation.

There are no rules about how a narrow variation should or should not be done, but here are a few helpful hints to keep in mind:

Because the letters are more compact than normal, you may have to simplify the letters and eliminate some of the loops and serifs.

Keep the ascenders and descenders short.

Wide variation

Perhaps you’re wonering if it’s possible to make the letters wide. Wide variations are not only possible, but are more adaptable to this alphabet than the narrow variation. (See Figure 11-13.) Again, I provide an illustration to give you an idea of what might be possible. I hope you feel inspired to see what you can create.

Figure 11-13: A wide variation.

Again, experiment with the letters. Create your own variations. How do they look? As you experiment with wide variations, keep these ideas in mind:

Wider letters tend to look less bold. Be careful that you don’t lose the contrast between the “thicks” and “thins.”

Just as a narrow variation makes it more difficult to maintain serifs and loops, a wide variation opens the door to add more loops and fancy stuff. This alphabet can really put on a show when the letters are wide!

Curly-cue variation

The Celtic people are famous in the world of calligraphy for their use of the Uncial alphabet. They developed an entire system of design based on this alphabet. Intricate designs, sometimes called “Celtic knots,” are just one of the things they created. Today, you can see some of their handiwork in The Book of Kells. Figure 11-14 shows some examples of Celtic type design.

Figure 11-14: A curly-cue variation.

If you want to try your hand at doing these kinds of designs follow these suggestions:

Lightly sketch your letters and designs with a pencil before you use the pen.

Keep your strokes fluid and smooth. This is one place where sloppy strokes will stand out.

Get some books with Celtic designs and copy those.

The craziest variation

Figure 11-15 shows you some examples that can inspire you to try out this variation. In these examples, I have tried to be as crazy as I possibly can be and still maintain the character of the letters. I have borrowed these designs from Celtic manuscripts.

Figure 11-15: Celtic designs illustrate how expressive the designs can become.

Letter fitting — a neat trick

One of the handiest things that you can do with this alphabet is fit letters together in unconventional ways (see Figure 11-16). Letters can touch and overlap. Letters can peek out from underneath other letters. Letters can be different sizes.

Figure 11-16: Fitting Uncial letters together in interesting and very unconventional ways.

Letter fitting can be a whole lot of fun. Experiment and try different ways of fitting letters together. As you experiment, keep these ideas in mind:

Try different ways to overlap and fit letters together. You’ll discover that some ways look good and other ways don’t look good at all. Through trial and error, see what works for you.

The key to fitting the letters together is making the letters different sizes.

Always pay attention to legibility. If the letter fitting makes the words too difficult to read, simplify your design.