Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy

Here is my third review on a book that many traditional calligraphy artists all refer to as one of "the" books you need to include in your library - Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy by Eleanor Winters.

A bit of a backstory...

Where do I start with this book? You see, me and this book have history!

I first bought this book from a little art shop in Kingsbridge way back in 2009. I gathered my supplies - Indian ink, a nib and an awful penholder (that turns out was one of these) and promptly got so confused by the point I reached page 28 that I gave up (example of my first attempts of calligraphy from this book are below).

It's easy to say that this book then spent the best part of a decade gathering dust on my shelves!

Fast forward to 2019 and a chance conversation at a workshop in London whereupon I found out that Eleanor Winters actually still holds workshops in Exeter yearly (you know Exeter, that city only 45 minutes away from me!). From that point onward every podcast or interview I listened to kept mentioning this book. 

2020 hits us and I decide to focus on my Copperplate calligraphy. Picking up this book once more with a lot more understanding of the information it contains. I worked my way through each page at the start of 2020 attempting to perfect all the central elements of each character.

I moved on, popped the book on my shelf again only to pick it up to review it for you. 

Now with this book, I feel I finally "get it". I genuinely understand why it is so revered and people are so fond of it. Each time I open a page it feels like another piece of the Copperplate puzzle has been completed. Like a good film something new always pops up and an "a-ha" moment happens.

Why do you need this book?

As a modern calligrapher, you might feel this book and style of calligraphy has absolutely no importance to you, and some might say you are right. For me and my school of teaching, I feel that to be a great modern calligrapher you need to understand its history - where the lettering comes from and how the lettering is formed. 

Winters gives you the best knowledge and the most fantastic foundation to start your journey, there are elements of the book you can easily skip (drawing your own guidelines spring to mind for now). But if you focused on the construction of letterforms, spacing and pressure you are setting yourself up to be a magnificent calligrapher.