How to Connect Copperplate Letters: Practising Difficult Joins

To connect Copperplate letters, plan both ends of the transition: where the first letter finishes and how the second letter is constructed. A good join keeps both forms clear. It does not require the pen to remain on the paper throughout the word.

The pairs oi, on, ri and ro make a useful focused practice set. They ask you to move from an upper exit into a different kind of following form. This guide uses models of o and r with that upper exit; if your exemplar uses another form, follow its construction rather than forcing this description onto it.

Read the transition before writing it

Look at the pair in your exemplar. Find the terminal of the first letter, the entry into the second, and the next shaded stroke. Ask where the connecting hairline needs to go, and where the nib needs to begin the next component.

These positions may differ. The point where two shapes meet visually is not necessarily the starting point of the movement that constructs the second shape.

Nicole Mauloni's Copperplate connections lesson distinguishes ordinary entry-and-exit joins from connections after forms such as o and r. Her examples provide a useful visual reference for that distinction. When working with ink, use the pressure and lift decisions appropriate to your pointed-pen model.

Give each pen lift a purpose

A lift can give the nib a new starting point for a separate component. It can also help when continuing directly would distort the form. A lift should not become an automatic interruption added to every visible division in a diagram.

The studio article on Copperplate pen lifts and the lowercase c explores this distinction. Apply the same question to a join: what does leaving the paper make possible here?

For the exercises below, choose your movement sequence before the attempt. Judge whether it produces a clear, repeatable transition. Avoid adding an extra connecting line simply because the pen has lifted.

Four pairs, four things to observe

Oi: keep the following i distinct

Write o and i separately once, then write three pairs of oi. Keep the oval's width and the i's downstroke comparable with the separate examples.

The connecting passage should not pull the top of the i sideways or introduce an unnecessary loop. If the pair looks congested, examine the terminal of the o before moving the whole i farther away. An oversized terminal can create the congestion by itself.

On: allow the n to keep its shoulder

Compare an isolated n with the n in on. Its shoulder should still follow the chosen model. Do not flatten or narrow it merely to make the preceding line reach it.

Before writing, point to the place where the join meets the next form. Then point to where the next component begins. If these differ, plan the repositioning. A high exit from o does not oblige you to draw a full extra journey down to the baseline and back up.

Ri: preserve the identity of the r

Write r slowly enough to finish its characteristic upper form before resolving the transition to i. The small details around the top deserve attention, but avoid repeatedly touching the same wet area to repair them.

If the pair begins to resemble another combination, compare the r with your exemplar. Is its defining shape still present? Correct that first. Adding a longer hairline cannot restore a letter whose structure has changed.

Ro: let the oval begin where it needs to

The next o needs a coherent oval even though it follows a high exit. Sketch the intended transition lightly on a separate practice line, then write the pair in ink using your selected stroke sequence.

Watch for an oval that becomes pointed, narrow or tilted because you try to construct it directly from an inconvenient position. Preserve the oval and use a purposeful lift when the model requires a different starting point. Keep the joining hairline modest enough that it does not look like an additional letter.

Move from a pair into a word

Try this proposed practice sequence, using one row for each target:

• oi → oil: keep your attention on the first transition when adding the final letter.
• on → tone: notice whether approaching the pair from a preceding letter changes it.
• ri → river: check whether you retain the same clear r in a longer word.
• ro → rose: preserve the oval rather than rushing towards the remaining letters.

Write the pair twice, the word twice, then the pair once more. If the final pair is less controlled, stop and compare it with the first. You have a specific transition to revisit, rather than an entire word to criticise.

Record a specific observation

“Awkward” is difficult to act on. “Oval narrowed while joining” or “extra loop after r” gives the next attempt a clear purpose. Choose one such note for the row and keep the earlier examples.

The Copperplate Connections Workbook offers guided letter-pair and short-word practice. Bring this same close observation to the model: identify the transition, plan the movement, then compare the result without sacrificing either letter.