C in Old English Letters

Outline version to colour or trace

How to draw a Old English capital C

1. 1Position the pen at about 45 degrees and draw the thick left curve from the top, bowing slightly outward before landing at a diamond-shaped foot.
2. 2Add the upper terminal as a thin hairline that leaves the top of the curve and moves to the right with a small flat tip.
3. 3Draw a short vertical bar or hairline on the right to close the open side, keeping it clearly lighter than the main curve.
4. 4Check the opening between the terminal and the foot. If it is narrower than a stem, widen it, or the capital will look like an O.

Tip: Leave the mouth of the C at least as wide as one stem. A tighter mouth is the most common cause of C reading as O, particularly at small sizes.

How to draw a Old English lowercase c

1. 1Draw a slight upward hairline from the baseline of the x-height, using the pen's corner to form the thin top flick.
2. 2Pull the curved stroke down in two facets, a slanted one followed by a steeper one, finishing on a small diamond foot.
3. 3Add a flat horizontal cut at the top of the curve so the top has a squared look rather than a round one.
4. 4Compare the c with e and o, and make sure the height and weight match those neighbours.

Tip: Write c, e and o in a row and squint. If the c looks heavier than the e, soften the top cut. A matching colour matters more than copying a model letter exactly.

What makes C awkward or easy

The C is awkward because it is an open form that depends entirely on its terminals. Without them it is a plain curve, and with too much decoration it turns into an E or G. The lowercase is easy to confuse with e at small sizes, particularly when the crossbar of the e is thin.

Variations

Textura capital C is usually a compact, angular shape, while Fraktur forms add curved hairlines and a more open outline. Rotunda is rounder. Note that in Unicode the capital Fraktur C is not in the main block and sits in the Letterlike Symbols block as ℭ, an exception worth knowing.

Common mistakes with Old English C

• The mouth of the capital closes and the C looks like an O.

  Widen the opening so it is at least one stem wide, and keep the terminal hairline light.

• The top terminal is as thick as the main curve.

  Rotate to the nib corner for the terminal. A thin line against a thick curve is what creates the blackletter contrast.

• The lowercase c has a round top like a Roman c.

  Cut the top flat, and compose the curve from two straight facets for a consistent blackletter look.

Ideas for Old English C

C is an ideal initial for names like Cole, Carmen or Cassius, and for corporate or club emblems such as a gothic C on a cap. A large capital C also works as a drop letter at the start of a certificate paragraph, and a pair like C and K gives a neat tattoo monogram.

Old English C: questions