D in Old English Letters

Outline version to colour or trace

How to draw a Old English capital D

1. 1Draw the heavy spine with the pen at about 45 degrees, giving it a diamond head and a short flat foot.
2. 2Add the bowl as two angled strokes from the top of the spine, running right and down before turning back to meet the spine at the baseline.
3. 3Thicken the right side of the bowl by overlapping a second pass of the pen, keeping the left side lighter.
4. 4Finish with a hairline across the top that links the head of the spine to the bowl and a tiny flick at the top left.

Tip: Pull the bowl's heaviest part to the right side, not the bottom. A bowl that is heavy at the bottom sags and makes the D look like a dropped weight.

How to draw a Old English lowercase d

1. 1Start with the round bowl on the left, drawn as two angled facets, beginning at the upper right and ending at the baseline.
2. 2Draw the ascender from the top of the bowl as a single straight downstroke with a clear gap at its right side, finishing at the baseline with a diamond foot.
3. 3Angle the top of the ascender slightly to the left, which gives the d its distinctive lean in many Textura hands.
4. 4Link the bowl and stem with a hairline at the top, and check that the bowl is no darker than the stem.

Tip: Write d and a side by side. They share the same bowl, so any difference in size will show immediately, which makes this pair a good test of your consistency.

What makes D awkward or easy

The lowercase d is the awkward one because its bowl is small but its ascender is tall, so spacing between letters feels uneven if the stem leans too far. The capital is awkward in a different way, since its bowl and spine must look joined without a heavy blob at the intersections.

Variations

In some Fraktur and Schwabacher hands the lowercase d has a rounded, curving ascender that bends to the left, while some Textura hands keep a straighter stem. Capital D forms can be closed or open on the left. These are general trends, so check a specific typeface or manuscript before copying.

Common mistakes with Old English D

• The ascender of the d leans too far and collides with the next letter.

  Keep the lean slight, and add extra space before the next letter to protect the top of the stem.

• The capital's bowl is heavy at the bottom and looks as if it sags.

  Shift the weight to the right side of the curve and lighten the lower arc with a quicker, lighter stroke.

• The join between the bowl and stem is a black dot.

  Overlap the strokes only slightly, and finish the join with a thin hairline rather than a second heavy pass.

Ideas for Old English D

D suits names like Daniel, Dolores or Dante, and heading letters on diplomas or invitations. A single capital D works as a drop cap on a menu, and a D paired with a short word in lowercase gives a clean, legible tattoo with a vintage feel.

Old English D: questions