H in Old English Letters

Outline version to colour or trace

How to draw a Old English capital H

1. 1Draw the left stem as a thick downstroke at about 45 degrees, with a diamond head and a flat diamond foot.
2. 2Add a second stem on the right, matching the first in weight and height, and leave a gap of roughly three stem widths between them.
3. 3Link the stems with a curved bar or a pair of facets in the middle, thinner than the stems but visible.
4. 4Finish with hairline flicks at the top of each stem and a small ornament at the left, checking that both stems lean the same way.

Tip: Draw the right stem a fraction shorter than the left, which gives the capital a lively balance. Two perfectly matched stems look stiff and mechanical.

How to draw a Old English lowercase h

1. 1Pull the tall ascender down as a single straight stroke, with a small angled head at the top.
2. 2Start the arch from the stem at the x-height, using a thin hairline that bends over to the right.
3. 3Bring the arch down into a second stem that ends at the baseline with a diamond foot.
4. 4Compare the two stems and make sure the gap between them equals the inside of an n.

Tip: Write h, n and m in a row. Their arches should share one shape and one height, and if they differ, your pen angle is drifting.

What makes H awkward or easy

The H is awkward because its two stems must stay parallel and equal, so every mistake in spacing shows. The capital's bar can look odd if it is too straight, and the lowercase h shares its arch with n and m, so it only looks right as part of the group.

Variations

Textura h often uses a straight-sided arch with a clear diamond at the foot, while Fraktur H can be a rounder letter with curved shapes, and a Schwabacher style has a more bulging form. In Unicode, the capital Fraktur H sits in the Letterlike Symbols block as ℌ, rather than in the main alphabet.

Common mistakes with Old English H

• The two stems lean in different directions.

  Hold the pen at the same angle throughout, and use a ruled slant line to keep both stems parallel.

• The arch of the lowercase h is a round Roman curve.

  Draw the arch with angled facets and let it meet the stem with a clean diamond-like join.

• The capital's bar is a stiff straight line.

  Let the bar curve slightly, with a thin join into each stem, so it feels like part of the letter and not an addition.

Ideas for Old English H

H is an effective initial for names like Hannah, Henrik or Hudson, and for place names such as Harbor on a vintage sign. A lowercase h alongside a capital H shows the contrast between ornamental and plain forms, which is useful on specimen sheets.

Old English H: questions