{"title":"How to Write Italic Capital Letters","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/calligraphy/how-to-write-italic-capital-letters","category":{"slug":"calligraphy","name":"Calligraphy"},"creator":{"name":"Sakura of America","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-zY-SGViPUrZV0g4yWMkVQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNvv2qhYExs"},"tldr":"Write italic swash capital letters A to Z with a calligraphy pen. Letter-by-letter strokes, sizing, spacing, and the mistakes that make capitals look off.","totalDurationSeconds":487,"difficulty":"medium","tools":["Pigma Calligrapher pen, 3mm","ruler","3mm italic lettering guide"],"materials":["smooth marker paper","calligraphy practice pad"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Write Italic Capital Letters A and B With a Swash Entry Stroke","text":"Print the 3mm italic lettering guide and slip it under a sheet of smooth paper, or write straight on it. Hold the 3mm Pigma Calligrapher pen at the same angle you use for lowercase italic and keep it there. Write the swash A with a curved entry stroke that sweeps into the first diagonal. For the B, start the stem on a thin hairline, pull straight down at the slant, and add the two bowls."},{"number":2,"title":"Write Italic Capitals C, D, E and F With Matching Thin Starts","text":"The straight-stemmed capitals share one stroke. Start on a thin, pull down at the slant, and end on a thin. The D uses that stem, then comes across and connects with a curve. The E uses it too. Add the crossbar, come back with a little tick, then add the swash that gives the alphabet its name. The F has a tick at the top and a crossbar that pulls back so it ends on a thin."},{"number":3,"title":"Write Italic Capital Letters G, H, I and J","text":"The G is a long elliptical shape that ends on a thin. Joanne shows two versions: one with a swash that drops well below the line, and one that looks more like a lowercase g. The H is where you can play, adding swashes to three of its four parts. The I gets only a tiny swash. The J drops below the line, and its swash runs more diagonal than most other capitals."},{"number":4,"title":"Write Italic Capitals K, L and M With Even Counter Spaces","text":"The K swash curves down and comes right back up to the line. That way a lowercase letter can follow it, which is why Joanne writes Ki. The L starts with the same stroke as B, D and E, with a soft top like the C. On the M, keep the shoulders at the same height so both counter spaces are even. Build it in several strokes rather than one."},{"number":5,"title":"Write Italic Capital Letters N, O, P and Q","text":"The N shares the M's curve. A small hook on the final stroke stops you from making the N too wide, and the diagonal should come in tight. There is not much to do with the O, so leave it plain or give it a small break at the top. The P is a stem with a bowl. The Q is the O with a tail, and that tail must drop below the line or a lowercase letter will not fit next to it."},{"number":6,"title":"Write Italic Capitals R, S and T With a Long Swash Crossbar","text":"The R starts like the K, takes a bowl like the P, and finishes with the K's downstroke. Start and end the S slightly below where your other letters sit, and keep it plain. For the T, start a little below the line and add the same foot you used on the F. Then pull a long swash across the top. For extra flair, Joanne turns the nib and adds a small diamond."},{"number":7,"title":"Write Italic Capital Letters U, V and W","text":"The U opens with the same branch you saw on the earlier letters and otherwise stays simple. The V has that branch too. On diagonal letters like V and W, adjust your pen angle slightly so the two diagonals do not look wildly different in weight. Joanne also shows an alternate W with looped strokes, a playful option for a name or heading."},{"number":8,"title":"Write Italic Capitals X, Y and Z to Finish the Alphabet","text":"Keep the X plain. It is another letter that looks better without a flourish, and if it comes out too wide, write it again narrower. The Y gets a diagonal swash like the J, since it also drops well below the line. Finish with the Z. Start it with a small tick, and if you are feeling bold, end it with a long, sweeping tail."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-06T18:52:28.620Z","published":"2026-10-06T18:52:22.618Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}