B in Old English Letters

Outline version to colour or trace

How to draw a Old English capital B

1. 1Draw the thick vertical spine first, holding the pen steady at about 45 degrees, and finish the top with a diamond-shaped head.
2. 2Add the upper bowl as a pair of angled strokes that leave the spine near the top, curve out, and return with a slight overlap.
3. 3Draw the lower bowl a little larger than the upper one, with the same two-stroke construction, and let it meet the spine at the baseline.
4. 4Decorate with a hairline flick at the top left and a short thin join where the two bowls touch, then fill any gaps with the corner of the nib.

Tip: Make the lower bowl about one nib width wider than the upper one. Equal bowls look top-heavy and unstable, while a slightly larger lower bowl makes the B stand on the line.

How to draw a Old English lowercase b

1. 1Pull a tall downstroke for the ascender, finishing at the baseline with a flat diamond foot and starting with a small angled head at the top.
2. 2Draw the bowl on the right as two connected facets, starting from the stem near the x-height and curving back to it at the baseline.
3. 3Close the bowl with a thin hairline at the join, taking care that it meets the stem without a visible gap.
4. 4Compare the x-height to the neighbouring letters and trim the ascender top so it sits level with the other tall letters.

Tip: Rule three guide lines and write the ascender to the top line every time. A b whose stem stops short of its neighbours' ascenders is the clearest sign of unpractised lettering.

What makes B awkward or easy

The B is awkward because two bowls must share one spine, and each bowl has to look like a rounded shape while being made of straight pen strokes. The capital also loses its legibility when the bowls touch the spine too heavily, so the white counters turn into dots.

Variations

Fraktur capital B often has a distinct opening on the left where the strokes are not joined, giving a more open, airy look than the denser Textura B. Rotunda B is rounder. Many modern fonts blend these features, so treat the differences as general tendencies, not strict rules.

Common mistakes with Old English B

• The two bowls are the same size so the B looks like an 8.

  Make the lower bowl slightly wider than the upper one and see the whole letter settle onto the baseline.

• The counters fill in and look like two small black dots.

  Reduce the pen pressure at the joins and keep the bowls curved outward, so each hole keeps a clear white centre.

• The ascender on the lowercase b stops below the other tall letters.

  Mark an ascender line and bring every stem to it. Consistent height matters more than the shape of the head.

Ideas for Old English B

B is a natural initial for brand names like Barrel, Bellamy or Brew, and for beer labels, which is one of the traditional uses of blackletter. A B inside a shield makes a quick monogram, and a simple B works well as a heading letter on a certificate or invitation.

Old English B: questions