How to Draw a Cursive I
If you’re looking to learn the art of cursive writing, the letter I is a great place to start. Cursive I is one of the most basic letters of the alphabet and should be easy to master with a little bit of practice. Here’s a super-simple guide to help you draw the perfect cursive I.
Forming the Letter I
Even the tiniest cursive I’s consist of three basic parts: a curved start, a straight centre line and a curved flick at the end. Starting out, penmanship is all about getting the shape right and remembering key points along the way. To draw the perfect cursive I:
- Start at the top of your line and make a small curve going downwards.
- Continue the curve around in a semi-circle and end in an upward flick.
- From the point where the curve changes into the upward flick, draw a short straight line across the bottom of your I.
- Attach the straight line back to your curve with another upward flick.
- Erase any visible marks from your sketch.
Joining Your I’s
Once you’ve mastered the shape of your I’s, it’s time to join them up and make your handwriting look smooth. Joining up all of your letters will help your cursive looks fluid and neat – an essential skill for a cursive writer! To join your I’s:
- From the flick at the end of your I, draw a curve top left.
- Continue the curve so it reaches back up to the top of your line.
- From the same flick, curve downwards to the bottom of your next letter.
- Departing from your I, draw a short curve top right.
- Finish the curve so it reaches up to the top of your next letter.
Finishing Off Your Cursive I
Once you’ve nailed forming your I’s and joining them seamlessly, it’s time to think about finesse. Finishing touches such as size, spacing and pressure make all the difference to how your cursive will look. To perfect your I’s:
- Keep your letter consistent in size and shape throughout.
- Space your letters evenly and make sure none of them overlap.
- Vary your pen or pencil pressure to create subtle watercolour and shaded effects.
- Experiment with different styles of drawing your I e.g. a traditional swirly ‘v’.
- Practise, practise, practise!
Practicing Your Cursive I
So now you know how to draw a cursive I, you may want to practice writing a few words or sentences. Practicing consistently is the key to becoming an expert in cursive handwriting and you’ll find that the more you do it, the easier it’ll become. Here are some great exercises you can try:
- Start by writing out a few words using just your I’s. Some good ones to try are: invite, insight, initiative and ignite.
- See if you can think of a quote or proverb that starts with the letter I and have a go at writing it out in cursive.
- Write as many sentences as you can that contain only one letter I, such as: “I could ride my bike to school every day if it wasn’t too far.”
- Try breaking the rules a bit and have a creative play around with your I’s. You could draw each one in the shape of an animal or create a pattern out of them.
- Make use of graphical software or apps to practice writing cursive. These can be fun and will keep tabs on your progress.
Reaching Cursive Expertise
If you’ve kept up your practice and followed our simple guide, you should now have developed a confidently neat and stylish cursive alphabet. The letter I is a great place to start mastering cursive and forms the basis for the other letters of the alphabet. With enough practice and patience, you’re sure to be a cursive master in no time.
