Originally posted by Sniffy on November 18
2009
Taken from LearnCalligraphy.co.uk
Hold your Calligraphy pen much like you would hold an ordinary pen (left). There is no right or wrong way other than holding the pen so that it points away from you. As long as you are comfortable. If you are left-handed, you might have to turn the paper to get the right angle.
You will need to keep the entire width of the calligraphy nib in contact with the paper as you write, this is what causes the difference in the thickness of the lines. You may need to adjust your grip slightly to compensate for this.
Rather than rotating your wrist as you write, try pulling and pushing the pen from the elbow. There will be some wrist movement but you will get used to what you are doing, and why, as you practise. Excessive movements of your wrist as you write changes the angle of the nib in relation to the writing line and the uniformity of your letters will be affected.
The dip nib is designed to be pulled or moved sideways. If you push the nib upwards you will find it digs into the fibres of the paper and the ink will bleed and spread. You shouldn't need to apply much pressure to the pen when you write. If your thick line looks ragged, the chances are that you lifted one corner of the pen nib.
Different alphabets and styles of writing require the pen nib to be held at different angles relative to the writing line. I find that if I twist the pen slightly in my grip this is enough for the letters to look flatter or more slender.
Taken from LearnCalligraphy.co.uk
Hold your Calligraphy pen much like you would hold an ordinary pen (left). There is no right or wrong way other than holding the pen so that it points away from you. As long as you are comfortable. If you are left-handed, you might have to turn the paper to get the right angle.
You will need to keep the entire width of the calligraphy nib in contact with the paper as you write, this is what causes the difference in the thickness of the lines. You may need to adjust your grip slightly to compensate for this.
Rather than rotating your wrist as you write, try pulling and pushing the pen from the elbow. There will be some wrist movement but you will get used to what you are doing, and why, as you practise. Excessive movements of your wrist as you write changes the angle of the nib in relation to the writing line and the uniformity of your letters will be affected.
The dip nib is designed to be pulled or moved sideways. If you push the nib upwards you will find it digs into the fibres of the paper and the ink will bleed and spread. You shouldn't need to apply much pressure to the pen when you write. If your thick line looks ragged, the chances are that you lifted one corner of the pen nib.
Different alphabets and styles of writing require the pen nib to be held at different angles relative to the writing line. I find that if I twist the pen slightly in my grip this is enough for the letters to look flatter or more slender.
Originally Posted by Sniffy on November 18,
2009
Taken from LearnCalligraphy.co.uk
There is nothing more soothing than watching the wet flow of ink from the nib of a calligraphy pen. The raised, glistening, mound dulls to the dry, crisp, black mark that makes your letters. The act of loading your pen, testing it out and finally writing with it is a meditative process that requires great care. The more often you practise, the more you will find your own way and your own favoured materials.
There are different types of ink and many different manufacturers. Take a look in different shops and you will see what I mean. What you choose to buy is largely down to your sense of adventure and your reason for buying it in the first place.
The bottle will usually say whether the ink is waterproof or not, it matters for the purposes of cleaning your pen (what do you rinse the ink off the nib with?) and for what you are going to write on (will the paper or vellum get damp or wet? If so the ink may bleed over time).
Some inks last longer than others in that they fade much less over time - referred to as their permanence. Ink such as "Higgins Eternal" is a Permanent Black, this means that it will keep its colour much longer than an ink that is semi-permanent. I have pieces of calligraphy over 5 years old that were written with ordinary pen ink and are not as black as the day they were penned.
You can buy inks made to ancient recipes, such as Iron Gall ink, which darkens on exposure to light. As you write the ink is rather pale but dries to a nice, crisp, black, finish. See here to find out how you can make it yourself.
Many inks will need stirring, such as Indian Ink, as the pigment sinks to the bottom in a kind of sediment. Many bottles will tell you to 'stir well' if needed. Indian Ink is actually Chinese Stick Ink - ground from pigments and pressed into a block, or stick, it is then ground on a stone with water and a binding agent - Gum Arabic for example - to form a liquid. I'm not really sure why it's called Indian Ink.
Rather than dip your nib in the bottle and having to wipe off the excess ink before writing, try loading the ink into the back of the reservoir with a dropper or paint brush. The brass reservoir at the back of the steel nib is loaded in a similar fashion.
When you have loaded the reservoir, test the nib on a scrap of paper to ensure the ink is flowing well and you have crisp, clean lines. To get the ink flow going, try making small side-to-side movements with the nib, this opens the split in the nib and encourages the ink to flow.
If this fails, put a small dot of ink from your dropper or paint brush onto a scrap of paper and pass the nib through it, this will encourage the capillary action. Try wiggling it again and writing with it. Repeat this until you have some ink flowing.
Taken from LearnCalligraphy.co.uk
There is nothing more soothing than watching the wet flow of ink from the nib of a calligraphy pen. The raised, glistening, mound dulls to the dry, crisp, black mark that makes your letters. The act of loading your pen, testing it out and finally writing with it is a meditative process that requires great care. The more often you practise, the more you will find your own way and your own favoured materials.
There are different types of ink and many different manufacturers. Take a look in different shops and you will see what I mean. What you choose to buy is largely down to your sense of adventure and your reason for buying it in the first place.
The bottle will usually say whether the ink is waterproof or not, it matters for the purposes of cleaning your pen (what do you rinse the ink off the nib with?) and for what you are going to write on (will the paper or vellum get damp or wet? If so the ink may bleed over time).
Some inks last longer than others in that they fade much less over time - referred to as their permanence. Ink such as "Higgins Eternal" is a Permanent Black, this means that it will keep its colour much longer than an ink that is semi-permanent. I have pieces of calligraphy over 5 years old that were written with ordinary pen ink and are not as black as the day they were penned.
You can buy inks made to ancient recipes, such as Iron Gall ink, which darkens on exposure to light. As you write the ink is rather pale but dries to a nice, crisp, black, finish. See here to find out how you can make it yourself.
Many inks will need stirring, such as Indian Ink, as the pigment sinks to the bottom in a kind of sediment. Many bottles will tell you to 'stir well' if needed. Indian Ink is actually Chinese Stick Ink - ground from pigments and pressed into a block, or stick, it is then ground on a stone with water and a binding agent - Gum Arabic for example - to form a liquid. I'm not really sure why it's called Indian Ink.
Rather than dip your nib in the bottle and having to wipe off the excess ink before writing, try loading the ink into the back of the reservoir with a dropper or paint brush. The brass reservoir at the back of the steel nib is loaded in a similar fashion.
When you have loaded the reservoir, test the nib on a scrap of paper to ensure the ink is flowing well and you have crisp, clean lines. To get the ink flow going, try making small side-to-side movements with the nib, this opens the split in the nib and encourages the ink to flow.
If this fails, put a small dot of ink from your dropper or paint brush onto a scrap of paper and pass the nib through it, this will encourage the capillary action. Try wiggling it again and writing with it. Repeat this until you have some ink flowing.
