Unconventional introduction to the art of calligraphy
I would like to mention in advance that this is a writing by a girl who loves pens and watches, enjoys writing, and is trying her hand at calligraphy, so it is not a professional article – therefore, the phrasing is quite peculiar, just like me.
The beginnings
I have loved pens since I learned to write. I remember being in first grade, learning the letters, and to avoid „cheating,” I received a fountain pen because it made it easy to see if I lifted the pen off the paper and wasn't continuously drawing the letters. I fell in love with the pen and with „scribbling”... today this sometimes seems old-fashioned, but I have always been wired differently and I always say that in one of my past lives, I must have lived in a time when ladies wore long dresses, and horse-drawn carriages traveled the roads, and they wrote with such beautifully calligraphic letters...
As a child, I constantly asked my grandfather to make me a pen from a goose feather because I saw in movies that (princesses) write with them, and they receive love letters written with such pens in wonderful letters... I know, I know: wake up little girl, you've wandered off!
So, pens... I have all kinds of pens: from the hundred-forint „eccarvú” with glitter to truly renowned and quality masterpieces... and I love them all! I love them all for different reasons... some are actually completely unsuitable for writing because they are big and heavy for my small hand, they slip, but they are blue, and polka-dotted, and have a pom-pom at the end with a cute little bow... and there are some whose lacquer blackness and/or the magnificently crafted tip amaze me endlessly: I look at them and marvel at the perfection with which someone dreamed this up and created it.
The wonderful calligraphy
Calligraphy has always filled me with admiration, but somehow life brought it about that I only had the opportunity to try it for the first time about two years ago, on a wonderful summer day, together with my dear friends, at a calligraphy workshop. I enjoyed it indescribably! I was just in awe as I watched how the flexible tip works and glides on the paper, and suddenly a wonderful letter takes shape from the whole process (let's say the full truth is that a completely new tip doesn't glide that well yet because it needs to „wear in” a bit, and a person's hand also starts to learn after about two hours of practice that you shouldn't write with such a tip the way you were taught in school – at least that was my experience at first, as a complete beginner.
In fact, even today, I still need time for my hand to „switch” if I'm not writing with a smooth pen.) Somehow in my life, rules, order, discipline, and high concentration are always present, and I love it. My work also demands it, and I truly love it. I couldn't do it any other way: half-heartedly, imprecisely... I think that's why I fell in love with calligraphy too, because there too, several „components” need to „work well together” for the end result to be perfect...
Everything needs to come together: a quality tip is needed (I most often use a „blue pumpkin” Brause 361 and a Leonardt Principal EF), a suitable pen holder (straight or oblique, depending on what feels better for whom), good quality calligraphy ink, and suitable paper. And if all this is in place, then I think a large dose of attention, patience, and (I'm not fooling anyone) a lot of practice is also necessary.
In calligraphy, the hand position, the pen barrel, the nib, and the angle at which it meets the paper are important, as well as how much pressure we „apply” to the flexible nibs, what kind of paper we write on, the thickness/weight/type of the sheet or notebook (for example, plain traditional copy paper is unfortunately completely unsuitable for this activity), whether we write upright letters or slanted ones, if slanted, at what angle they should be tilted, the size of the letters and the spacing, the ratio of the letters and loops, etc.
For those who are more deeply interested, I recommend joining thematic calligraphy groups, whether domestic or foreign, because there is so much to learn and ask. In the groups I know, everyone is very helpful, there are plenty of good ideas, advice, suggestions, and resources... to our little group I could compare it, it's no coincidence that I love this too, and I always look forward to learning from the writings of the group members, or just seeing some wonderfully beautiful writing instrument!
Getting to know the various nibs
I got a bit sidetracked again... so returning to calligraphy, there are all kinds of nibs for each writing style: there are the classic flexible nibs, which are suitable for what we might call traditional calligraphy (cursive, flourish, or copperplate calligraphy): depending on their flexibility, beautiful works can be created with them.
These types of nibs can mostly be purchased in specialty stores, but since it has become a bit of a trendy hobby, starter kits are also periodically sold by certain retail chains. From experience, I would add that, as in every case, it is true here as well that these are really only good for trying out (sometimes not even for that). It's good if one doesn't know that the nibs need to be thoroughly cleaned before use (in fact, some people even burn them a little), because during their production, an oily layer gets on them, which is why no matter how much we dip them in ink, they won't „absorb” it, and thus it can be really difficult to write well with them, which can quickly discourage someone.
Fountain pens with flexible nibs also exist (flexible nib), for example, the Mont Blanc Meisterstück 149 (this model is a big dream of mine, but I haven't managed to try it yet).
Then there are the so-called pinched straight nibs. They also come in both nib and pen form. They vary in thickness and are used for the so-called Italic or Gothic style, for example, the Pilot Parallel Pens are very popular for the latter. I have a Herlitz and a Sheaffer set, both with three different nib thicknesses.
There are also round-tipped nibs (round hand or dip nib), which are not flexible, just like the pinched nibs, and different styles can be written with them; the style I see most often is the old typewriter-style letters.
And I couldn't even list how many different types there are, smaller, larger, more flexible...
As I mentioned, I am still just a beginner, but I watch in the thematic groups what tools others use, and I always see something new. The American videos are amazing; they have a tool for everything, from rulers that can be used for line drawing to holders suitable for storing pens, to light boards that illuminate the paper from below so that it doesn't need to be lined, etc. the list is endless... I have found that those who want to take this more seriously do not just shop at home: there are, for example, nibs, pens, practice notebooks, books, inks that can hopefully be ordered from abroad, but some are harder to obtain (for me, this is currently the Kim Ngoc Pen No5, which is used in many videos and really piques my imagination. I still haven't figured out how to get one – I haven't purchased from foreign webshops yet, but I might rise to the occasion for the sake of the goal).
What do I love about calligraphy?
In conclusion, and because I try to strive for completeness, I will also mention that for those who do not want to sift through various nibs, pens, pen holders, inks, papers, and notebooks, thanks to the great achievements of our modern age, there is the option to do all this digitally: the apple company has (obviously not only) a suitable „tablet” with a corresponding pen and program for this, which is highly praised and used by many. I haven't had the luck to try something like this yet, but for the sake of gaining experience and satisfying my curiosity, I would definitely try it, because they really create wonderful things with these, they can be incredibly beautiful: once the text is ready, they play with the colors like in an image editor, add a background and decorations, and in „5 minutes” a masterpiece is created that is already digital.
But personally, I would definitely stick to the traditional version; otherwise, how could I be covered in ink up to my neck after 3 minutes... I enjoy the charm of writing, but I have to wait for the ink to dry before I can take a photo... or while it dries, I love watching the ink as it still „stands out” from the paper because it hasn't fully absorbed... I really love to run my finger along the written lines afterward and feel the ink, the paper... this feeling cannot be replicated by a digital tablet, at least not for me; it's like the smell of books... incomparable, whether old or new, but obviously, this is completely subjective.
Of course, there is a chance that it smudges, or the pen may ruin the second-to-last word, or the seemingly good paper absorbs the ink too much before it dries, and the writing flows away in an unappealing way, and because of this, one might have to start all over again, but somehow I still enjoy this because this is also the beauty of it all... the creation... that something unrepeatable is made in the wake of our hands... this may sound a bit „grandiose,” but I think no matter how small it is, and I'm not just thinking about writing, if a person creates it themselves, it is all unique and unrepeatable in that form, and that is what makes it special...
You should try it too!
If I managed to spark your interest, then I encourage you to try it too; calligraphy is great fun! It is a very pleasant pastime that truly relaxes a person (despite the initial difficulties that will surely occur), and for example, wonderful personal gifts can be made this way for birthdays, weddings, anything... my wall is also filled with calligraphic quotes, motivational phrases on various colorful post-its, in different styles, and it always fills me with happiness to look at them while working.
But I also gladly write like this for my friends on festive occasions. (Okay, okay, sometimes I write my shopping list like this too, but I can't start cooking until I have a wrist shot „taken”...
In a word, I am happy to share my experiences and give tips, for example, regarding places to find supplies!
