Easy-to-find calligraphy inks in the UK
20140727-linthel
Like everything with pointed pen calligraphy — particularly modern calligraphy — your ink choice comes down to a number of various factors. You need to consider:
the paper you're writing on
your personal style of writing
the quality of the ink
As a newbie to calligraphy, I have a lot to learn, and I found a really comprehensive review about inks over at The Calligraphy Pen that's worth a read. My approach here is by no means scientific, but I hope gives you an idea of the different kinds of inks that are available for you to try out yourself. I'd love to hear your experiences and favourites.
My favourite calligraphy inks
In doing this exercise, I've narrowed down my favourites (for now. It changes as I go):
Speedball. It's one smooth criminal
Winsor & Newton (calligraphy ink)
Daler Rowney Calli
Gouache mixes
Pelikan 4001 (a good practice workhorse)
The paper I've used
Different papers will take ink differently. Some will bleed, some will catch, and some will be so smooth you won't want to stop writing. I'm still in the process of investigating paper variants, so for this exercise, I've used:
my practice paper: HP Colour Laser Paper 100gsm
Artcoe Frisk black pad 135gsm (not particular smooth).
You'll see that two inks in particular didn't sit so well on the laser paper (Higgins [non-waterproof] Sepia and W&N Nut Brown). I'll review how they sit on vellum (Rhodia) paper soon. The review I linked to earlier highlights that the Higgins Eternal is a better option for calligraphy.
The inks I've used
I've used the variety of calligraphy and drawing inks I've collected over the last six months. I go into more detail about them beneath the images, including where you can buy them online*, and my experience in general (if worth noting) with them on this type of paper.
In general, I wouldn't recommend using the W&N drawing inks (use the calligraphy inks instead) as they don't have the pigment that you need. And please excuse that I've spelt "Winsor" and "Pelikan" wrong in my examples... duh.
*Note: where I've linked to a product, an italicisedlink indicates that I haven't had experience ordering from that company yet.
Black, brown and metallic ink
20140727-inks-lg
Higgins and Windsor & Newton inks
Speedball and Windsor & Newton metallics
Windsor & Newton gold and silver
Ink
Colour
Type
Where to buy
Pelikan 4001
Brilliant Black
Fountain Pen Ink (non-waterproof)
,
,
,
Speedball
Superblack India Ink
Waterproof
,
,
,
Winsor & Newton
951 Black Indian Ink
Permanent
,
,
Higgins
Sepia
Non-waterproof
Try Higgins Eternal instead
,
,
Winsor & Newton
Nut Brown
Water resistant drawing ink
,
Speedball
Gold
Super pigmented acrylic
Winsor & Newton
Gold
Water resistant drawing ink
,
,
Winsor & Newton
Silver
Calligraphy ink (non-waterproof)
,
,
,
The Higgins and W&N nut brown inks are definitely not friends with the quality of paper I was using. They are better on Rhodia (vellum) paper, but I think there are better alternatives from the same brands.
Although I prefer the finish of the W&N gold better than the Speedball gold, it's just too hard to write with. The fine hairline upstrokes are virtually impossible to make smoothly.
Blue, purple and green ink
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Speedball and Calli blue inks
W&N violet and green, Schmincke gouache mix
Ink
Colour
Type
Where to buy
Speedball
Blue
Super pigmented acrylic
Daler Rowney
Blue
Waterproof
,
,
Winsor & Newton
Violet
Non-waterproof
,
,
Winsor & Newton
Green
Non-waterproof
,
,
Schmincke
helio green bluish & white
Gouache (Horadam)
,
,
,
I've just learnt that a Schmincke 'calligraphy' gouache is available. I do find the one I'm using to be a little scratchy, so it would be interesting to see if the calligraphy version is smoother.
White and metallic inks, watercolour and gouache
20140727-inks-3-lg
Watercolour, gouache and Speedball gold
Ink
Colour
Type
Where to buy
Dr Ph. Martin's
Bleedproof white
,
,
Winsor & Newton
White
Watercolour (with pointed pen)
,
,
Winsor & Newton
White
Watercolour (with brush)
,
,
Schmincke
White
Gouache
,
,
,
Speedball
Gold
Super pigmented acrylic
Winsor & Newton
Gold
Water resistant drawing ink
,
,
Winsor & Newton
Silver
Calligraphy ink (non-waterproof)
,
,
,
Lettering in the leaves
And now, here's our fun gallery of words in the weeds, calligraphy in the coriander, lettering in the lettuce, writing in the rosemary. Enjoy.
Black, brown and metallic calligraphy ink.
Blue, violet and green calligraphy inks
White and metallic calligraphy inks
Pressing flowers and Herbarium sheets: the perfect COVID-19 activity with kids
What better activity during lockdown with kids than pressing wild flowers and creating your own herbarium sheets. Follow this step by step guide to create your own
I never thought I’d be pressing and archiving flowers to create a Herbarium in my lifetime, let alone during a worldwide pandemic, but here we are. During our once-daily outings during lockdown in London, my four year old collects wild flowers.
It came to mind that I might press her latest addition - a bright orange bloom that I have deemed a Welsh Poppy, but have no real authority to confirm or deny this (a friend suggested that it might be a California Poppy, but I’ll wantonly ignore that suggestion, having finished my sheet already). Also, having no real authority on how to press flowers, I found the Natural History Museum’s guide: How to Press Flowers, replete with a tutorial video (below) that, admittedly, I should have watched first.
In the NHM article, among the many things you can do with pressed flowers, was a suggestion to prepare your own Herbarium sheets to learn about plants in your local area or record plants growing in your garden. Defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a systematically arranged collection of dried plants, Herbariums, in the strictest scientific sense of the word, are essential collections of information about the world around us. In the less strict, less scientific sense, they are a wonderful activity to do with children, even if the only step of the process the kids are involved in is picking the flowers.
In addition the NHM’s fantastic resource, I was alerted to an extremely comprehensive webpage on Happy DIY Home about how to press flowers that I recommend you take a look at too. It goes into detail about which flowers can be pressed, how best to preserve their colour, the different techniques for drying and pressing, and suggestions for what you might use them for (in addition to Herbarium sheets).
Why should you create your own Herbarium?
Creating Herbarium sheets might just be the closest I ever come to being a scientist. It’s a wonderfully layman way to feel like you’re contributing to science (well, besides so many other ways, such as becoming a blood donor and organ donor). The Natural History Museum’s Botanist, Fred Rumsey, made it perfectly legitimate to become a scientist in your slippers: simply collect flowers, label them accordingly (particularly location and date), and, boom, you’ve created scientifically valuable data!
While feeling smart and studious might be your main motivation, my primary push was a way to connect me, my kids and nature with memories of these quiet, lazy lockdown days. Also, I can’t resist a new creative technique, especially as I have been growing ever more interested in botanical painting alongside calligraphy. How handy to have the real life specimen to hand, should I ever feel the need to paint a Welsh / Californian Poppy.
What do you need to create your Herbarium sheets?
Let’s get down to business. I’m going to tell you exactly what I used to create my Welsh Poppy herbarium sheets, but this is based on what I have to hand, and my calligraphy supplies. You don’t have to worry about fancy things, you can just pop them in a journal, or on a sheet of paper / card stock that you can collate as you go.
For the flower pressing
A flower (picked sensitively and with love from your local area)
A sheet of newspaper
Some hefty books (if you don’t have a flower press handy… I used the following, weighing in at a total of 6.6kg).
Books of Hours (1.3kg)
Usborne Illustrated Fairy Tales (1.1kg)
For the Herbarium sheet
For the calligraphy label
If you’re not a calligrapher, obviously you can make your label any way you like. Grab your favourite pen or print a template. This is what I used to write my details.
Cornellisen’s Walnut Ink (email them for their own brand)
Navigator 120gsm Ultra Smooth paper (for working out my layout)
What to include in your Herbarium label?
I found a fantastic Herbarium label summary from The University of Wisconsin - Green Bay’s Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, which states, at a minimum, the label should include:
the plant’s latin name
the location where it was collected
the collector’s name
Typically the label would also include a description of the habitat and associated species, an estimate of the plant's status at that site and a collector number. If the collector should misidentify the plant, the voucher can thereafter be examined by a knowledgeable botanist and the correct identity is then written on the voucher sheet in the process known as annotation.
Annotation, you say? It’s like they know me and my haphazardous scientific approach too well. Or perhaps mistaking a California Poppy for a Welsh one is not so uncommon.
For my own personal herbaria, I plan to also add a little note about what we were doing when we picked the flower. To you, boring, I know. To me, even. But perhaps a little diary entry of sorts will remind us of something one far off day in the future.
One bank holiday during lockdown, we all went to Lloyd Park. Jim walked, Mia cycled and Anise scooted while Kate jogged. At the park, Anise quickly spotted this beautiful orange flower.
Creating a Herbarium sheet: a step-by-step
The following outlines the process I took to create this exact piece. But you will find no end of inspiration for how you might make your own. A quick search for Herbariums on Pinterest brought up some beauties. I’d love to see what you come up with so please do share with me in the comments, via Instagram (tag @oliveandreid #lockdownherbarium), or email kate@oliveandreid.com.
Watch the video to see the steps below in under three minutes.
Step 1: Find a flower to press
As previously mentioned, I am no flower expert, but it’s spring and there are wild flowers to be found everywhere where I am. Go forth and forage!
Step 2: Press your flower
Using a large book, place a piece of newspaper between the pages, and lay your flower / plant as flat as possible. Close the book and weigh down. Check daily. The drying process can take days to weeks, depending on the moisture content of your flower. Follow the Natural History Museum’s guidance on that.
The specimen is ready once it no longer feels damp. The dried plant may be quite brittle, so be careful when moving it.
Step 3: Prepare your Herbarium sheet
While you’re waiting for your flower to dry, think about the design for your sheet. What size sheet, what information will you include, how will the flower you’re pressing look on the page with all of the information?
I decided I would use A4 sheets, which I could then put into clear sheets in an album. I wanted to calligraph directly onto the sheet with walnut ink in Copperplate and Spencerian scripts, so I chose a high quality watercolour paper (Bockingford Hot Pressed A4 Watercolour Paper).
Creating an embossed border
I wanted to try an embossing technique I hadn’t done before to create a raised border for mine. Choosing a 1.5cm border, which I penciled onto my card, I used my Crafter’s Companion Top Score Multiboard to score my card stock. I realised that the grooves in my board were set to 1.5cm, so in future I don’t need to measure, except to mark 1.5cm from the corners so I know where to stop and start (rather than cross over my lines to the ends of the paper).
Writing directly on your sheet
If you’re planning to write your details directly, I recommend working out your layout on another sheet the same size beforehand. Because I was inking, I used a printing paper that doesn’t bleed, Navigator 120gsm Ultra Smooth paper to work out the area I needed for my text. In my first draft, I had the plant name at the top of the page, which I decided to move to be with the text box on the bottom right of the page. Using my Aquino da Silva rulers, I chose the x-height for my scripts (4mm for the common name, 2mm for the latin name and details, 1.5mm for the story). Once written, I could see the length of the headings, allowing me to centre properly on the final piece.
If you’re printing a label, or writing it separately, you may like to add this after you’ve glued your flower to your Herbarium sheet.
Final step: Remove, position and glue your pressed flower into place
With your herbarium sheet embossed and labelled, and your flower finally dry, you’re ready to gently remove the flower from your press and affix it to your sheet. My flower was still quite attached the newspaper, so I very gently and slowly lifted it with a letter opener.
As I mentioned at the top, this is a great activity to do with the kids, so naturally you need to see that I didn’t just make this fancy herbarium sheet of the flower she picked. She also made her own!
I’d love to see yours, so don’t forget to share on Instagram (tagging @oliveandreid #lockdownherbarium).
Where to buy nib and ink calligraphy practice paper in the UK
Photo by Christa Dodoo on Unsplash
When I first started calligraphy, I wondered exactly what type and where to buy pointed pen calligraphy practice paper in the uk. Websites such as IAMPETH and The Flourish Forum are wonderful resources for calligraphers, especially when you're just starting out, but I've noticed that in the UK there's not a great deal of easily accessible advice about locally-sourced supplies of the fantastic products our US counterparts recommend. I intend to change that. Follow along with me as we chart the course of all things UK-based calligraphy; we'll find our way, and our best source of supplies, together.
Please not that some links included are Affiliate links, which means that if you purchase, I receive a small portion of the sale. It doesn’t affect how much you pay, and goes a long way to my maintaining the blog. I never recommend anything I haven’t used (or that has been recommended by trusted calligraphers).
Printing paper to practice pointed pen calligraphy
Laser paper
For my pointed pen calligraphy, I initially started out trying the UK equivalent to to the highly recommended HP Colour Laser Paper, but, to be honest, I've found it primarily to cause significant and frustrating bleeding. Fortunately, in chatting with other UK calligraphers I've discovered a few great alternatives:
Clairefontaine paper
I've yet to try any paper that provides a better glide and finish for the nib than French brand, Rhodia. There is a perception that these brands are quite expensive, but, at around £0.07/sheet each, they are around the same as HP Premium Choice.
For Rhodia, I use the grid pads for my practice and its brand counterpart (Clairefontaine Triomphe) for calligraphy I want to digitise. Find out more about these in my blog post specifically dedicated to them.
Calligraphy and layout papers
While printing paper is a more affordable option, nothing beats the reliability of a good layout paper through which you can see your guidelines. Recently, I’ve become aware of some great layout options that I wanted to share.
Canson Semi-Transparent Layout Paper (70gsm)
I was introduced to this paper for Maria Helena Hocksh’s Seastones Script workshop that was held in London by The European Pointed Pen Collective. It’s fabulously smooth and guidelines show perfectly through it. It was hard to come by in the UK, but now thankfully stocked by Simon at Scribblers (buy online).
Daler & Rowney’s Layout Pad (45gsm)
This high quality, thin layout paper is next on my list to order and try. The reason I have it listed here without having tried it, is that it comes as a recommendation from esteemed calligrapher, Heather Held, former IAMPETH president and student of many master penmen. During our evening online calligraphy social catch ups during COVID-19 lockdown, Heather showed me this layout paper and exclaimed her high regard for it, which puts it in high regard in my books. Buy online.
Manuscript calligraphy paper
I have the Manuscript A4 calligraphy practice pad on the shelf: it used to be a must for me — a stock standard go-to paper. It's a bit more expensive than the bulk reams of laser paper, but reliably takes the ink and allows me to see through to the guidelines below. However, I now am more likely to reach for the Canson, Daler & Rowney, Rhodia plain or Clairefontaine that I’ve talked about here, but it’s still worth having to hand.
Where I buy my calligraphy practice paper in the UK
Navigator Colour Documents Paper Ultra Smooth (120gsm): Amazon.co.uk
Rhodia Grid paper: Scribblers
Clairefontaine Triomphe: Scribblers
Canson Marker Semi-Transparent (70gsm): Scribblers
Daler & Rowney Layout Pad (45gsm), Scribblers
Frisk layout paper (60gsm), Scribblers
Manuscript calligraphy practice pad: Amazon.co.uk
Goldline layout paper: Amazon.co.uk
Are you calligraphing in the UK? Where's your go-to place for paper? What's your daily drill paper of preference.
Paper for Tombow Brush Pens
I’ve had a few questions in the comments below about the best paper to use for writing brush calligraphy with Tombow Brush Pens. While it’s not my main area of calligraphy, I have used Tombows and have some to hand, so have made a brief video using two of the papers I have in the studio at the moment:
HP RH98112 80 gsm A4 White Office Copier Paper
Navigator Colour Documents Paper Ultra Smooth 120gsm A4 White
If you can help out by sharing your favourite practice paper and for which type of calligraphy, that would be great!
Coronavirus (COVID-19): is it time to teach calligraphy workshops online?
In the days leading up to 16th March 2020, a flurry of emails from all manner of companies began to flood my inbox. My little girl’s school was to remain open, Sainsbury’s was asking for calm and courtesy, BabyBallet was still going ahead but with hands on hips, no hand holding.
At the European Pointed Pen Collective (EPPC), we had already cancelled our May workshop in Rome with John De Collibus, and now I was hearing unconfirmed rumblings that a much anticipated calligraphy workshop I was due to attend -- Cursive Italics with Gaynor Goffe -- could be cancelled.
I also saw calligraphy tutors asking others about how the Coronavirus was affecting their calligraphy workshops. Were teachers introducing stricter measures with cleaning materials? Asking students to cancel if they were unwell? How were people managing cancellations and refunds? What impact would this have on small calligraphy businesses who rely on workshops as a main source of income?
Then, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on 16th March 2020 asking that the British public implement stringent social distancing measures, it became clear that non-essential socialising, such as calligraphy workshops, should not proceed for the foreseeable future.
Social distancing shuts down calligraphy workshops
With social distancing in force, for calligraphy workshop venues and calligraphy tutors, the decision to hold in-person workshops was now out of their hands. The options were to cancel calligraphy workshops or find a workaround.
It is likely that most UK associations and guilds will cancel their upcoming workshops in line with guidance and hopefully reschedule when they can. The South London Lettering Association (SLLA) says:
SLLA are monitoring the situation and cancelling events as and when we need to, giving members as much notice as possible. Please see the SLLA website for information.
Sally Taylor at Hemel Hempstead Scribes posted on Facebook on behalf of the group:
As a safety precaution, we have decided to cancel our summer term which was due to start on Friday 27th March. As we are mostly no longer in the first flush of youth and several have compromised immune systems, it seems safer to wait out what is likely to be the height of the infection and return for Autumn term in September. If the virus proves less troublesome than thought we will reinstate summer dates as appropriate. Keep well everybody.
The potential financial impact of Coronavirus for calligraphy teachers
For some calligraphy teachers, however, cancelling workshops would be crippling to their business and private calligraphy teachers are beginning to review how they offer workshops to students. From April to December 2019, an estimated 300 workshops took place around the UK. Factoring 10 students per workshop at £40 per person, the potential economic impact across private calligraphy tuition and guilds in 2020 could be in the region of £200,000. Teachers have to act swiftly to implement alternative measures if they rely heavily on their workshops as a source of income.
What effect will Coronavirus have on small calligraphy businesses?
“Having to cancel workshops and classes will have a great impact on my ability to cover monthly studio costs”, says Rosana from Love Calligraphy in Manchester. “I have asked my landlord if, under the circumstances, they would consider reducing my rent to half for the next two months. They will get back to me.”
While Rosana has ongoing commercial work, like many calligraphers (myself included) she is facing brand event cancellations and reduced workload, so cannot rely on regular business in lieu of workshop income.
Jenni Liandu, a Scottish-based calligraphy teacher, is grateful that she has recently expanded her business to incorporate a unique offering to the market: The Calligraphy Box, a monthly subscription box to learn calligraphy. With over 100 subscribers, Jenni is not only able to supplement her workshop income, but she also has had experience with YouTube lessons to help her transition to online teaching.
YouTube works really well for a larger group, where I’m able to demonstrate what students need to know, and respond to comments live; however I’m not sure if this would work for a smaller group where you need to really focus in on detailed feedback. I’m exploring this as a possible online option for my up coming classes, and welcoming my students to subscribe to the calligraphy box instead of attending a workshop.
However, many teachers have only ever provided in-person calligraphy workshops. Tina Warren from Alphabition Calligraphy hosts workshops in East Sussex for students of varying skill levels working on different scripts. This relies heavily on her ability to move from student to student and provide feedback that might otherwise be missed online. I’m also keenly aware that Tina provides her students with freshly baked cakes, and there’s no online training service in the world that can replace that.
In addition to baked goods, there are other practicalities to consider about moving calligraphy workshops online: Lyndsey Gribble from Wild Sea Calligraphy and Caitlin McKenna from Brahmin Lettering both considered how they would get supplies to their students. If you’re a teacher who always provides supplies, suddenly you need to think about how to overcome that.
Do you have to be tech savvy to teach calligraphy classes online?
Another big factor that teachers are considering is how tech savvy both they and their students are. Having to troubleshoot tech issues on top of calligraphy issues might be a step too far for some. Fortunately, there are many straightforward streaming services and here’s hoping everyone is being a little more patient with one another in these heady, unprecedented days of managing life around COVID-19.
From a technical standpoint, it would be ideal if the teacher could have someone alongside them who could iron out any issues, but this isn’t always feasible for everyone, and I don’t think it’s absolutely essential. I think if calligraphy teachers can help each other out with advice on what works for them, then a strong online calligraphy learning community will emerge.
It’s certainly not all doom and gloom, though, with Joyce from Artsynibs in Singapore reporting that after a very tough time in early February, they are not facing such strict impositions and she is able to continue, albeit with due caution, with her small workshop groups.
Services for going online if your calligraphy workshops can’t be held in person
It goes without saying (but I’ll say it?!), calligraphy workshops are interactive. Not only is the connection between teacher and student essential for progress, but the information you gain from working alongside fellow calligraphers is immeasurable. However, once-in-a-lifetime pandemics happen, and one must be prepared. Are you going to go online? And how?
Zoom
This video from Ink Me This is a fabulous run down of how Zoom works for online teaching.
Having successfully used Google Meet for live streaming our European Pointed Pen Collective workshops, I was keen to share what I’d learned with local teachers who really needed some options for moving their workshops online. On 17th March 2020, I held an informal Google Meet attended by six tutors. I was able to show them how they (like their students would) could access the video conference easily via a link in a calendar invitation.
Google Meet is great for allowing the teacher to see what’s on the camera of every student in the class. For calligraphy workshops, I suggest that students train their camera on their desk so that the teacher can click on each student’s icon and watch their work live. This requires students to be able to set their phone up with a tripod or some means of stabilising their phone to show their work. It also might mean the teacher allowing for more time to review and provide feedback in this way.
Although Google Meet does allow for chatting in the conference software, at our Live Stream workshops for The EPPC, we had a separate device with a WhatsApp group that students could send questions and images to.
Pros
Can visually see every individual student’s work if they set it up correctly
Up to 100 participants (basic subscription)
Good quality video (as long as the Wifi connection is strong)
Cons
Cost: a Google Suite subscription (currently £4.14/month)
People who don’t have a Google account can only join via browser (so may need an external webcam to arrange view of desk)
People must download the Google Meet app to participate via phone or tablet (requires a Google account)
Teachable
While my best calligraphy learning has always been done in person, sometimes there is just no course available that you can attend, and an online setting makes it possible to learn from some of the best. I have previously learned Trajans from Yves Leterm via Acorn Arts and Fearless Flourishing with Younghae Chung via Teachable. For both of these workshops, the teachers uploaded videos to a service that we could access over a number of weeks. We were able to take part in online chat commentary with the teacher and other students as well as uploading our homework for feedback.
Pros
Students can comment in a workshop forum, and upload images for feedback
Workshop remains online for as long as the workshop is available
Cons
Cost (£29/month)
Demonstration format / not live interaction
YouTube
In a 2020 research paper, Harvard researchers compared the effectiveness of online versus live lecture demonstrations, finding that “the students who watched the online videos learned more, and their self-reported enjoyment was just as high”, likely because students watching videos may be able to be more clearly guided in what to look at and learn from. This gives great opportunity to refocus how we approach learning calligraphy and how our online calligraphy demonstrations can complement (and, for now, substitute) the essential in-person learning.
YouTube allows you to host interactive, live video chats, which can be saved for later, either publicly (everyone), privately (only you) or unlisted (only people with the link). Jenni Liandu uses the last option to send out the unlisted link in advance only to her subscribers. It does require teachers to emphasise to students that they should not share the link: it’s not password protected, so really does rely on students’ discretion and good moral standing.
In addition to live demonstrations, YouTube allows you to curate a powerful channel of hosted video demonstrations. For example, in light of the Coronavirus, kids’ author Mo Willems has been taking to YouTube (via the Kennedy Centre Channel) for daily “Lunchtime Doodles”. While these aren’t interactive, it still gives access to the artist, to demonstration, and to something even more personal than you would get in a calligraphy workshop setting.
Pros
Free
Large groups of students can join and comment on live videos
Collate playlists of demonstrations to guide students in order
Cons
Have a YouTube channel set up
Have a webcam (if streaming via browser)
Unlisted videos cannot be restricted beyond the integrity (or ignorance) of those with the link
Facebook Groups
I’ve seen this employed for two different artistic ventures. While people are socially distancing, my little girls’ ballet classes will now be hosted via a private Facebook group. Their teacher will be online and ready for us to log in 10 minutes before the class, and will host a live video of her taking us through the class from the comfort of our lounge room.
In addition, Ashley from Arts Summit has created Isolartists group on Facebook (boasting 1k members two days after being set up) and has been doing painting demonstrations via the Live Video function.
In her email introduction to the group, Ashley said:
Over the next few weeks (or months?)...I'll be streaming live video every day in the Isolartists group. Grab your own art supplies and whatever project you're currently working on, and join me for some time to create + connect.
I watched one last night while I was knitting and it was great to see how informal but informative it was. Ashley had about 30 people watching live and making comments that she would respond to regularly throughout. Her husband was on hand to help out with any tech issues, and to manage switching cameras from one at desk height to focus on her face/torso, and an overhead camera that showed her desk as she drew and painted.
Ashley also invited students to upload photos of their own work to the Facebook group, which, you could use for calligraphy tuition by arranging into different folders to manage and critique.
Pros
Free
Ability to stream live videos as well as post demonstration videos
Students can upload work for feedback within the group
Students and teachers can take part in interactive commentary in live videos and within the group
Cons
All students must have a Facebook account to take part
Like Google Meet, WhatsApp allows for group video chats, where you would be able to see whatever the participants are showing on their phone. However, you are currently limited to four participants and with no way of focusing on each individual participant’s screen.
I consider WhatsApp a complementary service to other online methods. As I mentioned, at The EPPC, we used WhatsApp as a supplementary chat group to collate queries and images throughout a live streaming workshop. Rosana from Love Calligraphy is using WhatsApp for managing distance teaching. She says,
I will send students handouts via email, for them to print and continue their practice independently at home, they can send photos of their work via WhatsApp for my feedback.
Pros
Free
Cons
Limit to four participants
Cannot train screen on individual participants
The impact of Coronavirus is clearly making hosting calligraphy workshops in person very difficult, and it’s important that we find a way to both continue learning and support small businesses. While we are all uncertain about how long strict social distancing measures will be in place, we can call help keep up our calligraphy practice going by sharing what we know.
Can you share your experience with online teaching?
If you have experience using any of the online teaching services I’ve mentioned, I’d love to hear from you, and I’m sure many other calligraphy teachers (and students who are set to miss their class) would too. Any pros and cons, or other services I’ve missed. Please do comment below with your thoughts.
A huge thanks to Jenni Liandu, Caitlin McKenna, Tina Warren, Lyndsey Gribble, Rosana Ibarrola, Joyce Lee, South London Lettering Association, for their input for this article.
Dr Ph Martin's Iridescent Calligraphy Colours available in the UK
Find out about Dr Ph Martin’s Iridescent Calligraphy Inks and where you can buy them in the UK.
Just over a week ago, I received surprise exciting news that Scribblers is now stocking Dr Ph Martin's Iridescent Calligraphy Colours for the UK market.
Buy online from Scribblers (£8.95 / 30ml)
What are Iridescent Calligraphy Colours?
Scribblers tell it best:
Dr. Ph. Martin's Iridescent Calligraphy Colours are shimmering, highly reflective colours that are lightfast, waterproof, archival, and permanent. Made from the finest ground pigments, the colour intensity of Dr. Ph. Martin's Iridescent Calligraphy Colours gives you the ability to cover dark surfaces with a dynamic metallic colour.
Great for use on paper and board. Dr. Ph. Martin’s Iridescent Calligraphy Colours dries smooth with no start and stop marks. Great for use with dip pens and brushes. Designed especially for calligraphy, to accent watercolour work, or anywhere where you need to add a magical shine and shimmer that only pigment-based iridescent colour can provide.
Scribblers Copperplate Gold product description
What's the big deal about these metallic calligraphy inks?
In short, you're dealing with:
- a brand you can trust in Dr Ph Martin (see also my post about white inks)
- a highly regarded product by calligraphers
- fuss-free flow
- exceptional coverage
- waterproof and lightfast ink
I have been hearing about Dr Ph Martin's Iridescent Inks since I first started calligraphy in 2014. At that time, artists in the United States would rave about these inks on blogs, on Instagram and on (my short tenure on) Periscope — basically all over the calligraphy Internet. Every time, I'd go on the hunt on Amazon and around the UK for these inks without success. I eventually stopped looking. To be fair, I've been using the exceptional Finetec metallic watercolours all this time, and was extremely satisfied with the results.
As much as I love my Finetecs, it took only five minutes from the time I read the Scribblers email before I headed over and bought the much talked about Copperplate Gold colour.
Dr Ph Martin's or Finetec?
If, like me, you've been using the wonderful Finetec metallic palettes, you might be wondering if it's worth coughing up the cash for a different metallic ink. The biggest pros for me is that Dr Ph Martin Iridescent Inks are waterproof, and don't require the same time and effort to get the right consistency as Finetec (which can be a fine art in itself). However, it is worth noting that:
- the heavy metal pigment does settle quickly and requires a good shake regularly
- as an acrylic ink, you need to clean your nib more frequently.
The finish, when compared side by side to Finetec is a flatter, matter gold. It doesn't have quite the same texture, but, on its own, Dr Ph Martin's is certainly a worthy metallic ink contender.
Dr Ph Martin's Copper Plate Gold Iridescent Ink on black A6 envelope
Close up of Dr Ph Martin's Copper Plate Gold Iridescent Ink on black A6 envelope
Over on Bien Fait Calligraphy's blog, Joi Hunt gives a great run down in her post Dr. Ph. Martin Copperplate Gold + Rose Gold Pearl Ex on why she likes Copperplate Gold (and how beautifully it can combine with Pearl Ex to create a stunning rose gold):
Copperplate Gold is a great gold ink option. It flows wonderfully from most nibs, and as with any acrylic based ink, it stands up very well to postal service processing machines and water. It does require frequent stirring, because the metallic pigment particles are heavier than the medium (they will settle to the bottom of the jar), which can be tedious on larger envelope projects.
Let's not forget, though, that Finetec metallic watercolours come in SO MANY GORGEOUS COLOURS, it would be remiss to steer you away from them. As my bottom drawer will attest, in a calligraphy studio, there is no such thing as too many metallic inks. (These are available in the UK from Scribblers, Penman Direct, Calligraphy Arts, Quill London).
Troubleshooting tips for Dr Ph Martin's Iridescent Inks
While I'm pretty new to the game with these inks, like I said, a lot of others have been working with them for years. You'll find excellent tips for this ink (among many things) over on The Flourish Forum.
- Dilute your bottle with a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol/surgical spirit/isoproponal
- For fine hairlines, switch to a more flexible, fine nib such as Leonardt Principal EF, Hunt 22, Brause 76.
What metallic ink colours can you buy from Scribblers?
Scribblers currently has six colours available:
UK Stockists of Dr Ph Martin's Iridescent Inks
- Scribblers (six colours) - £8.50 + postage
- Quill London (five colours) - £8.50 + £4.50 postage
- Judy Broad Calligraphy - (2 colour combo) - £15 + £3.30 postage
Share your feedback
Have you tried Dr Ph Martin's Iridescent Inks? I'd love to hear your experience, and how they're working for you.
A note about links
I'm a Scribblers and Amazon affiliate, which means that if you click a link here and purchase something from those websites, a small percentage of your purchase is attributed to me. I don't recommend anything I haven't tried (or I'll specify otherwise), and, where possible, I support all local suppliers who stock these products.
Do you need a Moblique 2-in-1 Penholder in your life?
Designed by Luis Chiang of Luis Creations, the Moblique holder is deemed 2-in-1 as it can switch between being a straight holder or oblique by adding the flange.
Some calligraphers find the grip quite slippery; however, I find it is great to counter my heavy-handedness. I was first intrigued by the innovation and its uniqueness, and now sing a resounding yes to its usability!
What is an oblique penholder?
Where a straight penholder looks and moves like a standard pen (the nib is inserted directly at the top of the holder to create the pen tip you're used to), the oblique holder has an angled flange at the top that allows the nib to be inserted at an angle that will allow the calligrapher to achieve required angles of specific scripts.
Two types of penholder for calligraphy: oblique or straight
Should you use a straight or oblique holder for calligraphy?
The answer to this one really is up to you. For the most part, personal preference (and also script choice) dictates whether you will calligraph better with a straight or oblique holder.
Oblique holders for formal calligraphy script
I began calligraphy learning formal copperplate script from Eleanor Winters' exceptional book, Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy. In it, she advises that the 54° angle of Copperplate calligraphy can be achieved "with a straight penholder and elbow nibs...[or] with an oblique holder and straight nibs."
Similarly, Veiko Kespersaks highlights in his book, Calligraphy in 24 1-hour lessons that
"oblique penholders hold the nib at the correct angle for Copperplate and Spencerian scripts, which do not require a broad-edge nib."
I do know of calligraphers using a straight holder for Copperplate, though, so let your hand be your guide. Because I chose to learn with an oblique holder (I didn't find the elbow nib range as extensive), I now use an oblique holder most of the time for both formal and modern scripts. I switch only to a straight holder when I need a specific look (pointed pen uncials — but even then I can work around it with an oblique, or more upright modern calligraphy). I'm so used the oblique holder that I struggle with a straight holder to have a similar smooth motion.
Straight holders for modern calligraphy and broad-edge hands
Molly Suber Thorpe says in Modern Calligraphy: Everything you need to know to get started in script calligraphy
"...in contemporary calligraphy, there is no "proper" angle, so the choice of nib holder comes down to physical comfort and how slanted you want your lettering style to be."
Chiara Perano, from Lamplighter London in her book Nib + Ink: The New Art of Modern Calligraphy recommends "the straight to start with as it's more, well, straightforward". All of the modern calligraphy tutors I know teach with straight holders (with some obliques on hand to try), so a lot of modern calligraphers will be used to and stick with them.
Broad-edge scripts such as Roman capitals, Foundational, Italic, Gothic, and Carolingian all use a straight edge holder.
What is the Moblique 2-in-1 penholder?
I first heard about this unique penholder with a pre-orders tweet from Penman Direct.
We're taking pre-orders on these fabulous 2-in-one Moblique penholders on our store now - bag yourself some of the first batch to arrive from Australia! #Moblique#LuisCreations#Calligraphyhttps://t.co/3jvU8ch18I … https://t.co/t8vglDNGxApic.twitter.com/AWMAZQvHAQ
— PenmanDirect (@PenmanDirect) May 9, 2018
As you can see from the pictures, the Moblique is a sexy little number with a very low price tag. Exactly my style.
See the Moblique 2-in-1 penholder switch in action
Where can you buy a Moblique 2-in-1 penholder in the UK?
There are now a few suppliers who stock these in the UK:
How does the Moblique 2-in-1 penholder compare to other penholders?
Selection of oblique penholders: Yoke Pen Co., UFOblique, Speedball, Moblique 2-in-1 Penholder, English Pen Crafts
When I unboxed the Moblique, I realised quickly that it had a steeper angled flange than I'm used to, and was very wary about how this would affect my script. I was pleasantly surprised to realise that the steeper angle has improved my Copperplate script.
After a little more testing, I upgraded 'pleasantly surprised' to 'absolutely ecstatic'. Creating square tops and bottoms, which I thought I was incapable of achieving for the last four years is suddenly not a problem. I'm over the moon to see that this slight angle switch of the flange has fixed the issue! Also, the top bowl on the lowercase 'k' has always given me grief. No more! I will forever sing the praise of this tool.
Ranking my penholders
Moblique 2-in-1 straight and oblique holder I should reiterate that this is NOT a sponsored blog post. It's purely based on my own experience, and I've kind of fallen in love with this holder in the short time I've had it. But it rarely takes me long to work out if a penholder will be good or not.
Speedball oblique (size 1) this was my first penholder and remains my go-to holder as it is comfortable and it holds the majority of nibs I use. It's important when buying your speedball oblique to check what size you're getting; I've heard stories of any size other than '1' not fitting a lot of nibs.
Yoke Pen Co. holder from Scribblers a splashy purchase for an early player at around £55, this was the first "exotic" penholder to land in the UK from the US. While it's not particularly flashy, I find the width and length really suit me, and, again the flange fits most nibs I work with.
English Pen Crafts penholder Melanie from the English Pen Co. kindly sent me this gorgeous holder. While I absolutely adore its elegance and the grip works nicely for me, the flange needs a little work because recently my nibs have been falling out. It really would just take some pliers, I'm sure, to give it a tweak, but I haven't gotten around to it! I would say that it would be otherwise tied with the Yoke Pen Co. holder
UFOblique holderWhile I absolutely love this quirky holder from the guys at UFOblique, I find the grip a little tricky to maintain Copperplate consistency. However, it works beautifully for modern calligraphy, so remains steadfastly in the mix.
Where other calligraphers have commented that they find the Moblique's matt-finish penholders slippy or too smooth, I really haven't been bothered by this. It's possible because I'm using it primarily as an oblique holder, whereas my a lot of my UK calligraphy friends prefer to use straight holders. Some calligraphers have commented that the grip is too thin for them, which is where the physical comfort aspect Molly Suber Thorpe talks about comes in. If you get used to a particular type of grip, then switching to a completely different style can cause muscle ache from working harder to hold then pen.
The only negative comment I have about the holder is that the flange does slide out a little if I put pressure on it with my thumb. Creator, Luis, advised that this could be resolved by pulling the flaps of the flange apart from each other.
What nibs does the Moblique 2-in-1 penholder hold?
I've had success with the following nibs in both the flange and straight holder:
Nikko G
Zebra G
Tachikawa G
John Heath's First Class G
Brause 361 pumpkin
I had issues with
Leonardt Principal EF (I resolved this by taking to the flange with pliers)
Gillott 1068A
Have you tested nibs I haven't? Let me know what's worked or not worked fo you.
Share your experience
How are you getting on with the Moblique 2-in-1 penholder? Yay or nay? Or do you have another favourite oblique holder? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
The UK's 5 best white calligraphy inks
photo of the various white calligraphy inks
I have long been a convert to Dr Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White™ as the best white calligraphy ink. But over the last year, I've been introduced to two new products, so I thought it was time to pull open the bottom drawer and surround myself with my white ink options, some of which needed little more dusting than others.
Find out what's in my white calligraphy ink stash and how they fit into my work. There are more white inks I'll be adding to the review (I'm keen to try out W&N calligraphy ink as reviewed by The Postman's Knock), but, for now, these are my top 5. The details are correct at the time of publishing.
#1 Dr Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White™
1 fl. oz / 29.57ml £9.49 (buy from Scribblers)
close up of dr ph martin's bleedproof white calligraphy ink
It feels a little unfair to include Dr Ph Martin's Bleedproof White because for so long it has been incomparable. Consistently and reliably creating bold downstrokes and fine hairlines, I have never questioned or even strayed far from using this product as a white calligraphy ink.
It is supplied in a very thick fluid form, which requires you to dilute to the right consistency. I usually mix with water (you can either do this in the supplied pot, or transfer to another container) until it's runny enough to write, but not so runny that it slides right off the nib. Others will call this the texture of heavy cream, and I guess that would be about right! I got a great tip from Suz Cunningham's Calligraphy Master's video that suggested if the ink was bit too thick to write, you could simple dip your nib tip in water to get the flow going. It works for me every time.
Watch the video of me writing calligraphy with Dr Ph Martin's Bleedproof White
#2 Dr Ph Martin's Pen White
1 fl. oz / 29.57ml £9.95 (buy from Scribblers)
In May 2017, Lauren from Oh Wonder Calligraphy brought Bleedproof's sister, Pen White, to our attention.
Of course, I leapt aboard the Pen White train, but my first impression was that it was a little too thick and globbed all over my paper. I think I might have just needed to shake it like a polaroid picture as the image included above was written straight from the bottle just fine. If you're really having trouble, you could add a little water or gum arabic to get it to the right consistency.
Watch the video of me writing calligraphy with Dr Ph Martin's Pen White
#3 Gouache
15ml (W&N - £4.99 Amazon.co.uk / Horadam - £8.45 +pp Amazon.co.uk)
I've never met a paper that gouache cannot perfectly suit. Where other inks bleed or pool (often unexpectedly) on certain card stocks, gouache has always come to the rescue. I recently had a limited number of customer-supplied place cards to calligraph, and my first attempt was a complete shambles when the ink when skating across the page at first nib touch. I mixed up gouache and was able to carry on without losing any more of the cards.
Gouache is so versatile for use across different lettering styles and on different textures and surfaces, and can be used to mix gorgeous unique colours, so it will always be one of my best white calligraphy inks. In the image I've included, the mix was a little too watery, but don't let that put you off. Just ensure you've got a creamy consistency and you're set.
A fantastic tip I received from Tina Warren of Alphabition Calligraphy is:
I use permanent white gouache for using as pure white and zinc white for mixing with colours.
Watch the video of me writing calligraphy with white Gouache
#4 Winsor & Newton Drawing Ink
14ml £3.50 (buy from Amazon.co.uk)
Winsor & Newton's white drawing ink was one of the first calligraphy purchases I made when I had no clue what materials I needed, so I just bought stuff that seemed relevant. Ink, yep. That should do it. But, of course, it's never that simple is it? Not all inks are created equal. I quickly relegated this ink to the box, fast to be forgotten until right now. It was useless for creating fine hairlines. I wasn't going to give it another chance, but seems I couldn't part with it either.
So, here we are, and with vastly more experience behind me, I can say that there's now not an ink I won't do battle with. Four years ago, I was looking for inks that I could use for delicate copperplate calligraphy. Now, my repertoire and confidence has expanded so that I'm more willing to try an old ink on a new application.
While I don't find this ink useful for copperplate script due to consistency issues (I *could* spend time trying to get it to work with gum arabic or distilled water, but when I already have other excellent options, I just don't need to) there's nothing to stop it from being a fantastic go-to for brush lettering work. It's not as opaque as some of the others, but lettering with some transparency definitely has its charm. Or, unlike with nib work, you could easily do a second layer with the brush to get a more opaque finish.
I plan to test W&N calligraphy ink, as recommended by Lindsey over at The Postman's Knock.
Watch the video of me writing calligraphy with W&N white drawing ink
#5 Herbin White Ink
10ml (part of a set of 5 inks) £13.95 (buy from Bureau Direct)
The Herbin set of inks has been awaiting a review for an embarrassingly long time. Dominic from Bureau Direct (home of my favourite calligraphy paper) kindly sent them to me just before my second daughter was born in June 2017. I'm writing this in May 2018. I'll be honest, I did briefly set about testing the inks back in 2017, but realised that they would need more work than I had time for then.
I will do a more detailed review of its metallic counterparts, but for the purpose of this article, I will say that, like the W&N drawing inks, these inks are best suited for brush lettering. They come in liquid form, making it easy to get going with the brush immediately. Though these pigment-heavy inks need frequent shaking as the pigment quickly settles to the bottom. Also, they would be a great way to pen a letter quickly using one of the sturdier nibs (such as the Nikko G), where you don't need to worry about pressure creating thicks and thins — you can create monoline handwriting as though using a pen, but with much higher opacity pigment.
These inks are not suitable for delicate pointed pen work. They are dense and do not allow for fine hairlines required.
Watch the video of me writing calligraphy with Herbin White Ink
What's your best white calligraphy ink
Are you a Bleedproof fan like me, or do you use something I haven't even mentioned?
I've already heard from @simonethessa on Instagram in response:
My favourite white ink is North Wind White from Ziller Ink. Scribblers sells it! I like it so much because it’s waterproof and perfect for envelopes 💌 It’s an acrylic ink and you have to clean your nib more often in between, but I don’t mind. I somehow never get a nice consistency with Bleed Proof White....
Share your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to chat ink.
A note about links
The prices and links in this blog post are provided for ease of comparison, and most of these should be available by a number of suppliers. If you choose to buy from Scribblers or Amazon.co.uk via the links here, I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Thank you!
6 tools to address envelopes in calligraphy
Once upon a time, when I wanted to address envelopes in calligraphy, I painstakingly calculated and ruled every single one. For copperplate, this included four lines per address line, and slanted 54° guidelines. While an excellent practice for learning good techniques and spacing, it doesn’t scale well on the big jobs.
Address envelopes in calligraphy like a boss
Now when it comes to writing calligraphy on envelopes, I have many tools to help. These are my favourites for both personal and professional work.
Ollie’s Studio envelope template
Lightbox
Laser Level
Reflections Phantom Liner
Ruler + pencil/soapstone
A piece of paper or no tool (aka freestyle)
To work out what’s best for you, you need to consider some key factors. Each tool has benefits but not without compromising something. For me, it’s a matter of considering:
how experienced / confident you are at maintaining script consistency
what script you’re going to use
the material you’re writing on (can you use a lightbox?)
how quickly you need work
whether your envelopes for personal or professional use
For example, I’m fairly confident to calligraph with a laser level for professional jobs or freehand for personal correspondence, but might turn to a lightbox (light envelopes) or phantom liner (dark envelopes) if I want to be exacting in my formal copperplate script. An envelope template is a fantastic middle ground for relaxed formal script, and also lends itself perfectly to modern calligraphy.
1. Ollie’s Studio envelope guideline template
(£14, Ollie’s Studio)
ollie's studio lettering template to address envelopes in calligraphy
Thanks to Ofe at Ollie’s Studio giving me a test drive, an envelope template is now my go-to tool for personal envelope addressing.
I designed this template to quickly create perfectly spaced guidelines and it's cut my envelope addressing time significantly. – Ofe Oyasor, Ollie’s Studio
Tools required:
graphite mechanical pencil of your choice
white fabric pencil of your choice
envelopes (any size)
What is an envelope guideline template?
An envelope template is a stiff shape (Ollie’s Studio’s is a sturdy 3mm acrylic) with spaces cut out where the lines of your address will go. You lay the template over your envelope, use a pencil to mark a line the length of each space, and, voila, you’ve got your address lines. Once you’ve addressed your envelope, you erase your black or white lines (I use an eraser and a soft cloth respectively).
You could make your own template using thick card stock, but having a professionally made tool is so much nicer and more reliable than having bits and pieces of paper flying around the place.
Note: I have always used this soap stone pencil on dark envelopes, but it won't fit through the stencil spaces, which is why I now use the amazingly awesome quilter's pencil.
The pros of a calligraphy envelope template
Grab and go! Place the template where it suits the address layout on your envelope, draw your lines (mark you vertical centre if you’re centre aligning), and write your address. Job done.
It adapts to different envelope sizes I originally thought the template was suited to C6 envelopes, but have since had a bit more sleep and realised that it can be used on many different sizes.
different scripts to address envelopes in calligraphy
You just need to make sure you can line it up consistently at the start (if it’s a professional job) so that your address lines are around the same place on each envelope. But that’s not so hard to do.
It can be used on different coloured envelopes Whether you’re writing on light or dark envelopes, as long as you’re marking up with the right tool, then you can use the template on any envelope.
Create gorgeous envelopes in your own style Assessing it straight off the bat, I thought that the template didn’t cater to the three key lines I work with (ascender, x height, and descender), or to longer (overseas addresses) but Ofe clarified that you can add more lines as you required just by sliding the template down the envelope and drawing more. This gave me more scope to play around with script spacing, and also means I can work with formal copperplate as well as modern calligraphy scripts. I just use about two-thirds of the x-height for copperplate as it would otherwise be a rather bulky 5mm lowercase letter.
using a lettering template to address envelopes in copperplate calligraphy
It’s a kind of meditation Once I got into the rhythm of ruling up my envelopes with the guideline template, I found it oddly soothing.
The cons of a calligraphy envelope template
Because you need to erase the lines, I tend not to use it for large batches of jobs. Writing the calligraphy is slow going so I try to limit any additional work, but love that I can just grab my template and get straight to work without any fuss. It’s worth testing to make sure that what you’re using will easily erase. I had some issues on metallic finish envelopes and the graphite mechanical pencil.
While I had my reservations in initial testing with the template, I’ve had more time to work with it and determine how it best fits into my calligraphy kit. It is now a mainstay on my desk.
2. Lightbox
(approx £70, Amazon.co.uk)
using a lightbox and guidelines to address envelopes in calligraphy
The lightbox has been with me since the very early days of starting Olive & Reid Studio and will always be an essential tool for much of my work. I don’t use it all that much for envelopes, though, as it can be restrictive in terms of ensuring you’re working with light envelopes of just the right thickness (GSM).
Tools required:
lightbox of your choice (I have a Huion A3 Light Box)
address template drawn/printed on paper cut to just smaller than your envelope
envelopes (any size)
The pros of a lightbox for calligraphy on envelopes
Reliable and fuss free As long as you’ve set your guidelines up correctly, and you can see them through your envelope with the lightbox, you can rely on creating consistently spaced and angled addresses in calligraphy.
The cons of a lightbox for calligraphy on envelopes
Specific A lightbox won’t be suitable for all envelopes, and, unless you’re supplying the envelopes you prefer to work with (that work with a lightbox), you will often need to find alternative ways to address them.
Repetition repetition repetition You may not be able to see your guidelines through the double thickness of an envelope, so your only option may be to cut your guidelines to fit inside the envelope, which you move to each new envelope. This will slow your progress a little.
3. Laser level
(approx £20, Amazon.co.uk)
using a laser level to address envelopes in calligraphy
For some reason, I thought that a laser level was going to cause me serious health issues, so I avoided getting one for way too long. Now, I just ensure that I keep the beam away from eyes, and I can put my super duper danger alarm back on the shelf.
Tools required:
Laser level (I have Black & Decker Laser Level and a 90° laser level)
Printed/drawn guideline template to sit under and extend beyond your envelope
Envelopes (any size)
The pros of calligraphing envelopes with a laser level
Super efficient calligraphy A laser level is by far the most efficient way to professionally calligraph envelopes... with one caveat. With just a baseline to follow, a laser level heavily relies on you “getting your eye in” (calligrapher speak for writing consistent letter forms) fairly quickly. I did once use two laser levels for a particularly precarious job (copperplate on curved porcelain), but that would be overkill for envelopes.
Compared to other methods, the setup time for a laser level is minimal and requires no additional intervention as you work (such as moving guidelines from envelope to envelope on a lightbox) or after you’ve finished (such as erasing template guidelines).
To see a master at work, check out Suz Cunningham’s video via Calligraphy Masters to see how she uses a laser tool specifically designed for calligraphy, the laser square and mat.
The cons of calligraphing envelopes with a laser level
The likelihood of inconsistencies That little caveat I mentioned — the one where you need get your eye in. If you don’t, it can mean obvious inconsistencies across a batch of envelopes (which you may be able to live with, depending on your degree of perfectionism), or across a single envelope (which your client may not be able to live with).
Bumping the tool This might just be me, but I’m pretty prone to bumping stuff, so I’m always setting up my laser, bumping my laser, setting up my laser, etc. This is where the laser square and mat would probably make the world of difference (rather than my portable builders’ tool).
4. Phantom Line Lettering Guide
(approx £45 + import taxes, Paper & Ink Arts USA)
using a phantom liner to address envelopes in calligraphy
For creating precise copperplate script on dark or very thick paper, the Phantom Liner has been essential for my work.
Tools required:
Phantom Line Lettering Guide (Reflections)
Guidelines with reversed slant lines
Envelopes (larger sizes may be trickier)
What is a phantom liner?
The liner is an optical instrument, which you can use to reflect guidelines onto your writing surface (paper or otherwise). It comprises three key pieces: a base, the guideline holder (angled on the left), and the reflection plastic (angled on the right) upon which the light shines through.
This YouTube video kinda sorta explains what I mean with that set up, but I found this Paper & Ink Arts blog post from Nan Deluca more detailed and useful.
The pros of using a phantom line lettering guide for envelope calligraphy
Extending your scope The phantom liner can allow you to take on jobs that you might otherwise have to forego. I used it to address Astley Clarke’s AW17 collection invitations — 500 in a weekend — which would have been a logistical impossibility otherwise (unless I were willing to sacrifice letterform quality).
Precision tactics With the exact guidelines reflecting, as though drawn, directly onto your paper, you can be very precise with your script. This is perfect for dark or very thick paper that would otherwise become a very laborious task to rule up to perfect proportions.
The cons of using a phantom line lettering guide for envelope calligraphy
The eyes, the eyes! This tool can really send you cross eyed and cause some headaches. The depth of field can take some getting used to, and confuse where your nib or guidelines are in relation to the paper. You must ensure your set up, including light source, is in the best position to reflect the guidelines.
5. Ruler and pencil
Tools required:
Ruler
Pencil/soapstone/fabric pencil
Printed/drawn guideline template to sit under and extend beyond your envelope
I mentioned at the start of this blog post, that I once spent a lot of time measuring and ruling up individual envelopes. Madness! A very basic upgrade on this would be to place paper with printed guidelines underneath the envelope. You'd use the same method for the laser level and just switch the ruler for the level. The lines should extend out horizontally beyond the envelope, and then you can use your ruler to match up the lines and draw across your envelope. I currently use a standard steel ruler, but I’ve been eyeing off a rolling ruler or parallel glider that Lindsey from The Postman’s Knock mentions in her posts.
This method is still a lot more work than any of the above mentioned techniques, but it certainly has its place in the calligrapher’s toolbox.
6. A piece of paper or no tool at all (aka freestyle)
This is, of course, my favourite tool of all because it is the ultimate fuss-free solution to address envelopes in calligraphy: no ruling up, no erasing, no fancy gizmos. It’s right up my street. But unless you do a lot of loose script envelopes and have a loads of consistency confidence, then I would suggest it’s more for your one-offs and personal communications.
Option 1: freehand
Be confident and prepared to adjust your layout as you go to try and accommodate anything that goes awry.
freehand addressed envelopes monoline calligraphy
Option 2: a piece of paper
If your layout calls for straight lines, simply lay a piece of paper just below where you want to write and parallel to the envelope and you have a non-invasive visual guide to help you. In time, you'll no doubt get better at spacing your lines consistently, but, as per option 1 above, just be willing to adapt as you need to create a balanced address layout.
freehand envelope addressing monoline calligraphy
Share your thoughts about addressing envelopes in calligraphy
I'd love to hear from you about your wild and wonderful ways when it comes to envelope calligraphy. What have I missed? What haven't I explained very clearly? What have I been doing the wrong way? What's your favourite method? Let's chat in the comments section below.
A note about links in this blog post
Some of the links in this post are to Amazon.co.uk, which, as an affiliate means I may earn a small commission if you purchase. I only ever link to products I have purchased or tried, or know from my trusted calligraphy counterparts (in this post, from Lindsey at The Postman's Knock and Suz Cunningham). While it is a small amount of money, it does help to keep me blogging so that I can share tips, supplies and techniques with you. Consider it a donation that you don't have to donate, if you will.
Anna Akhmatova's Requiem for the SLLA exhibition
I nearly did not submit a piece of work for this year's South London Lettering Association SLLA exhibition. With a toddler and a three month old, I didn't think I would have the gumption to get it done. Last year I exhibited a commissioned work which I had already prepared, but this year I needed to create something specifically for the exhibition. With the theme, Romance & Revolution: commemorating 200 years since Jane Austen's death and 100 years since the Russian Revolution, it would be natural for my experience with the traditionally romantic copperplate script to inspire me toward Jane Austen. However, I was drawn to the Russian Revolution, and quickly decided that I would not only work with a key piece of prose of the time, but that I would also capture both English and Russian versions.
I discovered seminal poet, Anna Akhmatova's Requiem resonated with me. In particular:
I have woven you this wide shroud out of the humble words I overheard you use. Everywhere, forever and always, I will never forget one single thing. Even in new grief.
Для них соткала я широкий покров Из бедных, у них же подслушанных слов. О них вспоминаю всегда и везде, О них не забуду и в новой беде
Creating bilingual calligraphy for the SLLA exhibition
My first task was to find the Russian text of the poem. I could easily find the English translation, but not the original, so I asked Anton at Ufoblique Penholders to help me out. Then I set to work studying the Cyrillic alphabet and determining how to create the letters in Copperplate script. I sought help from local Russian mums via Facebook groups, as well as the lovely calligraphy community on Instagram, to make sure that my script was correct and legible. (I really hope it is!)
This piece is purely my own design, not for a client, and I felt a great sense of freedom for where it could go. I ruminated over a number of nights letting thoughts develop into what could be possible. Black, red and strength were my inspiration.
I wanted a striking juxtaposition of the two languages. I work predominantly in fine, pointed pen scripts such as Copperplate, Spencerian, Uncial and modern calligraphy, so it seems crazy that I decided to create the English translation with Roman capitals — the most daunting of broad-edged hands, which I have never even dared attempt. I dunno, I just decided that's what needed to be done, so I grabbed my copy of Veiko Kespersaks' Calligraphy in 24 One-Hour Lessonsand hoped for the best!
My intention was for these English letters to be a curtain, a shroud,a backdrop — almost illegible and unimportant — to the original text. It's why I wasn't worried that words wrapped from line to line, rather than being complete. The letters had to be bold enough to carry the weight of this duty, yet light enough that the Cyrillic script stood out on top. I created the Roman capitals in watercolour, ensuring that the letters faded significantly in the centre where the Russian would overlay. For the Russian prose — the main feature — it had to be delicate yet striking, hence created in blood red copperplate script.
Although my Roman caps would make someone more experienced cringe, I feel heartened by the fact that SLLA welcomes amateurs and the piece itself is written by a woman who was not following the rules but succeeding nonetheless. I'm so proud of this piece for so many reasons:
- I challenged myself to develop a new alphabet into my existing script
- I shook off my nerves and just bloody well painted some Roman capitals, Sinatra style (aka, my way)
- I learned to cut mount board, you know — fancy angles and whatnot and did that too
I'm so excited to be showcasing this piece (which is also for sale, FYI, wink wink). I hope that if you're in London between Oct 17 – Nov 3, that you might just drop in to the SLLA exhibition and see it in the flesh, alongside some fantastic works from local calligraphers.
I also welcome all feedback, but don't tell me I spelt something wrong in Russian or I'll cry.
UK oblique pen holders for all calligraphy budgets
If you're in the UK and on the hunt for oblique pen holders a step above the standard plastic Speedball oblique holder (which ain't a bad little tool, might I add), you might feel you're out of luck. It wasn't that long ago that I was scouring the web for something a little more unique, elegant and handmade (having seen the fantastic work of our US counterparts such as Unique Obliques). Finally, I'm starting to see more of a range available to UK calligraphers for varying budgets.
Here are a range of holders that I know are available at the moment. I'm sure there may be more out there, and I'll update as I find them. Feel free to let me know of any via the comments.
*NOTE: this blog post was originally posted in 2016, and has since been updated to include other oblique holders now available in the UK.
Scribblers was the first on the scene with its US Yoke collaboration, so I put my hard earned pennies towards that. Meantime, I'll admire Chic Oblique's and English Pen Crafts oblique pen holders from my computer screen. Please let me know if you do buy/own any of these. I'd love to see some pictures and hear how they're going for you.
Scribblers
£54.95 (Buy online)
Scribblers and Yoke Co. collaboration for oblique pen holder
Scribblers teamed up with US Yoke Pen Company to deliver this oak finished dip pen holder, Scribblers Classic. Technically not handmade in the UK, but one of the first I found available locally at least. I own this one, and definitely enjoy its smooth texture and feel, and how nice it is to move the nib about.
Scribblers now has a wide array of oblique holders ranging from £2.50 to £54.95, so there's a selection for many budgets.
English Pen Crafts oblique pen holder
Approx £40–£110 (buy online)
English Pen Crafts oblique pen holder
Melanie is a local UK calligrapher who has turned her hand to holder turning. They're in demand so tough to get a hold of, but I spotted one in the hands of Rosella Garavaglia at a recent Spencerian calligraphy workshop. It was a lot lighter than I expected, with a lovely long length that reminded me of an elegant cigarette holder without the associated health hazards.
English Pen Crafts holders are handmade from wood, brass and maple with reviewers highlighting how much nicer the quality wood feels as an upgrade from the plastic, and commending that they are so lovingly packaged.
Rosella Garavaglia's English Pen Crafts oblique pen holder
UFOblique Holders
Russian based calligrapher, Anton, and his team, have created these bold, beautiful ergonomic oblique holders. I first gave the 'Alien' holder a try, but it was alas not the best shape for my hand. Anton kindly provided this sleek, streamlined 'Shark' as an alternative and it has fast become a favourite, especially for my modern calligraphy script with the Brause 361 Pumpkin nib.
Penman Direct
£44.99 (buy online)
Roger Mayeda's oblique pen holder available in the UK via Penman Direct
One of my favourite calligraphy suppliers, Penman Direct, has teamed up with US artisan, Rodger Mayeda (from Rodger's Pen Box). This one is highly sought after, being a favourite of guru calligraphy blogger, Lindsey Bugbee of The Postman's Knock. While it's not a UK-made option, it's a help to avoiding those customs taxes when it's coming from a local UK supplier.
Oblique pen holder from Chic Oblique
I got a heads up via Instagram (thanks to @metamorfosiuno) about these UK oblique holder creation from Edward Curran (@curran_calligraphy).
Currently, Chic Obliques holders are well out of my price range, but they look to be great quality and very creative and unique.
"You will receive a very unique pen ... created by hand using a wide variety of materials, from exotic woods and Acrylics to everything in between. The flanges are cut and shaped by hand to fit each individual oblique pen holder."
Tom's Studio
£125+ (buy online)
Tom's Studio oblique pen holder featuring solid copper
All the girls go crazy for...
I found out about Tom's Studio oblique calligraphy pen holder from a Facebook group I recently joined. I've seen this one posted in the group a couple of times. Personally, I'm happy enough with something that will get the job done (read: Speedball and Yoke are my go-to holders at the moment), I appreciate the appeal of this sexy little number with its sleek copper tail.
Blots Pen & Ink Supplies
£30 (buy online)
Oblique holder, nibs and ink available from Blots, Pen & Ink supplies
This teak offering from Blots, Pen and Ink Supplies is great value as a calligraphy starter kit: at £30, the holder is supplied with 10 nibs and a wide-necked jar of Blots Iron Gall ink. You can also buy the teak oblique holder on its own for £16.50, or check out all of Blots holders to see if something takes your fancy.
Share your oblique holder experience
I'm looking forward to hearing from you if you own any of these pens. Feel free to share in the comments below, or send me an email and I'll update the with your thoughts here.
-- Kate
What is modern calligraphy?
Modern calligraphy has swiftly become the go-to script for brides looking for a unique finishing touch for their wedding, or for learners looking to ease themselves into dealing with calligraphic scripts and paraphernalia.
When I started teaching myself calligraphy in 2014, I didn't start with modern calligraphy. I didn't even know that was a thing. I instead found a style that I like the most, and seemed the most practical out of them: Copperplate.
What I quickly found was that Copperplate script, with its distinctive thick downstrokes and thin upstrokes, has now taken on a contemporary twist into what's termed "modern calligraphy". Although this style may be considered disdainfully by some traditionalists, I have seen it executed with breathtaking beauty by some of my favourite calligraphers.
The difference between Copperplate script and modern calligraphy
Modern calligraphy has its grounding in Copperplate script, which is why many teachers recommend getting Copperplate under your belt first. Copperplate calligraphy:
is structured with specific, individual strokes used to form the letters
requires varying pressure on up and down strokes to create thick down lines, and thin — hairline — upstrokes.
Therefore, mastering these techniques not only give you an excellent foundation, but also confidence, for doing modern calligraphy. The only difficulty I've been having is loosening up and being free outside of the Copperplate constraints. Beautiful constraints.
Modern calligraphy is a fresh, new style that brings a flexibility and uniqueness that is both appealing and accessible. Where Copperplate dictates form and function, modern calligraphy lends itself to a more fluid, closer-to-your-handwriting approach. With some practice, dedication, and inspiration, anyone can define their own modern calligraphic style.
My top resources for learning traditional and modern calligraphy:
Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy by Eleanor Winters
Modern Calligraphy by Molly Suber Thorpe
Modern calligraphers to follow
My favourite must-have calligraphy paper (includes giveaway)
Bureau Direct, one of my favourite UK stationery suppliers, is offering an exclusive giveaway of my must-have calligraphy paper: Rhodia and Clairefontaine Triomphe. Enter to win via the widget at the end of this blog post, but, for now, find out why these papers are my go-to calligraphy paper choices for practice and digitising. A quick overview of Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper is that both have an exceptionally smooth finish which is perfect for calligraphy nibs and ink. With a little research for this post, I learned that, while they are two separate brands, Clairefontaine is the parent company and produces the paper for both.
The official US Rhodia website states:
"The Rhodia pad... features superfine vellum Clairefontaine paper in white with an exceptionally smooth satin finish."
Why is Rhodia grid paper the best for calligraphy practice
There’s nothing quite like Rhodia paper for calligraphy practice. A high grade vellum paper, it’s by far the smoothest I’ve come across. If you were just looking at specs alone, the 80gsm weight of this paper belies its ability to heartily withstand just about any ink you want to splotch on it -- and the ink won’t bleed.
I have always used the grid-style in A4 format. It doesn’t have Copperplate’s 54 degree angled guidelines and traditional 3:2:3 letter height ratio (it’s 1:1:1), but the ease with which the ink glides across it lets me focus on specific areas for creating calligraphy letter forms.
For example, I might spend time on squaring my tops and bottoms — a difficult but very aesthetically pleasing skill to master. Or I might practice consistent straight lines
Or I’ll get in the rhythm with some underturns
Or belt out some ovals
Of course, you could opt for plain Rhodia paper and draw/print your own guidelines, but, for me, for practice purposes, the grid works out just fine.
Buy online from Bureau Direct
Rhodia Pad (no. 18) — £4.95 / pad (80 sheets) — plain, lined, grid and dot grid.
Why I love Clairefontaine Triomphe paper for creating digitised calligraphy
My go-to blank paper for writing calligraphy that I plan to digitise is now undisputedly Clairefontaine’s Triomphe. This 90gsm high white paper, like Rhodia, is exceptionally smooth and a dream under any calligraphy nib. When there’s so many factors that can influence whether your calligraphy ends up looking good or bad (apart from your own cruel self examination), I really appreciate having a foolproof paper to hand that will take any ink or nib I bring to it.
Buy online from Bureau Direct
Clairfontaine Triomphe (A4) — £3.50 / pad (50 sheets)
While these papers — from high quality French stationery brands — aren’t the cheapest, I’ve always found them flawless and so reliable that I’m happy to spend the money (and, when you break it down, they work out to around £0.07 per sheet). I do use other, more economical paper choices when working solely on calligraphy layout, but I’ll save that for another blog post.
Rhodia paper in action
Watch this clip of me writing "Rhodia" on Rhodia to demonstrate the paper's delightfully smooth texture (at double speed).
Graded watercolour calligraphy
Taking inspiration from the abstract blue hues of a painting, I decided to give graded watercolour calligraphy a try. The plan was to start with very diluted colour (Cotman's Indigo: links to Amazon.co.uk) and gradually add more pigment over the course of the piece. I worked with a section of the moving James Arthur lyrics from his song, Say You Won't Let Goon Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper at A3 size. I used flourished Copperplate script for a traditional style with a little flair. Satisfyingly, the gorgeous blue gradient ended up looking exactly as I planned — deepening dramatically with the words down the page. Before I started, I worked out that, for 23 lines, I would add more colour approximately every 3.5 lines, building up the hue six times over the course of the full piece.
My method of mixing was an inexact science, simply dipping my brush into the saturated watercolour pan and moving across into my diluted colour. Of course, the saturation could be decreased or increased, depending on how long your piece and the final look you're going for.
Calligraphy Magazines in the UK
I am always on the search for calligraphy magazines in the UK, so please do let me know in the comments if you hear of any.
VNA Magazine
U P P E R C A S E magazine
U P P E R C A S E magazine Issue 23 (Oct 2014) – $18 – boasted a special feature on calligraphy lettering. Unfortunately, I believe that the back issue has sold out, but you can check for availability online here.
Dasherie Magazine
Dasherie Magazine is the beautiful brain child of the person who brought us The Flourish Forum: Erica McPhee, from Paperwhite Studio. It's pitched as the world's only magazine dedicated purely to the art of modern calligraphy, lettering and design. You can order this calligraphy magazine from the US now ($18 + £10pp).
Giveaway: The ABC of Custom Lettering
A great place to start learning calligraphy
I don’t want to seem hyperbolic, but The ABC of Custom Lettering by Ivan Castro has changed my life; creatively, at least. For years, I have lamented my inability to progressively learn more scripts — the ones that make a great calligraphic foundation such as Roman Capitals, Italic, and, of course, Foundational hands. I don’t mean my inability to learn in the technical sense; I can definitely learn new things. I mean my inability to know where to start. To pick a script and go. To wade through the technicalities of pen angles and x-heights. To do it on my own at home as a full-time mum and working calligrapher.
A word from the author, Ivan Castro
I quickly realised how great this book was for me and thought I’d say thanks to the author, Ivan Castro, via email.
Me to Ivan:
I'm currently working through your latest book, The ABC of Custom Lettering, and wanted to send a personal word of thanks. In the three years since I started learning calligraphy (Copperplate script), it's the first time I haven't felt overwhelmed by all of the various hands that I should be learning as a great foundation. So, thank you.
Ivan to me:
You make a point in not being overwhelmed by a lot of information and different hands. After a few years of teaching calligraphy, I know that what a beginner needs is not one hundred models, just mastering three or four basic scripts. All the rest will be variations of that. So, thanks for getting the point and I hope it really helps you through the way of the pen.
Since 2014, I’ve focused my attention on Copperplate (English Roundhand), consequently using it as a jump-off point to its rule-breaking counterpart, modern calligraphy.
Use the ABC of Custom Lettering to better your calligraphy skills
The book is broken into two key sections —
Calligraphy: The written Word
The first section walks you through building a foundation of calligraphic skills, featuring five main models:
- Carolingian Miniscule
- Roman Capitals
- Italic
- Brush Script
- Blackletter
- Numerals
Lettering: Drawing Letters
The second section uses the calligraphic foundations you build in the first section to draw letters and create your own style and design. Example projects using Gothic Letter, Slab Serif and Script include a title for a musical movie, a logotype for a BBQ restaurant and a logo for a burlesque dancer.
I’ll be focusing on the first section of calligraphy in this blog post, with my primary interest in familiarising myself with a broader range of alphabets to see what suits me and where I might apply them in my working life. I’ve set a goal of working through a different calligraphic model each month, and posting my progress here.
Take a look at Korero Press's walk through of the book
The ABC of Custom Lettering Giveaway
As part of this blog feature, Ivan’s publisher has kindly offered some books to giveaway — an excellent opportunity for others to learn calligraphy and hand lettering, too. To enter, submit your entries via the widget below. It will require you to sign in and then check off each step that you take to enter (e.g. if you tweet something, you need to indicate that you’ve done it in the widget — it’s not automatically detected).
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe giveaway is open to anyone worldwide, so please do share with friends and family who you think would benefit from this book.
Learning Carolingian (pronounced Caro-lin-jian)
Materials I used for practice
Ink: Parker blue ink (for my near-daily letterform practice).
Paper: Goldline layout paper (links to Penman Direct), a very smooth 50gsm paper that you can see through but doesn’t bleed. It allows you to see your guidelines easily underneath the really churn through your practice.
Nibs: Manuscript Tape (3mm) bought many years ago in a student calligraphy set (links to Amazon.co.uk). I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these nibs, but they did serve me just fine to begin.
Holder: When I have to use a straight holder, my go to is this cork-tipped one (links to Amazon.co.uk).
How the ABC of Custom Lettering helped me prosper
I was surprised, but pleasantly, that the first script to try my hand at was Carolingian. I was expecting to be launched in with the big guns such as Roman or Italic. Having heard only the slightest mention in my travels (via Joan Quiros and Amanda Adams) of Carolingian, I have to admit I felt that the pressure was off. I had no preconceived idea of what my alphabet should look like, so very much focused in on Ivan’s direction without the constraints of expectation. Suddenly I had grasped a broad-edge nib alphabet without much fuss at all.
My struggles with Carolingian script
One of my main challenges with this hand was having no concept of overall proportions for the script. This is no fault of the book’s. When writing in Carolingian, my words would always end up much longer than I anticipated and completely misaligned. I’ve spent years learning the ways of the much finer pointed pen, so, of course, my brain tries to overlay that information. This is purely something only time and practice can fix.
The other issue I had was trying to get my head around scale. Maths has never been my strong point, and the pointed pen doesn’t require adjusting for nib width, so, unfortunately, Ivan’s explanation of drawing up my guidelines and applying it to different sized nibs and scale didn’t correlate with how my brain works. I wanted to recreate the variations of scale Ivan had outlined, but I struggled to adjust my scale for playing around with varying x-heights. I chatted to a calligrapher friend who is familiar with this script and she told me that, as varying the scale of the script created a more modern effect anyway, I could play around with working out what ascender and descender heights worked for me.
Carolingian calligraphy after a month of practice
After my month of focusing on Carolingian (and this probably actually amounted to about two weeks of daily 30-min practise, really), I’m really happy with how I’ve progressed and confident about using this script when it’s called for. I’m looking forward to mixing majuscules with it to see what works best. Stay tuned as I progress through the scripts in coming months.
Some examples of Carolingian in practice
I have been writing birthday cards to friends this year, and decided to use Carolingian combined with Copperplate or Spencerian scripts to highlight recipients' names.
A post shared by Kate Watson 🇬🇧 (@oliveandreid) on Jan 17, 2017 at 2:50pm PST
A post shared by Kate Watson 🇬🇧 (@oliveandreid) on Feb 9, 2017 at 4:34am PST
Copperplate Special Interest Group Calendar 2017
I’ve been a member of the Copperplate Special Interest Group (CSIG) since 2014, participating in its envelope exchange for the past year. When coordinator, Joy Daniels, asked me to submit a piece for the 2017 calendar, I am glad I was able to say yes. My quote by Virginia Woolf is written in flourished black and white copperplate calligraphy and features for the month of September.
So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages, or only a few hours, nobody can say.
It sits alongside the wonderful company of artists such as David Simons, Gwnyneth Hibbert, Keiko Shimoda, Rachel Yallop and Charles Wrigglesworth.
Order your copy of the CSIG 2017 calendar
If you would like to order a copy of the calendar, or would like to be part of the CSIG, please get in touch with Joy via joydaniels@ntlworld.com.
Time to send some modern calligraphy birthday cards
This year, I'm sending modern calligraphy birthday cards to as many friends and loved ones as possible. They're so much nicer to receive than bills! Hand designed and calligraphed, I'll be mixing up the designs and card stock each month to keep it interesting. January features white ink calligraphy on 'cognac' pearlescent cards that read "Have a magical birthday". Full disclosure: I did attempt so send hand written birthday cards last year, but my organisation let me down and it all petered out around May. And this was using printed birthday cards I'd designed, not individually written modern calligraphy birthday cards! So, to try and do better, this year, I plan to calligraph all of the cards for the upcoming month (and beyond -- as many as I can manage at a time), and then write and address the next month's cards by mid month. I do need to make sure I remember to actually post them, so I might need to stick some kind of list to the wall so I can be cross checking daily.
If you'd like to receive a birthday card from me, please email me your date of birth and address, and I'll do my very best to get one to you.
January modern birthday cards
My January babies received golden sparkly cards with white ink modern calligraphy, wax sealed in smoke grey envelopes with a gold seal.
February modern birthday cards
Not that I want to spoil their surprise, but I have a bunch of Aquarians and Pisceans to send birthday cards to this year. Ryan, Leigh, Ruth, Caroline, Christina, Verity, and Fiona are all in line for a little letterbox love in February. There’s just one glitch. About a third of these birthday babes live in Australia, where, I’ve only just found out, that my envelopes don’t meet the minimum size requirement. At 81mm x 114mm, these pocket size parcels of love don’t quite hit the 88mm minimum width specified by Australia Post (PDF).
What’s a girl to do. Well, I’m a plough-ahead-and-hope-for-the-best-kind of optimist. Of my January birthday babes, I sent only one tiny envelope to Australia and they received it, so, I’m pinning 100% of my hopes on the fact that these modern calligraphy birthday cards for February hit their mark, too.
Buy these modern calligraphy birthday cards
If you'd like to order your own modern calligraphy birthday cards to send, please email me to discuss what you'd like.
Boost your calligraphy blog SEO
How cool that my blog is one of the Top 50 Calligraphy Blogs Every Calligrapher Must Follow via Feedspot! I've been behind on my blogging, so this is the motivation I need to write regular updates. With the list influenced in good measure by search ranking, social media influence, and consistency of post updates, it was a timely reminder of how a calligraphy blog can really help boost your website's SEO.
How can writing a calligraphy blog help your SEO?
With a background in web content strategy, I know it's good to keep a regular calligraphy blog for search engine optimisation (SEO). It's not why I write about calligraphy, but being found in search is a wonderful by-product. It motivates me to keep writing because it means people are looking for that information.
However, SEO can be just as mysterious to me, so being one of the top 50 calligraphy blogs, alongside the likes of Lyndsey Bugbee from The Postman's Knock and many other wonderful calligraphers, was awesome validation to keep at it.
My one piece of advice to help a calligraphy blog's SEO
Google loves active websites that directly answer questions that people ask search engines. If people type "calligraphy magazines" and I have that pretty niche content on my website, my website is likely to be displayed (if I've sorted a few other technical things along the way). Although much of Google's algorithm for displaying websites in its search results remains a mystery, some things become a "no brainer" once you know. Write about what people want to know, and then they can find you. Of course, there's more to it than that — you have to spend time promoting what you write on social media, and thinking about keywords, etc. — but, more than anything else, if the information is not there to be found; your website won't be found.
What should a calligraphy blog be about?
Every calligrapher has their own skill, talent and preferences. Write about what interests you and what you know about calligraphy, and it will appeal to a likeminded audience. I naturally gravitate to teaching. I like to help if I can, so, when I started my blog two years ago, I wanted it to be a resource for people in the UK starting their calligraphy journey. I wanted to bridge the gap between calligraphy blogs in the US that recommended products you couldn't easily source in the UK.
Because calligraphy and its diverse, traditional scope was very daunting to me, I try to write a calligraphy blog that makes the art form more accessible to newbies. Hopefully, its useful to more intermediate calligraphers, too.
I'm really pleased to be in such wonderful company of calligraphy bloggers. The Feedspot list has given me a great swathe of calligraphers to follow, which is always a good thing! I hope you find it useful too.
Giveaway — The Joy of Lettering: Negative letters
With thanks to Quarto publishing, you have the chance to win The Joy of Lettering: A creative exploration of contemporary hand lettering, typography & illustrated typeface, Gabri Joy Kirkendall and Jaclyn Escalera's new lettering book. Find out how to enter at the end of this blog post. As part of my upcoming overall review for The Joy of Lettering, I've selected three projects to dedicate time to and see what transpires. In addition to giving you a walk through of my process, I'll be rating each project difficulty (easy/medium/hard), duration and accuracy to step plan.
Negative lettering
Duration - (I took approx 2 hours excluding practice)
Difficulty - (medium)
True to step plan — Yes. I added a couple of extra steps of my own, but you could definitely follow as instructed.
sml-negletters1
1. Planning your negative space and doodling
I haven't done any doodling/zentangling for a really long time, so I gave myself an extra step of roughly sketching out and getting in the zone. When I searched for zentangling ideas, I learned (from WikiHow, no less), that this art form is as much about the journey as it is the outcome. It is a meditative process, and definitely one that is going to take time. But hopefully the time you take is mentally restorative. So...worth it. I also learned that a zentangle shouldn't really be planned, but should evolve (which is why the rough draft isn't finished... I just wanted to get to a point of confidence before putting pen to paper).
sml-neglettersa
2. Preparing your paper and letters
I knew immediately when I saw this project in The Joy of Lettering that I wanted it to be for a newborn baby boy, and that I wanted it on navy card stock. This added an element of difficulty for me because I couldn't just whip out my black ink pens and doodle away on some white paper. I was going to have to use white or metallic ink so that the zentangle would show. I decided I would use Finetec's metallic watercolour paints and apply them with a Nikko G calligraphy nib (in a straight holder).
Even choosing an A5 piece of card, I knew the doodling could take a while, so I took a shortcut with my letters and simply printed out the word in a font I liked at a size that fit.
I applied chalk to the back of the paper, then lay that on my card and traced over the letters with a soft (2B) bluntish mechanical pencil (Faber Castell TK9400). I then drew a very (regrettably) rough oval shape around the lettering in soapstone to contain the doodles.
Chalk applied to the back of paper in order to trace lettering onto dark card stock
sml-neglettersc
3. Doodling around your negative letters
I won't lie, I was a little daunted about how I was going to fill all of this space and have it look good. So I broke it down into manageable pieces with the help of my Finetec palette of colours. Each colour could represent one or two doodle styles, so I could just work through each colour block and build it up that way. It really allowed me to stop thinking too much about things and just be serious about my meditative lettering.
sml-neglettersd
sml-negletterse
sml-neglettersf
4. Finishing up
The final thing for me to do was to clean away the chalk (with a soft tissue or cloth) so that my negative letters took pride of place, and to add the little one's birth details in gold copperplate calligraphy beneath. You could easily add a frame (I bought one from Fielders, Wimbledon, courtesy of the Ready Made Picture Frame Company, and cut my own mount to fit the A5 card stock from their offcuts).
sml-negletters2
Enter the Joy of Lettering giveaway
sml-joyofletteringbook
I'm really pleased to be able to offer this book as a prize to my readers. I think it's an invaluable source of inspiration for your collection, set out in a really accessible way for beginners and professionals alike. Unfortunately, I can only offer the prize to those based in the UK, but I promise I'll be doing more international giveaways in the future so stay tuned!
To enter, submit your entries via the widget below. It will require you to sign in and then check off each step that you take to enter (e.g. if you tweet something, you need to indicate that you've done it in the widget — it's not automatically detected).
Ruling pen calligraphy with Rachel Yallop and Michael Clark
Getting out of London for a ruling pen calligraphy workshop run by Rachel Yallop and Michael Clark, in the most wondrous UK setting of Cradley, near the Malvern Hills, was the perfect excuse for a little family weekend getaway this October. Even though I would be spending the majority of the weekend at the workshop, I still got to breathe the fresh air, spend some quiet time overlooking two horses with my daughter at our accommodation, The Ash, and have some lovely evening chill-out time with the fam and a friend somewhere far away from our London lounge room.
The course was held in Cradley Village Hall, a centuries-old building with all the charm needed for a group of 12 calligraphers.
Of course, being a relative newcomer to calligraphy, I felt a little out of my depth surrounded by such fantastic talent. However, armed with Paula Comparini's ruling pens, and charmed by Michael's gentle yet passionate will to teach what he has learned, I kept my humour and wielded my weapon as best I could.
Ruling pen example styles
When I say I was surrounded by fantastic talent, I'm not joking. My friends for the weekend were churning out inspiring, thoughtful and thought provoking pieces, mixing media and styles deftly. I have included some examples here with the artists' permission. As you can see, ruling pen applications are so diverse and unique as each person using it, and is a stark contrast against the regimented consistency of more formal scripts.
Thanks to Els van den Steen, Meg Chapman, Judith Porch, Janet Smith, Margaret Morgan and Tony Woodhams for their permission to use their pictures.
What happens a ruling pen calligraphy workshop?
This ain't Vegas, so I'm here to spill the beans. Imagine tea, ink, paper. Did I mention tea? And amazing locally supplied lunches. Over the course of the two days, Michael and Rachel guided us through ruling pen calligraphy demonstrations as a starting point but predominantly gave us plenty of time to experiment as they travelled around the room, patiently listening to our concepts and giving advice.
Day 1 focused on experimenting with the pens and seeing the range strokes you could create with them just by alterning which side you used or the angle it was on. We later moved into trying to capture the essence of words like 'angry' and 'gentle', using the ruling pen to reflect its meaning.
On day 2, our task was to work with a quote of our choice, developing not just layout but a design that, again, captured its meaning. It was impressive to see how my fellow calligraphers adapted their quotes to suit their style using different colour inks, strokes and textures.
Michael brought with him from the US two of his books filled with original ruling pen calligraphy designs from his commercial work that showed exactly how they looked on paper before it went digital. It was an invaluable resource to be able to see what was involved in his process. I admired the fact that he comes from a self taught, often uncoventional background, which he is proud of, defends and supports in others.
I could tell how prepared both Rachel and Michael were for this workshop, but they made it look effortless. I understand how much work goes into to teaching other people, and I appreciate that these two talented artists take that time to teach. I certainly felt very much the baby artist of the crew, but armed with a new folding pen from Tim Leigh, new skills and empowering messages from Michael, I'm excited about continuing to develop my calligraphic and lettering style.
Order your copy of Rachel and Michael's ruling pen book
If you missed Rachel and Michael's workshop, you still have the opportunity to buy their latest book collaboration, Thinking Outside the Box. The cost for UK shoppers is £14 (inc. postage).
You can pay Rachel by her PayPal web page or find out more and get in touch with any questions via Rachel's website or Facebook page.
