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#1
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broad nibs
I have never used a broad nib. Is what is considered a broad nib (like in a
Cross pen) suitable for calligraphy or is even a wider nib needed to get the variations in line width. Anyone have any writing examples? thanks. |
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#2
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broad nibs
jeffdanz wrote:
I have never used a broad nib. Is what is considered a broad nib (like in a Cross pen) suitable for calligraphy or is even a wider nib needed to get the variations in line width. Anyone have any writing examples? thanks. Hi Jeff... Broad nibs per say won't give you the desired effect for calligraphy. What you want is a broad (or broader) nib that is ground flat such as an italic. John Mottishaw's site has great writing examples... http://www.nibs.com/calligraphicwriting.htm B |
#3
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broad nibs
I'm assuming that you are mostly interested in improving your
handwriting, and would like to learn to write in an italic hand. You want an italic nib, which gives you "thick and thin" elements in your letters. A broad nib just makes a nice fat line without much variation in width. Some fountain pen brands offer italic nibs (Parker is one example, and Shaffer sells calligraphy pens that you can find in Office Depot, Staples, or Office Max). Or you can visit a site such as Pendemonium (www.pendemonium.com), where they sell nibs that are custom-ground. If you are left-handed, you will need to let the seller know that. Lefties often find writing with a left oblique pen more comfortable. If you want to take up calligraphy as a more serious hobby, don't use a fountain pen. Use a dip pen and calligraphy ink (which isn't suitable for fountain pen use). You can buy the nibs for calligraphy at art supply stores and at some hobby stores. Depending on where you live, you may be able to take a class from a professional calligrapher (check your Yellow Pages, or your local community/junior college catalog). Or contact Susie-Melissa Cherry in Dallas (www.calligraphicarts.com) -- she knows everyone and might be able to make a recommendation local to you. Believe it or not, one of the most important things in calligraphy is learning to breathe. Another is learning to look at the white space inside and between the letters. The rest is pretty mechanical and just takes practice. You develop an eye for layout and decoration by looking at the work of others and then having the curiosity to make your own inventions. Good luck! I started studying and doing calligraphy in high school 43 years ago. Never did it professionally, but it's one of those studies where you never learn it all and it has given me years and years of happiness and satisfaction. Bill |
#4
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broad nibs
In article .com, "bill7tx" wrote:
If you want to take up calligraphy as a more serious hobby, don't use a fountain pen. Use a dip pen and calligraphy ink (which isn't suitable for fountain pen use). You can buy the nibs for calligraphy at art supply stores and at some hobby stores. [snip] Manuscript has a calligraphy starter kit that comes with a fountain pen with exchangeable nibs & a small booklet. it is quite inexpensive too. Believe it or not, one of the most important things in calligraphy is learning to breathe. Another is learning to look at the white space [snip] interesting. never heard about that. bye now, ========== Pam @ Home Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts. |
#5
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broad nibs
I think a bit of nib flex helps with line width variation too. But if
you have poor handwriting like I do, a smaller the nib the better in most cases. Chris http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/ |
#6
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broad nibs
Yep. A lot of people trying calligraphy get so focused on "getting it
right" that they tense up and so are unable to form the letters with any regularity or sense of rhythm and grace. The writing looks crabbed or wobbly. Keeping a regular rhythm to your breathing helps with relaxation. It also helps to exhale on the long ascenders and descenders when writing an italic style, such as chancery. |
#7
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broad nibs
In article .com, "bill7tx" wrote:
Yep. A lot of people trying calligraphy get so focused on "getting it right" that they tense up and so are unable to form the letters with any regularity or sense of rhythm and grace. The writing looks crabbed or wobbly. Keeping a regular rhythm to your breathing helps with relaxation. It also helps to exhale on the long ascenders and [snip] Thanks. it makes sense. but isn't breathing important in many other activities, (e.g. sport,s singing, piano playing) but i never manually "regulate" my breathing, except in breathing related exercises (chi-kung, yoga). i just try to keep calm & relax. bye now, ========== Pam @ Home Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts. |
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