Now that my life is calmed down (aka I got my action research on track and I have a job!) I sat down for a long overdue calligraphy practice. I've pretty solidly mastered miniscules (in layman's terms: lowercase) letterforms and it was time to make the jump to Majuscules (capitals). I logged into the Flourish Forum and downloaded all of the existing lessons on Majuscules. The lessons started with learning the basic strokes used for capital letters:
My attempts at the first stoke (the one that looks like a 6) were AWFUL. I was so confident in my calligraphy until that point, then everything came crashing down. Not only was I struggling to make the shape but my ink was blotchy and my paper was just turning into a calligraphic mess. What was going wrong? Why was my pen rebelling on me?
It was time to go back to basics. I started searching for REALLY beginning calligraphy lessons, like how to dip your pen. The revelations were shocking.
1. I had been assembling my pen wrong the whole time.
It was time to go back to basics. I started searching for REALLY beginning calligraphy lessons, like how to dip your pen. The revelations were shocking.
1. I had been assembling my pen wrong the whole time.
See the one that says INCORRECT in big red letters? That's how I had been assembling my pen. This made it so that the nib (the little metal part that you dip in the ink) would become loose and difficult to control.
2. I was dipping my pen wrong
This entire time I had been dipping the ENTIRE nib into the inkwell. Apparently you're not supposed to do that. You're only supposed to dip it in a little so the ink doesn't get... everywhere.
3. I was using a more difficult nib
The nib I was using was extremely flexible. This led to all of my ink being used up in one stroke and ink blots everywhere. I switched to a stiffer nib which allows for more controlled ink flow and less blotting.
2. I was dipping my pen wrong
This entire time I had been dipping the ENTIRE nib into the inkwell. Apparently you're not supposed to do that. You're only supposed to dip it in a little so the ink doesn't get... everywhere.
3. I was using a more difficult nib
The nib I was using was extremely flexible. This led to all of my ink being used up in one stroke and ink blots everywhere. I switched to a stiffer nib which allows for more controlled ink flow and less blotting.