Calligraphy Pen - Choosing A Perfect Calligraphy Pen For You

Choosing a calligraphy pen set may seem easy and simple but one should bear in mind that this is the main equipment which brings out the beauty in the writing. Hence the calligraphy pen set will make a lot of difference and it depends on the individual's choice. If you have the right calligraphy set you can make your hobby a fruitful business as well. For instance if you are practising Western calligraphy, you should choose the set that is best suited for this.

The calligraphy set meant for the Western calligraphy art will have nibs, ink and a pen holder. You should concentrate on choosing the most comfortable pen holder to enable you to bring out your skill to a better level with each practice. The choice of ink and nibs depends on the pen holder which is meant to give comfort throughout the entire learning process.

Though a calligraphy pen resembles a normal fountain pen, its structure differs with the variation in nibs and ink. The nibs are removable and can be replaced without discarding the entire pen. Each nib has its own ink reservoir with the exception of some calligraphy pen sets that have the reservoir attached to the pen itself. However, most calligraphers prefer to have the reservoir attached to the nib.

Pen holders form the most crucial part of the pen as this must be comfortable and feel 'right' in the holder's hands. They are made from different materials like wood, glass, ivory, bone or plastic to suit the user's choice. They are of different shapes and sizes with thin nibs or fat nibs for the choice of lettering. Their colors are vibrant and the entire calligraphy pen set should feel comfortable in the hand of the user for the finest results.

A calligraphy pen set is sometimes fitted with cork or rubber holders that give a perfect grip on the fingers. Some pen sets are light while others are heavy, but it is advisable to opt for lighter pen sets for free movement of the nib to begin with. Some users prefer heavy pens so they don't press too hard while writing on the paper and they hold more firm on the paper. There are a few calligraphers who shop for unusual calligraphy pen sets wherever they travel to take home as souvenirs.

It should be noted that certain manufacturers make nibs that would fit only the pen manufactured by them. This would not allow nibs of other pens to fit your genericcalligraphy pen.

Though this may seem a good business for the manufacturers, for a calligrapher whose hobby is collecting pen holders it is not an ideal situation. It is not always the most expensive pen holder that makes good lettering. It is extremely important to realize that the utility and comfort are more important than attractiveness when choosing a calligraphy pen set.

Author: Calligraphy Pen

Making Your Own Calligraphy Ink

To ensure the quality of the calligraphy ink you are using for all of your serious calligraphy work, it is a good idea to learn how to make your own, particularly if you are planning some Japanese or Chinese calligraphy that you would like to last. A little effort will be required in the process but the result is a greater control over the density and color.

Traditionally ink was purchased as a solid block. The stick is also called a Sumi stick. Buying it in liquid form is great for its convenience but it is generally acknowledged that it is an inferior product to that which you can produce from a Sumi stick.

Sumi ink is made from a compressed mixture of soot, water and glue. They are often highly decorated and, to look at them, could be considered works of art. They are however quite delicate and it pays to look after them as they're used because the older the stick gets, the quality of the ink that comes from them tends to be better. Although Sumi ink can be bought in a variety of colors, there are two main types : yuen-boku which is black and made from lamp soot, and; Shoen-boku which is a slightly bluish color and is made from pine soot.

So the following few paragraphs contain some basic instructions on how you might go about creating your own and some of the tools you will require.

Apart from a Sumi stick you will also need a suzuri. A suzuri is simply a stone, a flat grinding stone that is usually made of slate with a sloping surface that leads to a well where the ink will collect as it is being made. Start by pouring some water on the surface of the suzuri, the amount that you wish to make will determine how much water to add. When grinding, be careful to hold the stick as upright as possible and rub in a circular pattern pressing only lightly. Doing so will preserve your stick for longer. The water you initially added will gradually grow blacker and thicker as grinding continues at which point you might have to add some more.

Another caution while grinding is to try to utilize the entire surface of the stone to ensure that the surface maintains an even smoothness. Grinding in the one spot every time will cause an indentation in the stone and future grinding will become difficult. After each use the stone should be washed with plain water using your fingers.

To determine whether the ink has reached the right consistency, look for oily trails to form on the stone. These trails will slowly ooze towards the stone's well. Listen to the grinding noise of the stick on the surface of the stone. As you get closer to completing the job you will notice that the grinding sound will become softer and more muffled.

The key to learning to make calligraphy ink is to start today. The more often you go through the process, the easier it becomes and the greater the quality you produce. Making calligraphy ink is an art-form in itself and the process allows you to calm your thoughts and get into the right frame of mind to begin your calligraphy work. The quality you produce will be higher and your finished work will look more vibrant and last longer.

Find out more about calligraphy ink by visiting The Calligraphy Pen

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Damien_Gay

Calligraphy Alphabets And Historical Handwriting

Isn't 'calligraphy' almost the same as 'historical handwriting'? Yes and no.

There were several forces at work in historical scripts which we don't usually feel in calligraphy today, unless we're professionals earning our living by it. One such force, economy, pushed towards smaller, simpler letterforms written faster and more efficiently. Another force, the client's desire for a display piece, pushed towards larger and more elaborate letterforms carefully drawn and highly decorated. Historically, scribes always had to take into account client budget, deadline, legibility and fit-for-purpose.

Ongoing demand for luxury letterforms at economical prices helped bring into being new alphabets -- smaller, more cursive, easier-to-produce versions of the grand scripts. Ultimately, the printing press took over mass production, and client status perhaps began to be reflected more in bookbindings than in script.

Today, the practical, business side of the written word is taken care of by machine alphabets and hardly at all by our (often nondescript) personal handwriting. Calligraphy is a leisured luxury: using nibs, inkwells and parchment to produce books is almost unimaginably laborious and time-consuming compared with digital print-to-demand. Yet calligraphy flourishes as an art and hobby, and the practice of reproducing calligraphy alphabets is still the foundation of a good hand.

A 'calligraphy alphabet' is an alphabet intended to be handwritten for aesthetic effect. It is modelled on the most successful historical alphabets but its purpose and context have changed significantly. A calligraphy alphabet today may not even work as an alphabet per se; some modern calligraphers have created alphabet display pieces the individual letters of which are impractical to use for writing out a text.

'Historical handwriting', by contrast, is the script which was used during a given period in time for the practical production of documents and books. It can nearly always be thought of as 'the best that could be done in the circumstances'. Sometimes 'the best that could be done' was a spectacular Book of Kells. Sometimes, too, it was rushed, sloppy, wavery, cramped, irregular - the historical equivalent of a bad photocopy - and nevertheless remains as a faithful example of its kind.

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There are many examples of both calligraphy alphabets and historical handwriting online, some with guidelines on how to write them yourself along with references to further resources. A good place to start is http://www.calligraphy-skills.com 's first training page on the basic skills which apply to any hand.


Harriet Shead writes on arts, education and healthy living. She is an amateur calligrapher with a particular interest in gothic scripts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Shead

A Calligraphy Clip In Gothic Style

The History And Use Of Chinese Seals

A Chinese seal is a stamp of sorts, used in place of a signature. Chinese seals are typically made of stone, but can also be made of metals, bamboo, plastic, wood, or ivory. The medium used is usually red ink or cinnabar paste. With the unique symbol to represent the name of the user carved into the stone or other material, it works just like a rubber stamp, leaving a print of the image on a piece of art or a document.

There are three types of Chinese seals. The first is the Zhuwen seals, which imprint Chinese characters in red ink; they are sometimes called Yang seals. Baiwen seals leave a print of a red background, with the image standing out because it is left natural. These are also referred to as yin stamps. Finally, the Zhubaiwen Xiangiinyan seal uses a combination of Zhuwen and Baiwen.

Chinese seals were not always used or looked at as works of art. They were made for emperors to use as their identification symbols in creating and signing legal documents. Seals for the emperors and their families were large seals, often made of jade. The historic Heirloom Seal of the Realm was created by Qin Shishuang, and was considered a device by which to legitimize his "Mandate of Heaven." It was passed down through the years, but was lost during the Ming Dynasty. Various royal seals have been created since then. Chinese seals made for personal use can be used to identify oneself on a work of art, in the cover of a book, or as a signature. A seal can be created to represent a group or company, or it can be inscribed with a poem or proverb. They are often seen on works of Chinese calligraphy or paintings as a signature from the artist.

The seal paste used is generally one of two options. The first is made with silk; finely pulverized cinnabar, an ore of mercury, is mixed with castor oil and silk strands. With the silk strands to bind the mixture together, a thick mixture results, with a dark, oily appearance. Seal paste may also be made with plants. In this case, finely pulverized cinnabar and castor oil are mixed with moxa punk, a substance created from crushing moxibustion. Moxibustion is an herb indigenous to China.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/the-history-and-use-of-chinese-seals-2818979.html


About the Author: Silk Road Enterprises owner, Fang Mei Chen, brings you the finest one of a kind custom made Chinese Calligraphy Artwork and Japanese Decorations on the internet; all at affordable prices. We sell all our products with pride and responsibility.

Tutorial: Calligraphy With A Brush For Beginners

A helpful video for those wanting to try calligraphy with a brush.

Taking Care Of The Calligraphy Pen Reservoir

The calligraphy pen is a simple tool that takes considerable application to master. Some pens come with little added extras which may also take some time getting used to.

Some calligraphy pens come with a detachable reservoir and some are permanently fixed. A calligraphy pen reservoir is a little piece of metal fitted to the calligraphy pen nib that increases the amount of ink it holds. You’ll find that it will give you a more even flow of ink. It will also reduce the frequency with which you will have to recharge your pen while working.

The calligraphy pen reservoir might be a detachable piece that can be removed for refilling or cleaning while other pens come with the reservoir permanently attached. Both have their pluses and minuses, but using them is just a matter of trial and error and becoming accustomed to the new tool.

Although a detachable reservoir gives you an easier pen to clean, you also have the responsibility of reassembling the pen carefully. Allowing the reservoir to protrude from the nib will reduce the quality of the ink flow and your work will suffer.

A top-mounted reservoir can prove to be a distraction for some people because it can obscure the vision to the writing edge. There are options available to over come this, such as the Mitchell Roundhand Series pens which have the reservoir permanently mounted to the holder sitting underneath the nib.

Care must also be taken when recharging the reservoir that is permanently attached to the pen. Turn your pen upside down and, either with a paintbrush that has been dipped in ink or with an eyedropper , add the ink to the widest part of the nib. This will allow the ink to fill the space between the nib and the reservoir. Make sure the upper side of the pen nib is ink-free.

Careful application of ink to the nib and reservoir will ensure you maintain a smooth, even flow when lettering and you reduce the risk of leaving large ink blots around your work surface – your lines will be consistently wide.

To clean the reservoir, slide it off and simply rinse it under running water. Soak the nib in a special solvent (such as Higgins Pen Cleaner) overnight and then take an old toothbrush to it to get it clean. Take the soaking nib the next morning and rinse it in cold running water before drying it thoroughly with a towel.

When buying a calligraphy pen with an attached reservoir make sure that you have a close look at the nib and reservoir settings to ensure that the tip of the reservoir hasn’t been bent away from the nib. The flange of the reservoir should sit lightly on top of the pen with little excess air space visible.

As with all important tools, the more care you take with maintenance of your pen, the longer it will remain in good working order.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/taking-care-of-the-calligraphy-pen-reservoir-383050.html

Deegee - About the Author: More calligraphy pen tips, information and techniques can be found at The Calligraphy Pen