Author Topic: Nib Review  (Read 44877 times)

Offline Zivio

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Re: Nib Review
« Reply #60 on: August 28, 2023, 06:43:48 PM »

I'm very new to calligraphy. So new that the paint hasn't dried yet.
I am learning as much as I can about nibs and paper and ink and, and, and, and,.... make it stopppp! ...


@Carpio I also am new to calligraphy ... so much so, that I won't even attempt to provide any particular technical advice about nibs and ink and paper and pressure and .... yes, make it stopppp! There are many skilled and helpful people here on the forum that will provide that.

What I will offer is moral support through some encouragement. My first year of learning Spencerian I practiced only with fountain pen. To try to keep things simple, I didn't attempt to learn any shading and was just writing monoline. After the first year I purchased my first dip pen and oblique holder, and everything changed!  It was honestly as though I'd started completely over. I just could not figure out how to make that new writing utensil work, and it was very frustrating!  I encourage you to continue to do what you are doing: keep researching, studying, trying new things and asking questions of others on the Forum. 

As @Erica McPhee wrote, "It can take some trial and error to find the right combination that works for you." This was certainly true in my case. I did learn, though, that the choice of ink can, and did, make a huge difference for me!  Switching from Higgins Eternal (infernal) Ink to Tom Norton's Walnut made things just start to work for me, in a fashion. No doubt, everyone's experience will differ in this respect, but I was completely taken by surprise that just the ink used would have that profound an effect! From there, I tried some papers and got an assortment of nibs. I took a tremendous amount of experimentation, but little by little I was able to make the pen work.

The angle of approach of the nib to the paper was another eye-opener for me.

It was only after months of messing about that I discovered Kestrel Montes's excellent "Pointed Pen Tips & Tricks" online tutorial. Although, by then, I'd already figured out a few things for myself, if I'd availed myself of this tutorial earlier, I would have spared myself a lot of grief.  The course is $75, and was well worth it, in my opinion.  I hope it's OK to post this link on the forum, but if not, I welcome Erica to edit:

https://www.learncalligraphy.com/pointed_pen

The overall encouragement I offer is not to give up hope or to feel overly discouraged. I remember feeling really bleak when I saw so many gorgeous examples of what skilled penpeople could do with their pointed pens, and what I mostly did was scratch and splatter.  The huge number of variables, in tools, materials and technique, made it that much more disparaging ... at the time. I've since discovered that learning the art of calligraphy is a marathon, not a sprint, which is what makes it so admired and coveted.

~Karl


« Last Edit: August 28, 2023, 06:48:00 PM by Zivio »
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Offline Zivio

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Re: Nib Review
« Reply #61 on: August 28, 2023, 07:04:53 PM »

I have tried the 'potato' method,... the 'saliva' method (apologies if you're eating whilst reading),... the toothpaste method and the 'flash' with a lighter, but nothing. I'm guessing I am doing something wrong.

@Carpio  One thing I was surprised to learn about cleaning new nibs is that it often took me A LOT of cleaning and wiping to get it to work.  The easiest way to tell if you've cleaned the nib properly is that the ink should evenly coat the nib without any "dry" spots where the ink has been repelled. If the nib doesn't get completely covered, I would get similar results where the ink was either not flowing, or taking more dips into the ink than necessary. There are two excellent images at the website below showing improperly and properly prepared nibs.

For what it's worth, I find passing the nib through a flame my favorite method, because (for me) it works the fastest. But even then, I find I need to make multiple quick passes, letting the nib cool, and wiping with a paper towel in between attempts. Everyone has their own favorite method.

https://www.mirabellemakery.com/blog/ink-problems
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Offline Mark T

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Re: Nib Review
« Reply #62 on: August 28, 2023, 10:15:36 PM »
Hello,

Thank you so, so very much for those two posts 'Zivio'. I can't tell you how happy I was to read them.
It made so much sense to me. Along with the 'McCaffrey's ink I have ordered from the US, I also ordered a tub of Walnut Ink Crystals (oh, look- it's 'BROWNNNNNNNNN') I so like, nay, love using brown ink. Most of my FP's have brown loaded into them, but that is digression - so I have the ink base covered, although I don't know who the manufacturer is, but I have read a lot of good things about Walnut crystals diluted down.
I will now concentrate on not flexing, and concentrate on the style by using a fountain pen.
Again, I can't thank you enough, Karl. So much so I am going to run your two posts through my printer and laminate them and glue to the front of my 'FP' case.

Thank you, and also many thanks for the advise shared by others. So much appreciated.

Carpio
Laughter is definitely the best medicine, but Wolves destroying WBA runs laughter close, and the Yankees winning the World Series is ................ laughter is the best medicine, remember?

Offline Zivio

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Re: Nib Review
« Reply #63 on: August 29, 2023, 01:12:07 AM »
Hello,

Thank you so, so very much for those two posts 'Zivio'. I can't tell you how happy I was to read them.

Hello again, @Carpio -- you are welcome!   

Quote
I will now concentrate on not flexing, and concentrate on the style by using a fountain pen...

Just to be clear, when I wrote that I only used fountain pen for my first whole year, I wasn't necessarily suggesting this was a good thing to do!  What I meant to convey is that I, too, struggled with the pointed pen when I first began attempting to use it.

I think it would have been helpful for me to have begun experimenting with pointed pen much earlier on.  And if you are wanting to learn Copperplate, especially, getting started with pointed pen right away would be a good thing since shading is essential with that script! 
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Offline Mark T

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Re: Nib Review
« Reply #64 on: August 29, 2023, 03:39:47 AM »
Hello,

Not to worry about making yourself clear, Zivio, it is I who made it clear as mud. :)
I understood entirely what you meant from what you wrote, but my reply wasn't, as I now realize, how I should have responded.
I'll practise by way of FP, and at the same time, once I feel I have the correct form of a letter/word, that is when I shall load up my dip pen.
I have fountain pens with a variance of flex, so I will not be short of practise tools. I just need to be careful how I approach/teach myself. Something I had considered, but hadn't considered with enough enthusiasm? (for want of a better word) until reading your post, and then my lightbulb moment shone with a 100 watt glow instead of a candle.
There I go again - writing what I know I meant and understand, but not nessiecelery what others would understand. My bad!  ;D
In short - your posts were exactly what I wanted to read and worked a world of good. Thank you once again.

Carpio
Laughter is definitely the best medicine, but Wolves destroying WBA runs laughter close, and the Yankees winning the World Series is ................ laughter is the best medicine, remember?