Author Topic: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic  (Read 2759 times)

Offline Lyric

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Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« on: May 18, 2021, 09:08:31 PM »
Hello Calligrafriends,

I mentioned to some friends that one of my calligraphy goals includes entrance and exit strokes that are so fine, dainty, that they almost look non-existent, LOL.  I am sure you've seen them.

Well, someone told me to put a drop of gum arabic into my ink (at the moment I am practicing with my Higgins Eternal to use it up and go back to my Sumi Moon Palace).  So, of course I did it; THEN, started reading.  What I read via a Google search is that gum arabic thickens things up.  Well, if I am wanting whisper thin entrance and exit strokes I certainly do not need my in thickened.

Thinking I missed something though.  Can someone explain to me 1)  How to get whisper thin entrance/exit strokes; 2)  Is there more to gum arabic that I need to know?

Oh, and re. the strokes, at this point I am making sure I do not have a death grip.  Matter of fact it seems to me if I lightened up any more on my pen my hand would be mid air, LOL.  Seriously, as I am concentrating telling myself to lighten the touch, sometimes my pen leaves the paper.  The more I discuss this the more I am determined to elevate my script to the look of whisper thin strokes.

Thanks in advance for any commentary.
Cheerfully,
Lyric

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2021, 10:05:40 PM »
This is a great question. Since you already seem to have the grip and pressure down, I would look at which nib you are using. If you have an EF Principal, you will get much thinner hairlines than say a Nikko G. This will make all the difference. A Hunt 22, 56, and few other ones will make a much thinner hairline. The NikkoG and ZebraG will do thin hairlines but then once you compare them to others, it’s like night and day.  ;D
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2021, 10:11:04 PM »
Also drills! Remember this post: Help with Hairlines:P  ;D
« Last Edit: May 18, 2021, 10:12:54 PM by Erica McPhee »
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Erica
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Offline Lyric

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2021, 06:32:24 AM »
This is a great question. Since you already seem to have the grip and pressure down, I would look at which nib you are using. If you have an EF Principal, you will get much thinner hairlines than say a Nikko G. This will make all the difference. A Hunt 22, 56, and few other ones will make a much thinner hairline. The NikkoG and ZebraG will do thin hairlines but then once you compare them to others, it’s like night and day.  ;D

Love affair with my Leonardt Principle EF going on right now.  Guess I'm a cheater 'cause now I wanna see the ones you named.  Gonna write them down.  Humph, I may have them here.  Seems I have so many from last year in my stash.  I settled on Blue Pumpkin, Nikko G and my all time LP.  I pulled out my BP yesterday and gaaaaahhh, terrible.  Put it back and got my LP.  That's another story though.  K, so Hunt it is.  Oh, know what, I have a 101 (I think that's it).  I recall whatever Hunt I have it sure was flexible.

Thanks Erica.  You know I'll have to share the results.  I get a kick out of sharing my "good, bad, and uuugly".
Cheerfully,
Lyric

Offline Lyric

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2021, 06:33:01 AM »
Also drills! Remember this post: Help with Hairlines:P  ;D

I will as soon as I click on it.  Thanks.  I'm out for now to go re-remind myself.
Cheerfully,
Lyric

Offline jeanwilson

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2021, 07:14:02 AM »
I've posted this previously, but it's been a while.
I started with broad edge styles and when I decided to try some pointed nib styles, I did OK - but I wasn't in love with any of it.
Until ----- I signed up for a Spencerian workshop with Mike Sull.
I brought materials from other classes and when he said that we would all get better results with
McCaffrey's ink, Nikko G nibs, and Clairfontaine (or Rhodia) paper - I was not excited to have to buy new materials.
But -- Oh.My.Gosh. 
Within an hour, I was hooked on pointed nibs.
I can get the whisper hairlines with a Nikko G - and Mike agrees, there are other nibs that are better, once you are past the beginner stage.
But to learn the technique of floating onto and off the paper - he recommends the Nikko G and I agree.

There are a lot of us who swear by McCaffrey's ink and it comes in many gorgeous colors.
The white is dreamy.
The gloss black sometimes won't dry on certain papers --

I know there are people who like Higgins and sumi inks for pointed pen work --
Lots of my students showed up with those inks - and wanted to make them work.
Most of the time, when I shared a bottle of my McCaffrey's - they would see immediate results.

Walnut ink will also give you some very nice hairlines.
Another tip for working on your hairlines is to ease off on your shades for a while.
Just do hairlines and a *normal* pressure - and leave out the extra pressure (for shades) until you get the hairlines worked out.
After you are happy with your hairlines, go back to adding your shades.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2021, 07:17:39 AM by jeanwilson »

Offline Lyric

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2021, 07:42:28 AM »
Until ----- I signed up for a Spencerian workshop with Mike Sull.  . . .  he said that we would all get better results with
McCaffrey's ink, Nikko G nibs, and Clairfontaine (or Rhodia) paper - I was not excited to have to buy new materials.

I can get the whisper hairlines with a Nikko G - and Mike agrees, there are other nibs that are better, once you are past the beginner stage.  I know there are people who like Higgins and sumi inks for pointed pen work --

Walnut ink will also give you some very nice hairlines.  Another tip for working on your hairlines is to ease off on your shades for a while.

More added to my JW files of wisdom.  Thanks for chiming in, Ms. Jean (I miss you, btw). 

LOL, I am like you when you were at the buying more supplies point and rolling eyes about it - (you know I quit my job in Dec. - income less than limited for now).  I had/have my bottle of Higgins - been scurrying last few days to use it up.  Looking at my stash wouldn't you know it. McC is the one ink I do not have.  Intrigued now though  ;D.

Ok, I'm on it.   ;D

« Last Edit: May 19, 2021, 07:47:28 AM by lyric »
Cheerfully,
Lyric

Offline RoughDiamond

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2021, 03:59:24 PM »
So it looks like you've had some good input here which is great and here's some more tips.

Paper will play a big part in this as well. Always remember that the combination of ink, paper and nib will always come into play. You may well have your ink adjusted to perform well on one paper and then you switch to another paper and it all goes wrong. Start making notes as to which paper, nib and ink combinations work well together.

The g nibs are capable of producing very fine hairlines if the above mix is correct and of course the necessary degree of skill from the penperson.

The speed of the pen over the paper can also be a factor. I guess as you've posted in the copperplate forum that is the discipline you are concerned about. Copperplate is typically written slowly so you may not have the "speed of nib" thing to think about so even more it would come down to ink mix, nib and paper. I mention this as you specifically talked abut entry and exit strokes which would be done rather slowly compared to some areas of flourishing where a bit of speed may be an advantage.

Finally, for hairlines, think in another way. Rather than think about the nib delivering ink to the paper, think in terms of the paper drawing the ink that it needs or can grab as the nib skates over the paper. So keep things moving so the paper doesn't have time to take excess ink. This will involve a very light touch and perhaps think of your nib being like a butterfly with sore feet. As you can imagine, more fibrous papers will absorb (or take) more ink leading to thicker lines and taking that a stage further, potential bleeding and feathering.

As to the question of gum arabic, yes you are right in that it is a thickening medium as much as water is a thinning medium. Again, what you need to add to your ink (if anything) may well depend on the nib and paper you are using so a certain amount of experimentation may well be needed.

In addition to the nibs mentioned previously, you might also consider the Gillott 303 and the Hunt 22B to add to your list.

Offline Lyric

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2021, 06:49:01 PM »
@jeanwilson Ordered the Hunt 22b and McCafferys this morning.


. Thank goodness for P ad I Arts Rewards program.
Cheerfully,
Lyric

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2021, 06:38:22 PM »
Fantastic advice from @jeanwilson and @RoughDiamond !
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline Daniel McGill

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2021, 01:51:07 PM »
For the best hairlines with copperplate, Engrosser’s script, or Roundhand, mixing dry gum Arabic into your ink is the way to go.  That will thicken your ink something wonderful. The late Bill Lilly (master penman, and last Zanerian graduate) thickened his ink to where it was the consistency of thick of honey.

Offline supxor

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2021, 05:20:17 PM »
Mr. McGill, you are correct. Bill would throw two heaping tea spoons of GA into a 1 oz. bottle of Pelican 401 red, his most favorite ink during his later years of scripting. It is the secret to scripting the finest hairlines.  It took me, one of his students, years to handle ink that still. Unlike Bill, I liquify my GA. I take a pound of it, place it in a pan, start with a half-cup of water, and heat it (constantly stirring it) over a low heat on the stove. When the GA is dissolved, I decant it in a Talenti jar (eat and enjoy the Gelato, first). What I want to end up with after it's dissolved is a GA that is thicker than honey. When cooled, I add it to my scripting ink. The result is an ink as thick as Bill's, and you can script with it immediately. Bill would add the GA, then script with it the next day. He liked my idea and found that my ink was just right for him.

To keep the GA from accumulating mold, I add a bit of grain alcohol just to the surface it. It kills the mold, and the alcohol cannot be stirred into the ink: water and alcohol do not mix.

Offline Lyric

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2021, 01:22:09 PM »
For the best hairlines with copperplate, Engrosser’s script, or Roundhand, mixing dry gum Arabic into your ink is the way to go.  That will thicken your ink something wonderful. The late Bill Lilly (master penman, and last Zanerian graduate) thickened his ink to where it was the consistency of thick of honey.

Having such a difficult time with the concept of THICKENING with GA for wispy hairline strokes.
Cheerfully,
Lyric

Offline FlowerCityLetters

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #13 on: September 16, 2021, 03:03:59 PM »
Watery ink will absorb into the paper more, so that's where the idea of thickening the ink helps. Thicker ink doesn't absorb into the paper as easily when you write.

For scripts like Ornamental Penmanship, fine hairlines are accomplished by faster movement/muscular movement when writing. But with slower written scripts like Copperplate, it seems like the harmony between ink, paper, and nib are even more important.

McCaffrey's and other iron gall inks don't need GA added at all for fine hairlines (in my opinion), but GA helps with fountain pen inks.

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Fine Entrance and Exit Strokes + Gum Arabic
« Reply #14 on: September 16, 2021, 03:46:12 PM »
@supxor I find that so fascinating. Thank you for sharing. I am going to have to try that.
Warm Regards,
Erica
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