Author Topic: ..but it's a dry heat  (Read 729 times)

Offline JonB

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..but it's a dry heat
« on: August 16, 2019, 01:51:19 PM »
Greetings from Las Vegas.   Thank you to the admin in charge of approvals, I appreciate being added to the forum. :)

A "short" about me:  I've dabbled in many different art mediums over the decades of my life.  Acrylic paints, airbrush, pencil, pen, 3D graphics, 2D graphics (though those two tend to go hand-in-hand), music, silversmithing, lapidary, writing (vignettes and short stories), and briefly in high school: writing (as in Calligraphy).   No, I'm not a prodigy of some sort, it's nothing so glamorous.  I just never seem to be able to stick to one thing.
I believe personally that Calligraphy is different this time around (the famous "it'll be different this time!" :D ).  The reason I say this is that normally I tend to wear myself down with an art medium, getting caught up in hyper-criticism of my own work.  I eventually give up because I am displeased with results.  With calligraphy however, while the past few days that I've been practicing with my oblique pen have had some hiccups that were due to bad ink,  for the first time in my life I have looked at my practice stuff and *liked* it.  That critical inner monologue is silent.  That's something I've never experienced before.  Sure, the lines are perhaps wobbly, and my loops are not all the same size and width, but at the bare minimum, I know I can take the envelope for a birthday card and write the recipients name well enough to be both ledgeble and pleasing to the eyes.

I found this forum because I am aware that I still have a lot to learn.  I found this forum specifically while looking for websites that have examples of flourishes, and seeing a section specifically about copperplate caught my attention.  Personally I really enjoy the style of writing that is built off of that, but seeing that it has a sort of rule set for how to write that way also attracts me to it.

I certainly have some questions to start with, but need to spend some time looking at what is already here. :)


Offline Starlee

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Re: ..but it's a dry heat
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2019, 06:15:35 AM »
Hi Jon,

Welcome to the forum! Your dabbling in other mediums and tendency to give harsh self-criticism will lend well to calligraphy. The trick is to be harsh with the criticism of the letters themselves, but to be patient with the person whose hand created it. Calligraphy really is about the journey as perfection is an elusive concept that is never truly attained. In many ways, mastering calligraphy is similar to achieving enlightenment. No one ever really gets there, but some get close and that doesn't stop the rest of us from trying. And as for flourishes, you've come to the right place. I am a bit of a flourishing addict myself...
« Last Edit: August 18, 2019, 06:17:46 AM by Starlee »
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Offline KacyBG

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Re: ..but it's a dry heat
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2019, 11:00:13 PM »
Hi, Jon, and welcome!
Calligraphy is an amazing, restful art that forces the practitioner (emphasis on practice) to admit mistakes as part of the learning process. Glad your inner critic is silent and allowing you to enjoy relearning copperplate. 

Offline lizt2

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Re: ..but it's a dry heat
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2019, 09:05:24 PM »
Hi Jon! 

Nice to have you here.  I think I've tried lots of "creative" experiences during my life but calligraphy is something I've come back to also.  You'll find a lot of good info and support here.

Liz

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: ..but it's a dry heat
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2019, 03:05:18 PM »
Welcome @JonB !
We have that in common - my grandmother used to say "jack of all trades, master of none." But I like it that way - keeps things interesting! And I learn lots of new things and go back to or stick with what I like.

Don't be discouraged, too, if after some time you go through a glitch where you aren't happy with how things are turning out. That's usually when your about to make some good progress. Just push through it.

LOL - on the dry heat. I once went to the desert in Yuma Arizona where it was 125 in the shade. I asked the folks at the drivethru how they lived there and they said, "it's a dry heat." ...But it's still 125!
Warm Regards,
Erica
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