Topics

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / the nib doesn't write!

« on: August 18, 2014, 11:52:36 AM »

Hi Flourish

My brother brought me as gift from Vienna a beautiful calligraphy set with seven different nibs, but I can't write with them, it's like the ink can't flow.. any ideas?
I've prepared the nib by removing the coating with saliva.

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Coffee & Nib-bles / nib & airplane

« on: July 16, 2014, 04:20:04 AM »

Hello world!

I'm sorry I was that absent, but I was very busy with uni exams and I hadn't any time for calligraphy and forum I missed you all a lot.

Now I have finished my exams and I'd like to start again practicing, I'm going to Amsterdam soon and I decided to do a smashbook durning the travel, I'd like to bring with my some calligraphy stuff, but I was wondering: can I bring nibs on the plane? I just have an hand luggage, I'm not sure if the security control could bother me because of the pointed nib.

Have you any experience?

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General How To's & Projects / How to practice?

« on: May 30, 2014, 03:32:58 AM »

Maybe the answers to this question are contained in the topic  "self learning a new script", but I'd like to analyze more this subject.

How do you practice? Is it useful to write the same letter thousand times? Is it better to practice with letters or words?

I obviously started repeating the same letter million times, but when I started to have more confidence with letters I could not avoid the temptation of writing words. At the beginning I was quite satisfied by quotes and sentences I wrote, but now I'd like to write some postcards and I notice I can't do a good job, yesterday I waste lots of colorful paper since I made mistakes continuously.
Maybe it's early to write postcards? Have I to return to practice one letter at the time? Would it be useful?

I don't think I have lots of problems with letterforms, my problems are mostly about the slant of the whole words as some letters came more slanted then others.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Dip or brush?

« on: May 24, 2014, 03:40:49 AM »

I once saw a video by Paul Antonio in which he said something like "I'm a dipper, somebody prefers to load the nib with a brush": when I watched that video I hadn't started yet learning and making practice and I thought "what a strange thing! It's obvious that dipping the nib in the ink is better and more practical!".
So when I started I started dipping my nib in the ink jar, but now I find out that I can have more control on the amount of ink if I use a brush to load the nib, since I'm having some troubles about it (blobs everywhere!).

What do you think? Are you a "dipper" or a "brusher"?

5

Kind Critique / Be Kind! :)

« on: May 23, 2014, 02:32:53 PM »

So..
I started learning something like two weeks ago, following Erica's tutorial (thank youuu), I'm very shy but I surely need critiques..
I show you this poem by Emily Dickinson written with Nikko n°357 and watercolors, it's a present for a dear friend who loves this poem, I wrote it in italian so I also post here the english version in order to let you understand!

If I can stop one Heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one Life the Aching
Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain

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Tools & Supplies / do you ever feel guilty about the paper?

« on: May 21, 2014, 03:03:12 AM »

I don't know if there is already a topic about this!

When I have to practice and to write the same letter many times over I feel kind of guilty about using so much paper, like I was wasting it.. do you ever feel this way?

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Tachikawa T25 Pen Holder + Mitchell elbow nib

« on: May 18, 2014, 03:29:17 AM »

I bought this elbow nib because I couldn't find an cheap oblique holder here where I live, I bought also a standard nib holder with metal ring and four prongs but I had some difficulties inserting that nib in it and I'm afraid to break something. Yesterday my brother came back from Japan and he bought me a tachikava T25 holder, so I tried to insert the elbow nib in it, but I can't. Is it my fault or aren't these holder adapt to Mitchell elbow nib? Maybe I have to apply more pressure?

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Ink everywhere!

« on: May 09, 2014, 12:58:48 PM »

Hi!
I have a big problem, I don't know if it's just me and my silliness or what, but lots of time I spoil my work by spotting on it, I usually get my hands dirty and as I start writing my hands touch the paper and voilà, SPOTS OF INK EVERYWHERE!
Can anyone help me? Any advices?

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Leonard 801 nib

« on: May 04, 2014, 03:31:18 AM »

Yesterday I discovered that my nib - yes, i have just one for the moment - is a Leonard 801. When I bought my nib-holder I didn't even know nibs do have names and i thought it was a Classic, standard one. But now I know it is a leonard 801 nib, I found on the net that it is a mapping nib, what does it mean? And, overall, is this nib adapt for calligraphy? Has everyone tried it?

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Introductions / Hi from Italy!

« on: May 02, 2014, 09:38:19 AM »

Hi, my name is Alice, I'm 21 and I'm from Milan, in Italy.
I study philosophy at university, indeed I should be studying now insteed of watching Erica's videos
Well, I have never studied calligraphy before, but a week ago I decided to learn something about so i bought a nib holder and a kind of basic pointed nib. At first I was desperated as I couldn't find any tutorial on the web, then I found this forum and I started jumping all around my room because of happiness! Thanks to Erica's Tutorial I'm learning Copperplate and I'm moving my very first steps in calligraphy!
I'm sorry for my bad bad bad english!