Hi from Sydney

[Jennifer_S]

Im Jennifer from Sydney. I work in IT full time and I have also run a nail polish blog for the past three years but recently Ive been craving a new creative outlet as Im thinking of giving up my website but I would get bored quickly with the extra time on my hands.

My dad used to do calligraphy when I was a child and I dabbled a little bit (shockingly I still have the kit squirreled away 20 odd years later and moving countries twice), but I really want to try pointed pen. Im slowly working my way through Erica's lessons but Im struggling with supplies while Im waiting on my first PIA order to arrive.  I managed to scrounge up some Gillott 303s locally but we're not agreeing. I cant wait to really get into it once I have better suited supplies to work with.

[JodiMeadows]

Hi Jennifer! Welcome to the forum!

The right supplies will help a lot. I had a handful of Hunt 101s to start with, but struggled with them until I'd learned some basics on a Tach G and tried the 303 (to develop a lighter touch). After that, the 101 was easy peasy! I bet you'll get that way with the 303 in no time!

[Roseann]

Hi Jennifer!
Welcome!

[joi]

welcome jennifer!  yeah the 303 is a difficult nib to start with, so scratchy and snaggy on the upstrokes.  try a nikko or zebra G or a Hiro 41.
have fun here!

[Moya]

Hi Jennifer! I'm waving up at you from Melbourne

PIA can take up to a month to get here ... how long have you been waiting?  Do you want me to slip a G nib in the mail? I have some Tachikawas sitting around that I don't really use, and you'd have it in a day or two.

Welcome to Flourish!

[Nickkih]

Welcome Jennifer - your gonna love it here. I always say is the candy land of calligraphy. 😍

[Jennifer_S]

Hi Jennifer! I'm waving up at you from Melbourne

PIA can take up to a month to get here ... how long have you been waiting?  Do you want me to slip a G nib in the mail? I have some Tachikawas sitting around that I don't really use, and you'd have it in a day or two.

Welcome to Flourish!

Thank you for the offer Moya, Im pretty used to waiting on US mail (been sourcing my nail polish from there for years!), it left Miami last week so Im confident it will be here late this week or early next week. The 303s wont kill my enthusiasm before then! My copy of Eleanor Winter's copperplate manual arrived today so I spent half my day reading that and nodding sagely while realising most of my letters look like the incorrect examples in the book 

[inkcatcher]

Welcome to Flourish! Im sure you'll enjoy spending most of your time lurking around this forum! See you around!

[thistledesignstudio]

Welcome!  Hope that you'll enjoy your time here!

[Jennifer_S]

The difference the right supplies make is amazing. Ive spent the last three days only writing n, m and u but Im not getting frustrated with a snagging nib or bleeding ink anymore so I can concentrate just in the letterforms.   Already place my second PIA order too, adjustable oblique holder on its way! 

Thank you for all your kind words of welcome, Im looking forward to sharing some work for critique when I graduate to writing words instead of letters (which could be months with my determination to get relatively consistent with letters first.)

[Erica McPhee]

Hi Jennifer!
Yes, the 303's can be frustrating. When I started, there weren't all the newer nibs. The 303 and 101 and 56's were the "go to" nibs. The 303's in particular were so finicky. Lots of splats! Since you are already learning with those, you will find the Nikko G's a dream!  So much smoother.

Welcome!