Calligraphy confessions

[Scarlet Blue]

I have a terrible confession to make. I learnt the broad pen first... and before I learnt copperplate I thought everyone's pointed pen work looked the same... it was only when I started learning copperplate, and therefore started looking at it properly, that I could see the distinct differences between calligraphers.
But I do wonder if people who don't write calligraphy see it as all the same?

[AndyT]

I'm sorry to say that I'm one of those people, Scarlet.  Prior to Ken's exposition on the subject yesterday I'd have been hard pressed to tell copperplate from Engraver's.  It's much easier to spot the nuances with Spencerian and its derivatives, for me anyway.

[ernie_tan]

My confession is I have done all of the bad habits that you have mentioned here, except spiting my nib and wiping my nibs with underwear.

Plus:
1. I asked hubs to print guidelines at his office bcs our printer's ink is empty.
2. I was so desperate wanted to learn calligraphy that I used black watercolor as my ink when I first started calligraphy. It is because I could not find ink that is not feather. (Fyi, I am frm Indonesia)
3. It is 11.30 pm and I should have taken shower, but what I am doing is reading all pages of this thread and posting a reply.

[elsa.d]

Lori, I use tap water all the time. My gouache has been perfectly well behaved, and it seems as if yours has too.

I use old underwear to wipe my nibs. (Washed first, of course!)

Hahaha best confession!

[joi]

Lori, I use tap water all the time. My gouache has been perfectly well behaved, and it seems as if yours has too.

I use old underwear to wipe my nibs. (Washed first, of course!) When the crucial architectual details of my underpants no longer perform their function, I wash them and rip them up into pen rags. They're really, really soft and gentle.

(A few years ago, however, I transitioned from white underwear to brightly colored and patterned ones, so after I've used up my current batch of rags I'm going to have to find a new source. I can't tell if I've got all the ink off if my rag is bright blue paisley.)

underwear...wow...best confession EVER!!! omg!!! sooo funny!

[lyndsaywrightdesign]

This thread is so much fun!

Some of my confessions are:

• I never do drills, because I worry that it would remove the human imperfections in my writing that I love, because they remind me that I'm not a machine.
• It took me forever to figure out what everyone was referring to when they were talking about water jars.  Just to confirm, is that for mixing with ink?  Or for cleaning nibs?
• I clean my nibs with eco-friendly baby wipes.  They're already wet but not dripping, and I've got 2 kids in diapers already, so I just buy extra wipes.  I figure if it's gentle enough for their skin, it's perfect for my hands (rather than using bleach wipes or some other chemical).
• Whenever I find rusted vintage nibs for free, I take them!  I soak them in some cider vinegar and then use super fine steel wool to scrape off the rust.  It removes the finish on the nibs, but they still work great without it!

[Meredith S]

• Whenever I find rusted vintage nibs for free, I take them!  I soak them in some cider vinegar and then use super fine steel wool to scrape off the rust.  It removes the finish on the nibs, but they still work great without it!

Where do you find vintage nibs? I'm in Dallas, and I just have no clue where to even start looking. I know Harvey - I can't remember his last name, but penstaff is his username on here- was selling some a little while back, but I just didn't know how to pick without looking at them.

[ernie_tan]

I have a new one.

I kept complaining how my husband not putting back all the stuff or things he has used, such as, not putting the magazine back to the rack. But I am sitting in the middle of a cluttered desk. Books, papers, papers, nibs, holders, papers....everywhere..desk, floor... I can't keep everything back to the position after my project's done. I do not let anybody touch my calligraphy stuff. I guess I am not being fair here. Haha. I am going to tidy it up after posting this confession.

[tintenfuchs]

Here's a big one from me: I'm not interested in off-hand flourishing.

[Scarlet Blue]

It takes me 5 days to choose which style of calligraphy to use for very simple quotes... and then even after 5 days I might change my mind again. This is a good reason to have clients... they make these tricky decisions for me.

[schin]

This is a pretty bad confession because some of you guys know I make the painted pens with Brian Smith, very carefully designing and painting them..

..but I put my own oblique penholders through hell! Most of them have their flanges crusted with bleedproof white or other ink, and I have broken tails off pens cos I was throwing em inside bags or using them as letter openers (bad idea!).. I have broken flanges off the wood because I pushed the nib in too hard and a few months ago I took a penknife and whittled half off the foot of one of my pens because I was tired of it catching ink all the time.. it works great now but man it's ugly as sin.

Great to get this off my chest!

[Ergative]

Here's a big one from me: I'm not interested in off-hand flourishing.

Oh, I am, but I'm too much of a self-stickler to start it before I've got the letterform basics down.

But I'm not enough of a stickler to practice the way I should. This negligence will definitely come through on my Holiday exchange cards.

[Dries]

In primary school, I was singled out as the boy with the untidiest handwriting in the entire school. I often wonder if that is what made me take up calligraphy as a hobby.

[tintenfuchs]

This is a pretty bad confession because some of you guys know I make the painted pens with Brian Smith, very carefully designing and painting them..

..but I put my own oblique penholders through hell! Most of them have their flanges crusted with bleedproof white or other ink, and I have broken tails off pens cos I was throwing em inside bags or using them as letter openers (bad idea!).. I have broken flanges off the wood because I pushed the nib in too hard and a few months ago I took a penknife and whittled half off the foot of one of my pens because I was tired of it catching ink all the time.. it works great now but man it's ugly as sin.

Great to get this off my chest!

The front of my unique oblique is also full of all kinds of color ... I'm pretty ashamed. And what embarasses me even more is that I kinda like it.

[lyndsaywrightdesign]

I've only gotten one exchange mailing out on time.