Messages

16

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Looking for dedicated practice/accountability partner(s)

« on: June 12, 2016, 11:09:11 PM »

I think this calls for a group! (Facebook?? Yahoo group?? Any group??) Anyway, would also love to join! But I don't know how often I would get to post. (Maybe every other week as well?)

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Show & Tell / Re: The most important lesson I've learned

« on: June 12, 2016, 10:56:19 PM »

I still have a long way to go and I am just starting to get used to having no slanted guidelines!

You've made a good start.

After 60 years of writing Copperplate, I still use slanted guidelines. I don't see any virtue in making it more difficult than it has to be. 

Also, I don't see the point of trying to write a sloping script on a square grid!

Ken

Thanks, Ken!

I use the grid for the x-height (People say that Rhodia's dot pad is great, too, but unfortunately, it was unavailable at the bookstore that time), and usually make the slanted guides myself because Rhodia isn't very translucent.

Anyway, wow 60 years is a long time! I've only been writing for almost a year, and am still trying to develop good practice habits I hope I still get to continue doing this even after I get a job in my field, though!

Everything is wonderful! That you are graduating, that you are excited and determined about your role and future contributions, your calligraphy, the color, everything!

Thank you, Tiffany! I'm actually very scared about the future! To be honest, my biggest fear right now is what if I fall for the dark side (i.e. a dog of this capitalist world) and end up doing the exact opposite of serving the people

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Show & Tell / Re: The most important lesson I've learned

« on: June 10, 2016, 08:10:25 PM »

Thank you for the kind words, Bianca and Salman!

I still have a long way to go and I am just starting to get used to having no slanted guidelines!

And yes, I love how the color turned out as well! It's unevenly mixed, and it shows, but it's interesting how some parts are more ruby and some parts are more shimmer! I've been currently obsessed with mixing colored ink and pearl pigments lately. So far though, this sparkling ruby color is my favorite! Pilot's Iroshizuku ink in Shin-kai mixed with pearl is a close second!

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Show & Tell / Re: The most important lesson I've learned

« on: June 10, 2016, 01:05:05 PM »

Congrats on your graduation!! Seems that University has been good for you, you learned real things! (Also, licking rocks is kind of important...  )

Aww, thank you! Can't wait to finally march ;;A;; Even though the learnings were insightful, the workload totally sucked the life out of me. So although I'm happy with everything that I've learned (and will continue to learn!), I'm also glad that that I can finally be free from those sleepless nights, haha!

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Coffee & Nib-bles / Re: Stationery addicts unite!

« on: June 10, 2016, 12:51:58 PM »

Those are lovely and you should totally use them.. calligraphy would be perfect on them

Thanks, Schin! I haven't tested them out yet (too scared to! What if the ink the bleeds! Omg virgin stationary! haha ) Most of the letter sets I own only have a few pieces of envelopes and letter paper in them in the first place. I'm thinking of buying cute letter sets with more pieces in them so I won't feel as guilty in using (omg what an excuse to buy haha) them. Just crossing my fingers that they'll be compatible with at least sumi or india ink!

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Coffee & Nib-bles / Stationery addicts unite!

« on: June 10, 2016, 12:35:04 PM »

Okay, for as long as I can remember--and way before I ever got into calligraphy, I've always been addicted to stationery. And not just pretty pens or notebooks! I'm also talking about washi tape and letter sets! I know I'm not the only one, so I started this thread so that we hoarders can share some of our favorite pieces of stationery, from notebooks to letter sets to pens and everything else in between!

Below are a few (keyword: few. I have so many more it's crazy huhu) of my favorites. Okay, I'll be honest, every letter set I own is my favorite! Everything is equal. And another confession: I've never used any of them! Like, ever. I really just hoard them and look at them (( I have a sickness, guys, please send help! 

Most of these are from Japan: some I got during my trip (to say I overspent is an understatement HAHAHA well, to be fair, I didn't know about calligraphy then. If I did, I probably would have hoarded inks, too!), and some I got from my father, who runs a Japanese Surplus Store. Unfortunately, my first letter sets which I bought in my school boutique in my primary years, were damaged during a storm here in my city

Anyway, I would love to see your favorite pieces! I'll upload washi tape too because I love them to bits (I use them VERY SPARINGLY HAHAHA).

22

Show & Tell / The most important lesson I've learned

« on: June 10, 2016, 11:54:45 AM »

Hello, everyone! Nothing fancy here: no flatlays (i have to up my photography game if I'm opening an IG account soon!), no natural lighting (thank you, years of Photoshop!), no godly letterforms or flourishes (to do: bootcamp! and my god, my h and my p's are horrid!  ), and no capitals (gotta learn them soon!) but I just wanted to share the most important lesson I learned in university.

I'll be graduating this June 25, 2016, with a Bachelor's degree on Geology (so near to calligraphy right HAHAHA). And graduation has never felt more real especially since my grades are finally complete!

Now time for some #realtalk / #serioustalk

Just a little background on my university: the University of the Philippines is my country's only state university. A student in my university (such as myself haha) is called an "Iskolar ng Bayan" which translates to "A scholar of the state" because we are supposedly government funded (but the political environment here in the Philippines has made it so that even the state university is lacking in facilities, and the students are obliged to pay hefty tuition fees--but that's another story). I think what makes my university unique is that we are known for nurturing activists (and rightfully so, given the socio-political issues my country faces) and encouraging discourse among students. It is in this kind of environment that I experienced my political awakening and became more conscious of the plight of the marginalized in my country.

During my four year stay in the university, I have always been reminded that my education is not just for myself--that it is for the people. And having opened my eyes to the reality that I can do something about it, I realized that the most important lesson I learned was not the Earth's age (which is 4.6 billion years old, btw!), or when and where the next earthquake will occur (that's not something we can predict, actually), or how rocks taste like (yes, we actually do lick rocks--but just occasionally!!)--but rather: to serve the people!


Thank you for reading such a long post! I just have so many feels right now since graduation is nearing! 


Materials:
nib: Brause 66ef
ink: Noodler's Ink mixed with pearl pigments (my university's official color is Maroon. This is the closest I could find!) for that shiny shimmery splendour
paper: rhodia grid pad

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Flourishing / Re: Flourishes & plagiarism

« on: June 10, 2016, 11:08:51 AM »

Hello, everyone! Just enjoying the discussion here! I don't think I can add anything more because so many have spoken (and yes, preach it, brethren!) so I just wanted to share my own experience in flourishing (or lackethereof lol) and how copying is helping me discover my style. I explore: from old masters, to contemporary writers such as the wonderful people we have here in the forum. (Special mention to Schin. I love your carefree style of flourishing! I just binge watched your videos of writing place cards the other day HAHAHA) I pick up some elements I like (I often find myself saying "That's an interesting way of doing this letter." or "How come I never thought of that??"), study where they place their flourishes, how they place them, try to combine them, try to add a bit of myself in them. I admit, I'm still far off, and only god knows when I can finally be proud of my own work and my own style, but so far, I'm enjoying the journey and am constantly inspired by what I'm seeing. ^v^

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Coffee & Nib-bles / Re: Calligraphy confessions

« on: April 24, 2016, 01:38:14 PM »

i'm self-learning copperplate because i'm too frugal to spend for a workshop (i think i'm doing a good job at studying copperplate by myself though???). i know nothing beats a hands-on experience, but i know it in myself that i won't improve in just a mere 3 hours. plus, there are so many free resources all over the internet.

my oblique holder grip is SUPER different from my normal ballpoint pen grip (which is why i had a really hard time transitioning. being a full time student entails lots of note-taking, so i haven't fully adapted my oblique holder grip to my ball point pen. it's too abrupt!)

i can't handle nibs that are stiffer than the hunt 22. i'm lame, I KNOW. i'm trying to re-explore the stiffer g nibs, and i've asked some seasoned calligrapher friends of mine how they're able to maintain a non-death grip while handling a stiff nib. and they said "push with the index finger" but every time i try, i really feel like i'm losing control over my grip it's hard, it's hard. i'll probably stick with my hunt 22 and 99 and 101 for now.

i love doing running ovals, despite everyone's hatred for it haha i find them very therapeutic

and lastly, i'm on the verge of having a hoarding problem. PLEASE SEND HELP ))

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: The Curse of the Powerful Penhold

« on: April 16, 2016, 08:57:27 AM »

great advice, Ken! wish I saw this when I was starting out so i could have corrected my grip in the first place. I've been doing running ovals these past few days, following Kei Haniya's advice on using the forearm muscles instead of the fingers. I do see a huge difference! I've found that the grip which works for me is the tripod grip that resembles picture 3. My middle, ring and pinky fingers are all curled lightly, with my pinky resting lightly on the paper, and my wrist up (not touching or very slightly touching the paper). I still use a bit of my fingers though, particularly my index finger which gives the push during the downstroke, to produce thicker swells.

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Tools & Supplies / Re: Need help in purchasing a carrot holder!

« on: April 16, 2016, 08:40:01 AM »

I posed a photo of my new carrot penholder on instagram, and used a hashtag #carrotpen - images like that one were everywhere! LOL

Here's my carrot pen - pink & red marble, created by Ashley Bush @ash_bush on IG.

This is my first carrot pen and I've only had it a few days, so I don't have much experience with them, but I am really liking it. It's very comfortable in my hands. I've noticed that I have lightened my grip and don't get hand fatigue like I had been experiencing with a slimmer pen. So far, so good.

ugh that is so pretty! super love Ashley's signature marbling! i stumbled upon the Bush holders too, but I can't afford one yet haha (that plus international shipping ) i found a local maker who's just starting out, although she already has a roster of clients who are very happy with their holders, so i don't think i was wrong in purchasing a holder from her

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Tools & Supplies / Re: Need help in purchasing a carrot holder!

« on: April 16, 2016, 08:35:50 AM »

Hello, everyone! Thanks for the inputs! Very amused by each one's perception of what a carrot holder is ) Anyway, I have finally purchased mine, but it's still in the process of being shipped   I've also been doing running ovals to lighten my grip. I've tried writing with my sucky holder again, just to test if my grip has become lighter and if the pain is still there, and voila! I actually do feel the difference! Most of my power is now coming from my forearm, using my elbow as some sort of pivot, although I do still get a bit of strength from my index finger--a slight push during the downstroke to make the swells thicker. I can't wait to receive my new holder though ;;V;;

p.s. i know a lot of people dislike running ovals but they're really really fun (((( they're like my favorite drills now huhu i do them everywhere i go, and use different colored pens so that drill time won't be boring ;;V;;

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Tools & Supplies / Need help in purchasing a carrot holder!

« on: April 12, 2016, 11:48:00 AM »

Hello, everyone! I've recently rekindled my love for calligraphy after a horrible falling out due to school life (ugh) and I'm back to the beginning! Unforunately, the speedball plastic oblique holder is no longer working for me. (I suppose it was never really a good option to begin with, after reading through some blog posts about why a customized holder is so much better). I have finally decided to get myself a prettier, more comfortable holder. I am thinking of purchasing a carrot holder, in particular, because not only do I want to loosen my grip, but also because my fingers fatigue very fast (mom did say arthritis runs in the family ) I've been practicing a more relaxed grip by holding a pencil in my non-dominant hand, and hoorah hoorah, it's working, but the pain the plastic holder brings me is still there.

Now, my real question is, just how do I know which grip diameter is suitable for me? On websites, I've seen carrot holders with grips that range from 13 mm to 16 mm, and not having touched them for myself, I'm not really sure which would be a good diameter for my hand.

Appreciate the help!

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Brush Calligraphy / Re: Colorful brush calligraphy!

« on: December 17, 2015, 10:34:42 AM »

Be careful not to press too hard, though! =)) *remembers past mistakes* @thewordaffair has some helpful videos demonstrating her technique

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Brush Calligraphy / Re: Colorful brush calligraphy!

« on: December 16, 2015, 09:39:57 PM »

Thank you for the lovely comments! I still have a long way to go though! I'm working on my consistency so that I can write quotes next time, and not just single words 

^{Note to self: I have got to make time to play with my watercolor pans and aquash pens and brushes!}

Estrella, yes, please do! Love the point of the aquash fine! Its long bristles are also perfect for long, breezy lettering such as the one I have done When mixing colors, Kat (@thewordaffair) advised to press the barrel so that the colors would flow into each other nicely ^V^