How are the tines supposed to separate?

[Meredith S]

I've seen examples and read explanations before saying that when you put pressure on the nib, the left tine is supposed to move to the left and the right tine is supposed to stay in one place. Is anyone else familiar with this?

Is that for all nibs? And if mine don't do that, am I holding my pen improperly? How do I fix it? I'm thinking if I turn the pen slightly clockwise that would solve how the tines split but not how I hold the pen, although I'm not sure if it is supposed to indicate how to hold the pen, or if it just matters how the tines split and not how the pen is held in this instance.

Hopefully my questions make sense 

[garyn]

I think it also depends on the nib, which direction the stroke is going, and if you are doing a curve at the same time.
IOW a few more variables.

But I don't pay attention to which tine splits/flexes/moves out.
I'm watching the ink line and seeing if it is what I expect.

[Faeleia]

That only matters more when you're trying to do squared off tops for maybe u or t or something in engrossers.. Basically when you start you push to the left so the right tine stays centered while the left spreads to get a squared off top, then drag down to do your shade. But then again, you can always go back to touch up.

[AmyNeub]

Nibs matter. I can't do it with a Nikko g, but Hiro 41 works great.

Here is another thread with more info http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=657.0

[Meredith S]

Thanks everyone. I go back and touch up the tops and bottoms, so I hadn't thought about it until recently. And I also used to move to the right a tiny bit at the top, as mentioned in the thread you shared, Amy (which is so helpful, thanks!), but I think I was on information overload and I stopped doing it because I didn't catch why I was supposed to and I had to go back to fix it anyway. I'll start doing that again,  now that I have the mental room to think about the details of this whole calligraphy thing (aherm..4 months in... have I mentioned I'm not naturally inclined toward calligraphy/arty things?  )

Thanks again for your help, Gary, Felicia and Amy. I'm going to go re-read that other thread about 10 more times.

[AndyT]

There's an Ornamental Penmanship technique for producing asymmetrical shades by twisting the pen on its axis which is a source of untold consternation for me.  I asked Brian Walker how it was done, and he said "like that", producing a perfect capital stem as if by magic.   

The only times I get it right are when I'm not thinking about it, so Gary's advice to watch where the ink goes seems wise to me.  There's a lot to be said for spending some time just fooling around to see what the nib can do.  Incidentally Meredith, there's no dishonour in retouching your tops and bottoms - there are plenty of highly skilled writers who do it, and the result is more important than the process.

[imdcruz]

I'm really learning lot from this thread! Just what I needed. 

I was doing some work with gouache with my Gilliot 303 nib and got worried that it might be time to replace it due to the snagging that I did not experience with it before. I've been using that nib for about 3 months. I don't really have the habit of periodically cleaning my nib while I work on a project so I suppose that contributed to the lifespan of my nib.

[AnasaziWrites]

I'm really learning lot from this thread! Just what I needed. 

I was doing some work with gouache with my Gilliot 303 nib and got worried that it might be time to replace it due to the snagging that I did not experience with it before. I've been using that nib for about 3 months. I don't really have the habit of periodically cleaning my nib while I work on a project so I suppose that contributed to the lifespan of my nib.

Three months with one nib? It's just a guess, but I'd say it's time for a new one.