Messages

1

Completed/Past Exchanges / Re: ADVANCED EXCHANGE: Offhand Flourishing 2015

« on: September 21, 2015, 04:57:07 AM »

This is late Im sorry but I received Michael's, Erik's, Lynette's, JB's very promptly a long time back, thank you very much!

I love each of your envelopes as much as the insides. And really, so much to learn from each of you! And I don't know how you guys do it, but I'm still recovering from pushing myself (off the cliff maybe) trying to copy from the book Ornate Pic. Calligraphy I've had barely any energy for lettering let alone hold the offhand grip since!! 

2

Completed/Past Exchanges / Re: ADVANCED EXCHANGE: Offhand Flourishing 2015

« on: June 26, 2015, 04:43:08 AM »

Dear Lynette, Wendy, Michael, Theresa, Erik, JB... I posted them today!

Sorry for being a few days late, I fell ill this week and just got to posting them.

Erik... Your name kept tripping me up, I corrected myself twice on the inside stuff... and I was dropping them off, I realised it was 'Eric' on the envelope!!!!! AARGGH.... forgive me please!!

3

Exchanges - General Info & Questions (Start here.) / Re: How to mail to and from your country

« on: May 07, 2015, 12:27:00 AM »

Hey schin, you left out the last line for international mail to the US aka "USA"  That's not so much for your postman but ours because I'm pretty sure that's the first step in sorting international mail. Some US states do look like other countries at a quick glance

Prasad - did u receive my inspirational quote mail yet? I wrote ur address in block letters! 

4

Completed/Past Exchanges / Re: ADVANCED EXCHANGE: Offhand Flourishing 2015

« on: April 27, 2015, 08:04:25 AM »

Mike thanks for the explanations  ... That book you pointed out - Real Pen Work has some gorgeous color ones

I love color - it inspires me. Incidentally, I just came across an intimidating passage about black vs colors, in an online edition of an old out of print book about Japanese paintings :p "Not only is this black color (sumi) used in all water color work, but it is frequently the only color employed; and a painting thus executed, according to the laws of Japanese art, is called sumi e and is regarded as the highest test of the artist's skill. Colors can cheat the eye (damakasu) but sumi never can; it proclaims the master and exposes the tyro." 

Erica - this tyro is preferring a smaller list too (i.e. sending out 4 - 5) 

5

Completed/Past Exchanges / Re: ADVANCED EXCHANGE: Offhand Flourishing 2015

« on: April 14, 2015, 11:53:04 AM »

it gets very intimidating, the level of skill around here but i will regret it if i miss this so i'm in. will give it my best! no early 'birds' from me  I will need all the deadline time I can get!

questions about flourishing and the 'old' masters: umm, how do you know when you are looking at a reproduction of nib on paper or engraving? in the book 'ornate pictorial calligraphy' - the inverse black and white on page 61 - what am I looking at? and just curious from a history perspective, what sorts of inks/colors were popular/ did they use back then? i imagine there's been quite a bit of innovation/ change or not really?

and then for you guys - do you switch around different nibs when working on a single flourished piece?

6

Tools & Supplies / Re: Art & Calligraphy Supplies in Singapore

« on: February 27, 2015, 09:42:42 AM »

Hey Des!

I received your card on the valentines exchange btw - I love the roses on your envelope!! Into watercolor much?

Like Patricia mentioned the 'arts belt' and hence the stores are concentrated in an area in between Dohby Gaut/ City Hall/ Bugis and where Bras Basah Complex is located

Have you heard of Overjoyed at Short Street? Its an art supply store and carry J herbin inks, rhodia pads, bristol vellum paper packs, brush pens etc. Nibs though are very expensive compared to our usual online sources. Its fairly walkable from Bugis MRT/ Dohby Gaut MRT/ Bras Basah complex, though closest station actually is Little India. I usually pair a visit to Overjoyed with a walk down Dunlop street nearby, there's a cafe with yummy crab cakes, burgers and coffee called Rouse 

Straits Art Co at North Bridge Road (across street from Bras Basah complex), doesnt look like much, but is where artist painters like to get their paper, paints, brushes from.

You might also like Tokyu Hands at Orchard Central - they have the fanciest mechanical pencils, gel pens, brush pens from Japan... and a selection of paper goods.

I dont pay much attention to fountain pens  but I think I;ve seen them at Bras Basah complex (first floor) and Tokyu Hands

Let me know if you have any other questions, you can PM me too!

7

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Flourish Forum Favorite Threads

« on: February 14, 2015, 12:16:00 AM »

I hope I'm inserting the link correctly - its the "Then and Now" thread http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=1379.0

When you feel like the difference between what you envision in your head versus what your hand is producing is so dismally drastic    - look over there for some amazing inspiration! Progress will come! I would like to post in that thread one day too 

(P.s. schin starts all the best threads... !!!)

8

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: A Lefty's Hand Position

« on: February 14, 2015, 12:00:42 AM »

Hi Star, is that a 'normal' or leftie oblique in your pictures? I can;t figure it out! It also looks like you bent the flange quite a bit...

Prasad, how is your son progressing with his positioning?

I find I can switch between straights and obliques, and various writing angles... on one hand, it feels like of 'freedom' for lefties... on the other, it makes me quite unsure sometimes - i wonder if any lefties settle into one positioning, and after how long does it happen...

9

Tools & Supplies / art & calligraphy books & supplies in tokyo?

« on: February 10, 2015, 11:44:03 PM »

i've got a few days in tokyo coming up... does anyone have any favourite places/ recommendations for art & calligraphy books & supplies? I guess most of the books would be in Japanese which I don't understand... but the artwork and examples are usually so gorgeous I wouldn't mind at least browsing. I'm also interested in checking out watercolor tubes, inks, patterned papers, envelopes....

thanks for any tips!

10

Tools & Supplies / Re: Making your own walnut ink?

« on: February 10, 2015, 11:21:46 PM »

Looks good to me. How dark or light walnut ink is really a personal choice. And I like how I can tailor my walnut ink to how I feel that day. I add distilled water to my walnut crystals and I don't get mould at all.

hey sue! sorry for the daftness... but how do you get distilled water? a bottle of evian?

11

Broad Edge Pen Calligraphy / Re: What broad edge writing tool do I start with? (Am leftie)

« on: February 09, 2015, 11:58:33 PM »

Thanks everyone!!!

You could try taping two pencils together and see how you get on with that. No fuss, no mess 

I tried! I got two distinct letters...  I'm gonna take a while before I figure this. I'm very challenged on positioning :p (When I started out copperplate, various sources said it was all about oblique holders. I thought I cracked it when I held the speedball oblique in a straight line with my nib!!! I worked like that for a few weeks, fell off my chair when I watched a decolimbus video...)

Thanks Michael and Lori for the links!

12

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Best envelope inks?

« on: February 06, 2015, 10:29:45 AM »

Hi Karl.. I was worrying about waterproofing but smudging/ ink rubbing off became my first problem! I think it happened because the envelopes were packed too tightly... so that might be something for you to check/ test...

13

Broad Edge Pen Calligraphy / What broad edge writing tool do I start with? (Am leftie)

« on: February 04, 2015, 11:15:43 AM »

I started with copperplate... and I feel myself getting more and more sucked in to everything calligraphy.

Now I want to pick up roman, italic etc... I've been studying them with my eyes and pencil and my hand is itching to use something broad edged. I'm trying to be prudent and do some homework before buying any new supplies I haven't used before...

What should I start with? Nibs? Markers? I'm leftie, mostly position paper to the left of my body tilted anywhere from 0-90degrees... should I try out 'regular' broad edge nibs or 'for leftie' nibs? does it matter?

Thanks guys for any help!!

14

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Broad Edge taken to new dimensions.

« on: February 04, 2015, 10:38:34 AM »

WOW! thanks for sharing!

15

Tools & Supplies / Re: Which Blue Ink or Gouache?

« on: January 17, 2015, 06:42:41 AM »

I have the blue "Encre De Calligraphie" at the bottom of the page here http://www.jherbin.com/specialty_inks.shtml

I think its really pretty on white