Author Topic: You know you're a calligrapher when...  (Read 64747 times)

Offline schin

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You know you're a calligrapher when...
« on: September 05, 2014, 10:55:52 PM »
You know you're a calligrapher when...

1) You stop in the middle of the grocery shop to inspect a badly written word on your list.. "Hmm.. the Z on 'zucchini' is not rounded enough.. darn it those stupid double Gs in 'eggs' looks terrible..."

2) Your friends ask for a pen to jot something down real quick but all you can say is: "Careful, this fountain pen flexes so don't press too hard actually hold on I have something else.." "Ouch I pricked my finger on this stupid nib in the bag here lemme show you a nikko g" "I have some ink, this is an oblique holder, here you gotta dip and hold it like this wait where are you going"

3) You begin to form an elitism against mere copy paper in the office for the plebeians, ugh get your disgusting 20lb 'super premium' barely-pulp newsprint away from my presence

4) You hiss and scowl and bare your fangs at BIC pens and anyone who uses them

Anyone else wanna add their experiences?
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Offline prasad

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2014, 12:25:20 AM »
You know you're a calligrapher when...

2) Your friends ask for a pen to jot something down real quick but all you can say is: "Careful, this fountain pen flexes so don't press too hard actually hold on I have something else.." "Ouch I pricked my finger on this stupid nib in the bag here lemme show you a nikko g" "I have some ink, this is an oblique holder, here you gotta dip and hold it like this wait where are you going"

4) You hiss and scowl and bare your fangs at BIC pens and anyone who uses them

Anyone else wanna add their experiences?

Hi Schin,
Amazing post and so so so true. :D
I am not really a Calligrapher,  but have enough interest in it to identify with 2) and 4)
Perpetually scowling at people who use ballpoint pens.  Specially people who buy Extremely Expensive pens and they are Roller ball or Ballpoint. :)
-Prasad
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Offline Faeleia

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2014, 02:23:41 AM »

You know you're a calligrapher when...

1) You stop, investigate and judge shop signs, bag labels, judge greeting cards, and cringe at things that use terrible computer fonts that LOOKS like copperplate, but has terrible spacing, flourish, etc. And nobody knows why you're annoyed.

2) Your friends ask for a pen to jot something down real quick but all you can say is: "I have a pen, but ... can't you just write in blood instead?"

3) You begin to lament over copy papers that have poor sizing "You guys could have SUCH POTENTIAL.. but your makers made you ordinary..I'm sorry." *sheds a tear*

4) I start to use all my ballpoint pens for muscular drills (still love ballpoint pens though) You hiss and scowl at poor handwriting.

5) You start to observe how people hold their pens.

6) You judge people who use 'handwriting fonts' and print out their letters like that.


Offline Cecilia

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2014, 03:33:26 AM »
Eheheh great thread Schin! *thumb up*


You know you are a calligrapher when...
- you check if your calligraphy stuff is exactly how you left it, before having your morning coffee/tea... hummm, anyone of the family picked up a pencil or something?
- you use every surface of the house as a drier! {family moved to sofa-dinner, all tables are taken}
- you have at least a choice of 3 or 4 different pens in your purse even when you go to a party...


PS: friends asking for a pen to jot something quickly are unfriended immediately!
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Offline AndyT

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2014, 05:15:30 AM »
At the risk of incurring howls of derision from Schin and Prasad, I rather like BICs.  Or rather, if it has to be a ballpoint, they're the best at any price.

Anyway, you know you're a calligrapher when:

- you die a little inside when a flier from the local pizza place lands on the doormat and they've typeset the headings in cyber-copperplate.
- you take a phone call and you can't find anything to make notes with which isn't oblique.
- you inadvertently tattoo a small dot on your finger by stabbing yourself with your pen (yes, that's a true one).
- you buy a sample sized jar of instant coffee just to get yet another ink bottle.
- you fleetingly consider getting into a fight with a goose for the sake of a primary feather or two.

Offline JanisTX

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2014, 07:10:25 AM »
You know you're a calligrapher when:

Your son complains that when he receives a wedding invitation in the mail, the first thing he does is run his thumb across the print in order to determine whether it was hand-lettered, or they just ran it through a printer.  His comment to me was something like, "Damn, now you've got me becoming a snob about hand-lettering!".

Offline joi

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2014, 08:27:13 AM »
oh this is awesome!
you know you're a calligrapher when:
-you scan the grocery aisles for appropriate size glass jars...jelly, pimentos, pickled onions, who cares what's inside.  every container you look at is a possible inkwell...candle votive holder?  bud vase?

-you cannot, and i mean CANNOT just write a name on an envelope, like to drop a check somewhere.  must whip out gouache, select nib, holder, lay it all out...and you beam with pride when you hear "yes, i received your deposit check and wow that envelope, it's soo pretty i pinned it to my bulletin board above my desk!".  YES!

-paper snob:  yeah, we covered that one.

-a separate bottle of Windex reserved just for your use.

-your collection of gold inks, gold gouache, and gold gel pens is getting out of control.

-you have stopped caring that your lack of manicure is atrocious.  ink stuck in peeling and chipping nail polish...eeeeh whatever.


Offline tintenfuchs

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2014, 09:01:13 AM »
… your desk looks like a dalmatian from all the ink stains

… your bedroom looks like an office & art supply store

… all your friends collect tiny bottles and sample jars for you

… you are a member of every art shop's bonus programmes in your city

… you constantly think of ways to redecorate your flat so that more calligraphy samples/letters/artworks can go up on the walls

… you always have tiny puncture marks on your hands because there are nibs everywhere

… you have different stacks for "paper that's too great to work on so better keep it for something really special", "used paper of too fine quality to file away just yet, there might be a centimeter or two left to practice on" etc.

… your computer is running out of space because you downloaded 489789563409263984260349 PDFs of ancient books and calligraphy pictures

… your postman know into which box your letters go without actually looking at the address


@Joi: I only go into household item stores to check if they have suitable "inkwells"  ;D
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Offline Milonguera

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2014, 10:20:05 AM »
Oh boy, I agree--this is a good one, Schin. 

--Absolutely right about paper snobbery!  Even the paper for posit notes is offensive.
--Piles and piles of practice sheets are piled here < and there> .  Oh, and there>>, too.  Not supposed to throw anything away, right?  Gotta track that progress!
--Bottles of ink, some in their original containers are all over the desk, along with a jar for collecting spent nibs. 
--Containers of markers, brushes, pliers, and rulers are multiplying.  And crowding the desk. 
--Artists tape is becoming a really good friend for holding paper down and hanging beauties that come in the mail all over the art that was there previously.
--Bathroom reading material is now Paper and Ink Arts and John Neal Books catalogues.
--Half of your clothes have permanent ink stains.
--Manicures, pedicures and haircuts get pushed off because 1) you're not going anywhere, anyway, 2) Except for the pedicures, you'll just get ink all over your cuticles and in my case, my hair (but only on the left side)
--A duster is nearby to remove stray cat hairs.
--You drive back around the block to see signage that looks interesting, or potentially great, only to realize it's pretty bad.  And if you're walking, you look psychotic as you trace the pattern of a sign font in the air with the same likely disappointment as when you're driving. 
--You're always on the lookout for deals on stationery.
--They know you by your first name at the art supply store. 
--There's always something new to learn. 
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Offline AnasaziWrites

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2014, 11:10:50 AM »
You know you're a calligrapher when--

--You can name more 19th century penman than US senators

--Your desk is so cluttered with calligraphy supplies and tools you've forgotten what color your desk is

--You think you might look good with a beard like Spencer (unless you're a female, in which case you need professional help).

--One three foot shelf is not enough to hold your vintage penmanship books, so you give away a shelf load of other books to make room for the rest, and are eying shelf number 3.

--Your spouse simply stops asking why you are getting yet another penholder when there are 30-40 sticking out of jars on your desk.

--You hand someone a check and they think it is too pretty to cash (but they do).

--You consider buying a bottle of wine regardless of contents because the label has such good spencerian on it.

--You spend $250 to frame an envelope sent to you by a master penman and hang it in your living room. Twice.

--You buy so much paper and envelopes that the art supply store thinks you're going into business.

--You use vintage stamps to dress up your envelopes that are so old the clerks at the PO who have worked there 35+ years have never seen them.

--You have bottles of ink 20+ years old you don't throw out because, well, you might use them one day.

--You are ever hopeful of receiving something handwritten in the mail.

--You dream you are writing really fine Spencerian, and upon waking, know you have a long way to go.
« Last Edit: September 06, 2014, 11:20:35 AM by AnasaziWrites »

Offline joi

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2014, 11:22:02 AM »
You know you're a calligrapher when--

--You can name more 19th century penman than US senators

--You are ever hopeful of receiving something handwritten in the mail.

--You dream you are writing really fine Spencerian, and upon waking, know you have a long way to go.

OMG i can't think of ANY US Senators!!!

Offline Linda Y.

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2014, 01:02:29 PM »
Oh these are all SO GREAT! I am having the best time reading these!

You know you're a calligrapher when:
  • You get up at the crack of dawn to line up with 100 people at estate sales looking for vintage pens and nibs. That big sealed box of Principality/Spencerian No.1/604EF/etc. has GOT to be hidden in an underwear drawer somewhere!!!
  • The nails/fingertips on your writing hand are permantly ink-stained, but you look at them and smile with pride.
  • Same goes with that big ole callus on the middle finger.
  • You find the smell of Sumi ink intoxicating.
  • You even got your spouse looking for calligraphy supplies. I've had my husband send me a text with a pic of something he's seen at a thrift store: "is this good for calligraphy?"
  • You have your own secret formula while searching on eBay looking for vintage calligraphy items, hoping you're not bidding against your friends (but you know you really are!)
  • You take a chance on cheap eBay listings like, "sealed box of nibs" and frown when they arrive and none are very flexible.
  • When you take your addressed envelopes to the post office, you secretly hope someone in the elevator/on the street/waiting in line will notice and exclaim "OMG that is beautiful! Did YOU do that?!"...But no one ever does. :'(

Offline Cecilia

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2014, 01:05:24 PM »
  • When you take your addressed envelopes to the post office, you secretly hope someone in the elevator/on the street/waiting in line will notice and exclaim "OMG that is beautiful! Did YOU do that?!"...But no one ever does. :'(


LoL this is so true Linda!!!  ;D
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Offline joi

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2014, 02:44:35 PM »
Oh these are all SO GREAT! I am having the best time reading these!

You know you're a calligrapher when:
  • When you take your addressed envelopes to the post office, you secretly hope someone in the elevator/on the street/waiting in line will notice and exclaim "OMG that is beautiful! Did YOU do that?!"...But no one ever does. :'(

this happened to me...once...remember?  it was the mother of my husbands ex-girlfriend who said my envelope was pretty...the ex-girlfriend was there too, both standing in line in front of me...they were there to weigh ex-girlfriends wedding invitations!!!  i could not get away fast enough!!!

Offline Milonguera

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Re: You know you're a calligrapher when...
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2014, 04:17:47 PM »
Oh these are all SO GREAT! I am having the best time reading these!

You know you're a calligrapher when:
  • When you take your addressed envelopes to the post office, you secretly hope someone in the elevator/on the street/waiting in line will notice and exclaim "OMG that is beautiful! Did YOU do that?!"...But no one ever does. :'(
Joi, you married her ex-boyfriend, so you had the one up in that situation!  She should've been the one wanting to get away.   ;)
Debbie