Topics

1

General How To's & Projects / Help! Calligraphy over a watercolour background

« on: August 30, 2016, 03:59:37 AM »

I'm hoping someone can help me with how to tackle my next (ambitious) project. I'd like to make up a  thank you note to put at each place setting at my wedding in October.

I have some beautiful smooth 600gsm watercolour card to use for the project and ideally I'd like to paint a watercolour background and then write over it using finetec golds (shimmery, shiny, sparkling perfection in a palette!). How does everyone write straight? Do you draw your pencil lines in and then erase them afterwards? Does that smudge or erase the watercolour? Or is there a secret calligraphers' way to do this?

2

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Getting motivated

« on: August 08, 2016, 03:32:21 AM »

I'm feeling a little disheartened lately with how little I'm seeing any improvement in my work and lacking the motivation to practice because of it..

Does anyone else go through a lull when you don't see yourself improving? What do you to snap yourself out of your calligra-slump?

3

Tips for Lefties / Ink flow

« on: July 18, 2016, 10:53:01 PM »

Hi there,

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I'm doing wrong here. I seem to have a bit of trouble getting ink to flow through any of my nibs - new ones, old ones, clean, washed with dish-washing liquid, burnt to remove the chemical or punched into a potato... I have previously asked my teacher what I might be doing wrong and she couldn't pick it. The angle of my nib looks correct, I have ample ink and the pressure I put on the nib all seems fine. She is right handed and thought it might have something to do with my left-handed-ness  Any tips here would be hugely appreciated because I'm getting quite frustrated with myself!

Thanks in advance!

4

Introductions / Hi from the West Coast

« on: July 12, 2016, 01:10:54 AM »

Hi everyone,

I'm a novice (read as: very new) left handed calligrapher, I've recently finished a 6 week course on copperplate calligraphy and despite the hurdles left handers face with pointed pen I found it quite a natural way to write thanks to my left hand already pointing in the right angle (hello 55 degree slant).

I do have some issues with consistency and spacing and squaring my letters off. I'd love to hear how everyone tackles these little things so I'm really looking forward to being part of Flourish Forum!

Warm regards,
Mandy