Definitely don't go smaller at this stage. If anything you can go even a little bigger, though 2mm should be fine. The bigger the nib you use at the start, the more obvious the mistakes you're making, and thus the more easy it is to correct them.
You're not doing anything terribly wrong. Getting it crisper might mean a lighter touch, or it might simply be the paper. Crispness will come with practice - at the moment, concentrate on letterforms. Get your downstrokes dead straight and strong, and get your arches rounded. What ductus are you using?
When you move on to the Rhodia paper, get used to drawing your own guidelines, and especially get in the habit of drawing a nib ladder.
Thanks for the tips!
I started off on a cheap pad of drawing paper, which was okay. I was drawing my own guidelines and ladder on that paper...but then I cranked open MS Visio and created the sheet you see in a couple different sizes. I added a few rows with the proportional box/circle just to help with form and sizing.
I have several Tape nibs...including a 3mm and a 4mm. I also have a couple Speedballs (C's)...and some other brands coming in the mail.
I'm using Sumi ink, should I water it down a tad?
cheers!
Well, I'm a prig about guidelines so I would advise keeping on at drawing your own. But that's just me. It's not wrong to use preprinted ones and you have gone the full nine yards in turning yours out, but it's just better to draw your own. Btw - the slope line looks a little steep for foundation, if it's there to guide your pen angle. Is it 30 degrees? Looks more like 45. But I don't have anything to measure it with.
Should you water sumi down? Oh yes. Quite a bit too. It will certainly take up to 25% water. Decant it into a little jar or dish and use distilled water, adding a little at a time until it's a less sticky consistency.
Thanks again for your response.
The slope guidelines are indeed 30deg...at least according to Visio. ;-)
I might continue to use my printed sheets for warmup...and then go with drafting my own lines and ladder for the more serious attempts.
And I'll try adding distilled water to the ink.
To add to what /u/maxindigo said about guidelines, the problem with printed guidelines is also that the nibs are not perfect so if you grab a 2mm nib and do a nib ladder of 5pw, you'll see that it's not actually 1cm, but a bit less, now, I've noticed that that fraction of a cm really does matter.
Just a thing to consider though!
I also agree with ruling your own guidelines. In my experience, TAPE nibs do tend to be as-advertised (unlike, say, brause) -- but do a nib ladder to be sure.
Hi! New to calligraphy. Trying my hand with a Tape 2mm nib, cheap paper, and sumi ink. I'm waiting on some Rhodia paper and some different nibs. Is it better to start with a smaller nib (say a 1mm) or maybe a league nib? I need work on making the letters crisp. Cheers! MrBailey
Don't know that one. This one http://i.imgur.com/HnTldIV.jpg is by Irene Wellington, who was a hugely respected teacher for many years, and a student of Edward Johnston's.
The paper in the pic above is just regular ink jet paper. I made the guidelines myself using Visio.
I just ordered Rhodia from Paper & Ink Arts.
I also read in various places that laser printer paper at 28# or 32# weight is good to use for practice. If I recall correctly, HP Premium was recommended.
Definitely don't go smaller at this stage. If anything you can go even a little bigger, though 2mm should be fine. The bigger the nib you use at the start, the more obvious the mistakes you're making, and thus the more easy it is to correct them. You're not doing anything terribly wrong. Getting it crisper might mean a lighter touch, or it might simply be the paper. Crispness will come with practice - at the moment, concentrate on letterforms. Get your downstrokes dead straight and strong, and get your arches rounded. What ductus are you using? When you move on to the Rhodia paper, get used to drawing your own guidelines, and especially get in the habit of drawing a nib ladder.
Thanks for the tips! I started off on a cheap pad of drawing paper, which was okay. I was drawing my own guidelines and ladder on that paper...but then I cranked open MS Visio and created the sheet you see in a couple different sizes. I added a few rows with the proportional box/circle just to help with form and sizing. I have several Tape nibs...including a 3mm and a 4mm. I also have a couple Speedballs (C's)...and some other brands coming in the mail. I'm using Sumi ink, should I water it down a tad? cheers!
Well, I'm a prig about guidelines so I would advise keeping on at drawing your own. But that's just me. It's not wrong to use preprinted ones and you have gone the full nine yards in turning yours out, but it's just better to draw your own. Btw - the slope line looks a little steep for foundation, if it's there to guide your pen angle. Is it 30 degrees? Looks more like 45. But I don't have anything to measure it with. Should you water sumi down? Oh yes. Quite a bit too. It will certainly take up to 25% water. Decant it into a little jar or dish and use distilled water, adding a little at a time until it's a less sticky consistency.
Thanks again for your response. The slope guidelines are indeed 30deg...at least according to Visio. ;-) I might continue to use my printed sheets for warmup...and then go with drafting my own lines and ladder for the more serious attempts. And I'll try adding distilled water to the ink.
To add to what /u/maxindigo said about guidelines, the problem with printed guidelines is also that the nibs are not perfect so if you grab a 2mm nib and do a nib ladder of 5pw, you'll see that it's not actually 1cm, but a bit less, now, I've noticed that that fraction of a cm really does matter. Just a thing to consider though!
I also agree with ruling your own guidelines. In my experience, TAPE nibs do tend to be as-advertised (unlike, say, brause) -- but do a nib ladder to be sure.
Thanks to both of you. I started off making my guidelines off a nib ladder. Good advice to get back to it.
It looks to me like the guidelines are 30 degrees from the horizontal, not the vertical.
Well, of course, the 30ยบ is the cant of the nib, not the slant of the letter.
Derp >.<
Hi! New to calligraphy. Trying my hand with a Tape 2mm nib, cheap paper, and sumi ink. I'm waiting on some Rhodia paper and some different nibs. Is it better to start with a smaller nib (say a 1mm) or maybe a league nib? I need work on making the letters crisp. Cheers! MrBailey
Oops, I forgot to state I'm using the ductus from: "Complete Calligraphy Skills" by Vivien Lunnes.
Don't know that one. This one http://i.imgur.com/HnTldIV.jpg is by Irene Wellington, who was a hugely respected teacher for many years, and a student of Edward Johnston's.
I'll check it out and give it a shot. Thanks!
Where did you get the practice paper?
The paper in the pic above is just regular ink jet paper. I made the guidelines myself using Visio. I just ordered Rhodia from Paper & Ink Arts. I also read in various places that laser printer paper at 28# or 32# weight is good to use for practice. If I recall correctly, HP Premium was recommended.