#calligraphyforcheapskates

I got several new nibs (which I will also review later), an ebony pad, and a Finetec Arabic Gold Refill. The Rhodia Pad, wrapped nibs and marble holder are all from I Am Artisan, however. :)

This post will be a review of the Finetec Arabic Gold. It’s a tiny little pot just about the size of a 5-Peso coin, costs about P350, and I have to pay for shipping, besides.

When you think about it, that’s really, really, expensive for just one tiny refill pot. But when it arrived, holy moly.

This thing looks like actual gold, and when you write with it, it’s a little bit hypnotic seeing the little metallic pigments dry up into a shiny, sparkly, luxurious finish. It’s so opaque that it sometimes looks 3D when it dries.

Here I used it on some flourish tests for my mom’s birthday name logo.

It’s a little bit fiddly because it’s a watercolor cake, and that means you need to wet it with water and brush it onto your nib before you can write with it. With results like these, though, I am totally willing to weather through a bit of inconvenience when using it for calligraphy.

The above picture is a comparison of my DIY gold ink on the left, and the Finetec gold watercolor cake on the right. Obviously, the Finetec is much yellower, more metallic, and more pigmented. That’s why it’s about 10 times more expensive, I guess, lol.

(The black paper shown above is from a small MEMO notebook by YOUNUO, and one below is from The Craft Central. I like the darker, smoother and less fibrous MEMO paper way better, also because it makes the gold inks stand out more.).

While I am in love with how gold the Finetec product is, I wouldn’t draw very much with it as much as I do with my DIY gold ink, just because the whole process of drawing, stopping, wetting the cake, brushing it onto your nib, and drawing again adds a level of tediousness to illustration that I don’t really enjoy with a dipping pen. I also want to save it for really important projects, and doodling random stuff with it makes me feel a bit guilty because it’s pricey. For calligraphy and brushwork, however, it is amazing and there is simply no comparison!

1. KNOW THE STYLE YOU WANT TO EMULATE

In order to avoid buying nibs you would never use, you first need to ask yourself what kind of calligraphy you want to do.

A: This is a gothic font. Nibs that create those square, broad strokes will have flat, squared off edges, like a chisel. They’re sometimes called gothic nibs, chisel nibs, square nibs, or italic nibs.

B. This is a flowy, modern script font. The nibs that create this style are pointed and flexy, and split down the middle. They can make very thin lines, or varying thick lines. This variation allows you to create the flowy, brush-like look. Take note this is a computer font for example purposes only, the nib shown below will write slightly differently.

2. BUY ONLY THE BAREST MINIMUM OF SUPPLIES

You can get serious with calligraphy with only 5 items:

Thick, smooth paper (can withstand ink bleed. Try very smooth watercolor paper, or notepaper with a slightly slick-feeling surface, or buy special calligraphy pads that are made of vellum, like Rhodia)

1 holder

1 beginner nib

Ink

Graph paper

That is all I use when I write.

NIBS: This is my Hiro40 nib, or the Blue Pumpkin, similiar to the Brause Steno. I use this for everything. Forever.

I had no idea what all these names were when I started out, so here is a list of beginner friendly nibs recommended by the bajillion websites I pored through trying to figure out which nib did what. Most of these nibs are medium flex and have a steady ink flow. While not as super soft and brushlike like the ornamental script nibs (eg Brause Rose), the ease with which these beginner nibs write makes it less frustrating for a beginner and you should start with these and then move on to flexier ones later.

Brause Steno (Blue Pumpkin)

Hiro 40 (Blue Pumpkin)

Zebra G

Tachikawa G

Nikko G

HOLDERS: I use the humble Speedball straight holder. These things are dirt cheap (less than P20) and can be found in the fountain pen area in the school supplies department. Or you can order them online, they’re very inexpensive. Some purists say these holders are rough on the hands, but I find they do the job. As an Ultimate Noob, I need to actually try calligraphy first before moving on to fancier stuff. You stick your nib in the tip with a pair of pliers (or in my case, holding a cloth between my finger and the nib and pushing it in with my fingers). There are two holder types:

STRAIGHT

OBLIQUE

Oblique is used to write at a slant, and are harder to find than straight holders.

INKS: For ink, I am really satisfied with Parker Quink. It’s good for beginners because it’s nice and pigmented. It may stain your nice blue or yellow nib to a dull black like mine, but that doesn’t really matter. The Black Parker Quink is originally a fountain pen ink that is commonly found in Parker Pen displays at most department stores. Because it’s a fountain pen ink meant to go through the fountain pen system, it’s very smooth and more watery than most dipping inks. I love using it, but it bleeds and feathers on thin paper (which you shouldn’t be using for any ink, anyway). I’ve had great success diluting black Dong-A poster color with water (1:1 ratio) to write with, and I like it better than the official inks meant for calligraphy!

PAPER: I only use good, smooth, thick paper. Different inks and nibs and papers work together to create a good calligraphy experience. This can be good or bad, but just so you don’t get frustrated, here’s a rule of thumb:

Watery ink will flow more smoothly, but requires thicker paper. 

Thicker ink will flow less smoothly (as it can thicken out and dry faster), but will write on more types of paper.

Walnut ink is a special case, though. it’s a watery but lightweight ink, and will write on thinner paper. I find this ink very beautiful, but prone to blotting.

At National Bookstore, I try to look for Paper One with a high substance, or paper that can be used for Inkjet printing. I have some recycled paper notebooks that have a smooth coating and they work well too. My favorite at the moment is Rhodia’s No. 16 Pad (80 gsm 21.3 lb High Grade Vellum), as I find it is the perfect portable size, and is smooth, bleedless, and not as fibrous as watercolor paper (less chances of nibs snagging). Try to look for paper with a high gsm count.

3. SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS, NOT FAILURE.

The whole point of calligraphy is to look at your handwriting and see that you made something pretty. If your handwriting is normally terrible, like mine, you need a little help. I use good old, humble, cheap graphing paper under the notebook or pad I’m writing on to make sure that my lines are straight, and I end up with something halfway passable, which in turn encourages me to keep trying. It makes a difference! You could also try ruled or dotted paper before moving on to blank ones.

4. Google “CALLIGRAPHY PRACTICE SHEETS” online and print them out on good paper.

This is a godsend. There are a bunch of helpful people out there who give workshops and practice sheets out for free. Just look for them! You can also find calligraphy fonts and copy them from your word editing software.

Here are a few local calligraphy shops:

https://instagram.com/thecraftcentral/ https://instagram.com/swirlsandstrokesph/ https://instagram.com/labellascrittura/ https://instagram.com/craftcarrot/

Here in Davao, the go-to shops are

Morning Light Art Gallery in Marfori, and

I Am Artisan in V. Mapa.

So that is pretty much it for the Ultimate Noob Primer. I hope this cleared up a lot of questions and helps you in your calligraphy projects. Did you find this post helpful? Let me know in the comments. Have a nice cup of tea, meet up with some friends, and enjoy writing! :)