Get the Proper Materials for Calligraphy

Part of the Video Series How to Master the Calligraphy Style of Writing

Viewing videos requires the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player.
Get the latest Flash player.

Calligraphy pens and the right type of paper are a few of the materials needed to write in the calligraphic style. Learn more in this free video series that will teach you everything you need to know about writing in this sophisticated penmanship style.

Rating:
Views: 1,040
Comments: 0 (comment now)

Favorited: 1 | Add to Favorites

Tags: calligraphy, handwriting
Bookmark at:

All Videos in the Series, How to Master the Calligraphy Style of Writing

Member Comments

Video Transcript

Get the Proper Materials for Calligraphy
Now I'm going to talk about the materials and the set-up for doing calligraphy. First of all, of course, you have your pens. Steel pens, I've tried a lot of different brands, and I've come to like best a brand made in Germany called Brause. They're steel pens with actually two parts to them. The little reservoir actually comes off for cleaning and clips back on. The ink I happen to have today is called Higgins Eternal. This is a permanent ink. In fact, if you're going to be a calligrapher, just accept that you're going to have fingers that look like this, especially when you're using permanent ink. But the Higgins is nice because it won't, it won't smear with a little accidental sweatiness on it, if you happen to brush it with a sweaty hand or a water drop falls on it somehow. It also holds a good hairline when you're lettering. Then you need a cup of water. I think I've had this cup for about thirty years, and you can tell. You need a horizontal surface nearby, but I actually work on a slanted table. It's much more comfortable on your neck, and you can see what you're doing. I actually had this table custom built, and what I knew I wanted, and what I'm glad I got it a lip right here to keep my pencil from rolling off the table. It's a light table actually so there's a sheet of glass, and, two sheets of glass actually. The bottom one is frosted, so it's not so hard on your eyes. And there's a shelf underneath for paper and such. I recommend a rolling chair because it really is nice to stay right in front of your work. You want to be at ergonomic as possible. Now these lovely things are lap cloths. And I also have a little towel on the floor too to protect my floor because there's this little gap here. Sometimes a drop of ink will fall on the way to the table.

About the Expert

Expert: Joanna Joseph is a professional calligrapher and teacher of the subject. Read More