Calligraphy Pen

How Do You Use A Calligraphy Pen

It may seem very daunting at first when you hold a calligraphy pen, but the first thing you must do is to get used to drawing up some very faint lines using a hard nibbed pencil, using either a sharp HB or 2H pencil.  Writing will be more even and more accurate if you take your time ruling up on a sheet of clean, white paper.

How Do I Get The Calligraphy Pen Working

Once you are ready with the paper ruled up on layout paper and board, gently push the nib of your pen down onto the holder.  If you are using a dipping pen, you can either dip your pen into the ink well, or you can feed the ink to the reservoir, using a clean paintbrush.  Remove any surplus ink from the pen nib.  To get the ink to flow, you can shake the pen gently or you can move the nib edge in a diagonal movement on the paper.  You may need to do this regularly as you write, but you will get used to when the ink starts to flow.

Hold your calligraphy pen to a constant angle

Writing The Letters

Most calligraphy strokes are a horizontal direction.  Try to pull the nib in a downward stroke.  This is easier than pushing against the nib in an upward stroke.  This will give unpleasing results and will snag the nib.  Keep the strokes in a smooth, flowing movement.

Problems And Solutions With Writing Calligraphy

There are many common problems when you first start to write calligraphy.  If your pen stokes appear ragged, you may not be holding the pen so the entire nib width is touching the paper.  Ensure you hold the nib so the full width is in contact with the paper.  If your work appears blobby, it may be that the nib is too full with the ink.  Remove the surplus using a soft, clean rag.  It helps to hold the work board at a slight angle.  Writing at an angle ensures the ink does not flow too quickly and causes the nib to become too fully laden with the ink.  If the strokes appear to bleed, the paper may be responsible.  Try using another sort of paper that does not allow the ink to bleed.  Also, try not to press the nib too hard on the paper.

Check the ink reservoir that it is not fitted too tightly or too far away from the end of the nib.