Materials and tools needed for calligraphy

At a time when a text editor on a computer offers dozens of different fonts, and several pages can be printed in a few minutes, the art of calligraphy is back in fashion. A huge number of people want to learn how to write in calligraphic handwriting. Perhaps this fashion is due to the fact that modern people rarely write by hand, and those who do it beautifully are unique. But, most likely, the fashion for manual creativity includes calligraphy, as one of its brightest manifestations.

This term has ancient Greek roots and denotes the art of beautiful writing. And this art has pretty strict rules. You need to learn such skill with a deep immersion in the topic. Calligraphy is taught, as they say, for themselves, for work (good calligraphers are in demand in the services market), for related activities (if a person works as a designer, the ability to write beautiful letters will be useful).

Each beginner acquires a calligraphy kit that will help him learn to write beautifully. Feather calligraphy is the use of different feathers. Pointed pen means holding a fountain pen. You will need both good paper and many different simulators, in the process of working with which skill will come to the person.

The correct procedure for teaching calligraphy is mastering the simplest tool, writing, after which you can go in the direction of works of increasing complexity. Then calligraphers analyze the works of specialists, try to repeat, and only after that do their serious authorial work.

Mastering begins most often with Gothic.

Wide feathers with a hanger - a great start. An extinguisher is a plate fixed on an instrument. Mascara should be taken simple ("Kohinor" or "Gamma"), most often whitewashed gouache.

If after practicing with a wide-nib pen, the desire to continue is preserved, then you can buy an automatic pen, but it costs more. Investments take place if a person will definitely continue to work in this direction. The pen is refueled - no pen dipping into mascara is required.

For beginners, it makes sense to take pens in which there is a big contrast in the stroke. Cartridges are usually purchased separately. But if a person decides to refill a fountain pen with simple ink on water, then this is quite acceptable.

When the letters begin to come out confidently, you can use brushes. Flat letters, of course, are far from easy to use: there is no obedience to feathers in them, but they are more plastic than the latter. A kind of replacement for brushes can be flat, short feathers, but they are not always easy to find on sale.

Instead of brushes and feathers, you can take anything that can write: sharpened sticks, toothpicks, plastic cards, foam sponges (for large formats).

This is the most popular tool for beginners. They begin to write with markers, since they are more used to doing it: it’s not so difficult, there is no hand trembling and no desire to quit.

Three commonly used brushpens:

• Copic Sketch (4) - they are soft, but of high quality;
• Letraset Tria (3) - Look more confident than previous options;
• Faber-Castell Pitt (1,2) - Ideal for beginners who are trying to understand the logic of the tool.

Handles are one of the most convenient to use, and beginners like it. Although they are not cheap, but their tip is not solid, in the form of a brush, so it does not wear out quickly, and is quite easy to use.

Calligraphers are sensitive to the tools they use. Usually they start a working pencil case, where the best feathers and brushes fall, as well as cartridges, erasers, rulers. But you can buy a ready-made kit, where everything is already selected by the manufacturer.

Almost all calligraphers say that the best instruments in the world are produced in Japan. However, not all Japanese instruments are as good as they say. For example, specifically sharp feathers are traditionally sold out in England and Germany, and many Russian goods are good. Based on this logic, it is better to assemble your own pencil case.

Consider, for example, the Chinese calligraphy kit:

• 20 sheets of letters - without a simulator, the beginning calligrapher is nowhere;
• mascara (100 ml);
• mat-pad (for paper);
• White Cloud brush of medium width;
• paper (4 sheets) for paired inscriptions.

However, the Chinese kit is often called not those products that are produced in China and sold on inexpensive popular sites, but kits for Chinese calligraphy. And this is the correct version.

Chinese calligraphy is an art formed over 2 thousand years ago. It has several styles. Calligraphic Chinese writing kit includes brushes, ink, paper and ink stone. The ink sticks were usually erased about it - this is how the desired material was obtained.

If a person is not interested in sitting over hieroglyphs for hours, then he will not need a set for Chinese calligraphy. For example, quite often beginners get the “Leonard Manuscript” set, in which there are 5 pieces of feathers, two holders, a box. The Sonnet set is much simpler and cheaper, but it has only 5 feathers and one wooden holder.The Manuscript produces different sets: from budget to expensive. The choice depends on the quantity and quality of the items in the set, as well as those calligraphic styles in which the person decided to succeed.

The choice of paper is also comparable to the goal. Only after determining the purpose, you need to pay attention to the density, surface quality, available protection and other indicators.

Below are the paper requirements.

• Training paper allows a density of 90-120 g / m2. This is an average indicator, which is quite enough for the substrate: the paper shines through slightly, it is convenient to put a copy under the sheet so as not to waste time each time on the markup.
• Paper for presentation material and invitations should be made of cotton. Its density is usually from 200 g / m2, with a flat surface for which the pen will not cling.

The shops that sell designer paper are saving the modern calligrapher. This is the best choice if you are interested in trying calligraphy on different structures.

If a person is going to create vintage invitations, then paper with the so-called living edge will be required. This paper is made by hand. As a rule, writing on it is a special pleasure for a calligrapher.

The following options are categorically not suitable:

• loose paper (ink will break out);
• too glossy (mascara will not be able to gain a foothold);
• gelatinized paper (mascara will not fall on such an almost wax coating);
• coated - it is for printing, paint will lie on it well, but not mascara, the feather will cling to a special layer.

If a beginner has a set of tools and paper, then this is fine, but it would be nice to add a beginner and font samples to the arsenal. Gorgeous, if you buy the book of Art of Calligrapy - it's just a “Bible” for someone who is studying calligraphy. The author parses literally every letter in it. The book in English can even be downloaded: intuitively, even without knowledge of the language, it is really possible to understand it.

If there is no book, you can learn to copy. But if a person copies someone’s work, then ethical principles must be observed: indicate the author of the original. Over time, the beginner will fill his hand and develop his own style.

Calligraphy is the whole world. If a person likes it, then pens, markers, brushes, ink, holders and paper will be like treasures for him. This can remain at the hobby level or turn into your own business.

It is also an excellent exercise for the mind and discharge for the nervous system - the brain works, and the person relaxes and calms down. Patience works great.

For what tools a novice calligrapher needs, see the next video.