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How do you start writing copperplate calligraphy?
Three years ago I was scanning old deeds at the land titles office in Winnipeg, the same way I do most days. The documents are written in brown ink that was once black, and most of the handwriting is hurried and plain. But one afternoon I found a page where the clerk had taken real…
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How do you get letter sizing right in calligraphy?
Letter sizing is the thing that separates a page you want to keep from one you turn face-down. Typography involves understanding letter sizing to influence readability and visual hierarchy, and the same is true when you pick up a dip pen. Here is what I have learned, mostly by getting it wrong first. Why Letter…
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What is the best ink for calligraphy?
For most beginners, a bottled black sumi or a smooth, water-based India ink is the answer. I got there by trial and error, mostly with the wrong inks. This post walks through seven families of calligraphy inks, what I actually use at my desk in Winnipeg, and how to choose without filling your cart with…
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Which calligraphy pens should a beginner start with?
Calligraphy pens fall into three main categories: broad-edge pens, pointed pens, and brush pens. If you are standing in a stationery aisle or scrolling through pages of options online, that simple fact already cuts the confusion in half. The short answer for calligraphy beginners is: one pointed-pen or broad edge setup under thirty dollars, plus…
I’m Lucille. By day I read old deeds at a land titles office in Winnipeg, and some of the clerks who wrote them had lovely hands. By night I try to catch up to them with a dip pen.
These are my practice notes: pointed pen, broad edge, brush pens, and the cheap setups and mistakes along the way. How I got here.
Filed in the drawer
Stuck on a stroke, or found an ink I should try? Post me a letter.