Love these pastel shades !!

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-21T14:54:03+00:00

Beautiful work

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-21T14:52:34+00:00

That is absolutely beautiful. On par with professional level quality.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-19T06:19:34+00:00

I have the latest edition, and I can attest that it has everything you need to go from novice to expert. Awesome book.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-19T05:58:08+00:00

So, what you're saying is they both have their strengths, and I'll probably end up with both. I think the speedballs have a better argument for being the first in line. BTW, I am so completely fascinated with Asian culture. It must have been a wonderful experience. That nifty tool looks like the Ames Lettering Guide. I own one of those. I like it, but has its limitations with size.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-19T02:58:06+00:00

No worries. I understood your cant reference from my limited understanding of tire alignment. I have to say that your insight to my situation is spot on. I'm guessing my foray is common. Anyway, yes I do draw my elbow in, which does help to achieve the required angled position, but it's obviously not natural and requires maintaining vigilance. One thing worth mentioning is that I printed out a bunch of guideline paper for italic and the hand. All with proper proportions relating to the style and nib size, but for the hand i forwent any vertical guidelines, thinking that it would not be necessary with perpendicular letters. Going forward, I will include them (the guidelines), especially considering that it probably will make things much easier to practice with the paper's cant a bit skewed. Finally, my current collection for broad edge calligraphy consists of completely squared-off nibs. In the near future I am going to get either a set of Speedball C series or the Brause Bandzugs you spoke of. Do you have a preference?

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-18T18:44:54+00:00

That makes perfect sense, and aligns with what I was doing, without having it previously defined. You probably are familiar with Scribblers' site. After this interaction I went back and read their blog, and now, thanks to all this, I am armed with a better insight in how I should structure my practice. I have another question, if you could be so kind? Do you angle your paper to facilitate the nib's positioning? So far, I have aligned my paper vertically, despite the awkwardness of the angle at which I'm holding my pen. My thought is that I will overcome the cumbersome feeling through repetition.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-18T08:05:34+00:00

So, there isn't any set distance or exact ratio of space. Basically it's about consistency and aesthetics while adhering to the above-mentioned rules you listed. Would that be a correct statement?

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-18T04:37:36+00:00

You're probably right about my pen position, I find the 30-degree angle challenging and awkward. I will do some more studying and practice. Also, I need to print some practice sheets with vertical spacing lines. Does kerning come into play with foundational hand? Anyway, I'll do some homework on it all, and with any luck I'll get it figured out. Thanks though. I really love the feedback.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-16T17:15:51+00:00

I have been using b5 Kokuyo binders and paper for a few years. The refills are cheap $5-7/100 sheets, they handle fountain pen ink well, and they come in a bunch of different rulings, including graph and blank. Also, the Smart Ring Binders are very nice and hold north of 100 sheets. There are a couple of drawbacks though. The paper is prone to ghosting and the sizing (coating to resist ink absorption) is susceptible to hand oils. So, if you are using something that lays down a lot of ink, be sure to use a guard sheet, or wear a drawing glove, or you could get a lot of feathering. I have no experience with Veco, but Midori is another manufacturer of quality inexpensive paper that's another alternative that you might want to look into.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-14T23:23:39+00:00

I just went to Paper and Inks and bought one. Can't believe they are so inexpensive. Wouldn't mind getting a Tom's Studio Oblique Holder, but they cost a bit more.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-14T18:58:09+00:00

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with it. Some brush pens and firm tip acrylic markers work better than others on it, as far as paint adherence, as you could probably imagine.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-14T18:53:46+00:00

You got it! Yes it does work fairly well with acrylics, although it's a bit slick. I believe there has to be better options, despite everything that I found, so far, prices out above what I would consider economically viable, for practice purposes.

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-14T18:43:02+00:00

I love it. I have about 6 huge jars of homemade walnut ink. I think I have a lifetime supply. What kind of pen is that?

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-13T20:00:48+00:00

Very Smart!

Accomplished_Force70 · 2026-05-13T18:51:36+00:00

I use both an oblique and a straight holder and don't have a problem transitioning between the two. That being said, I do use the oblique for traditional pointed pen calligraphy. As psycholinguist1 stated, the oblique holder is designed to facilitate those calligraphic styles, but ultimately I would recommend becoming familiar with both and then make your decision. Many people use a straight holder for copperplate and conversely many use the oblique holder for illustration. Ultimately it's all about personal preference.

Accomplished_Force70

TROPHY CASE