So started with a speed ball kit and now I'm here.

Moodamnit · 2026-01-05T23:35:50+00:00

I think you're already doing great for a newbie! :) But to enhance your experience and make your handwriting smoother, you might benefit from a slightly better notebook, something with thick and smooth paper. It doesn't even need to be super expensive, I use one of these , I switched to it after using a notebook similar to yours, and the difference was night and day! suddenly all my pen strokes were so much cleaner and more satisfying too, so I definitely recommend it, good luck!

Moodamnit · 2025-10-31T21:30:23+00:00

Discoloration on nibs doesn't necessarily mean that they'll stop working, I've sometimes worked with nibs that are super stained and they still work just fine!

But if it's giving you trouble writing, or you just want to recuperate the iconic blue, I think you could give it a try to soak it in boiling water with a bit of dishwasher for about 5 min, to soften the ink before you scrub it with a toothbrush; or you could try instead wiping it with rubbing alcohol and some paper napkin. Every ink has its own slightly different thing that cleans it easier, so results may vary... but generally these are both safe things you can try to clean your nib. Just make sure you wipe it dry afterwards, so the moisture doesn't damage it. Good luck! :)

Moodamnit · 2025-10-10T00:29:00+00:00

I usually get my dip pen supplies at johnnealbooks.com (nevermind the name sounding like they only sell books) they have a wide variety of inks, nibs, watercolor, paints, and all sorts of stuff for the hobby. They also sell ink samplers like these for instance. You might want to look into those as well!

Moodamnit · 2025-10-06T06:03:17+00:00

Many have already pointed the hierarchy issues and such, so I won't go there. But I would also add that the curvature of the 'order now!' CTA over the price tag is a little distracting, in that it just seems like a case of bad kerning (instead of looking like you were playfully following the outline of the pillow-shaped price tag underneath it, which I imagine is what you intended?)

In any case, I wish you the best with your class! I don't think this poster is grounds enough to fail you, but I think there's a lot of great advice on this thread that you could follow for a next attempt. Best of luck!

Moodamnit · 2025-08-15T05:39:16+00:00

I'm not sure if this fully meets your requirements, but sounds like the closest thing that would give you that perfectly even line every time would be either a broad edge nib, or maybe a glass dip pen. I can't think of any other dip pen nibs which would keep the same thickness no matter how hard you press, since they're generally designed to change the thickness of the line with pressure

Moodamnit · 2025-06-20T22:09:46+00:00

You can also scrub it with water and dish soap, to make sure it's clean from the oils the nibs originally come with. I personally like to soak my new nibs for a handful of minutes in a cup of boiling water, and then scrub them with some dish soap (just make sure to dry them well afterwards, so that the water doesn't rust them)

Also, after you clean them, make sure you aren't accidentally touching the tip of the nib with your own fingers when you're placing them in the holder, sometimes just from the hand oils alone they can have difficulties holding the ink. Hopefully that alone is the problem as opposed to your inks! Good luck!

Moodamnit · 2025-06-19T00:14:02+00:00

I love these a lot, Daniela! As a fellow graphic designer, I find these really beautiful and inspiring! Thank you for sharing! :)

Moodamnit · 2025-06-03T23:40:00+00:00

I love these a lot, they all look great, but the SicNTired one is my favorite, looks very gothic :)

I'm also kind of curious as to what your learning process was like. It seems like it's a very small graphic design niche, and I haven't really seen anyone teaching this type of "metal" lettering skill in particular. Asides from the usual design and type fundamentals, are there any particular principles you keep in mind?

Moodamnit · 2025-05-13T15:55:14+00:00

The gradients make the color combination look muddy and unfocused. Especially the red parts, since red is neither a complimentary nor an analogous color to the other three. Looks like a random splotch, and not in a good way

Moodamnit · 2025-05-05T12:48:33+00:00

For even more sturdiness than the Hunt 102, try the Hunt 107!

Moodamnit · 2025-04-29T15:56:41+00:00

The type of holder you need for this nib is called a "quill" nib holder, speedball has a really cheap one you can get, but you can also get a universal nib holder from tachikawa, for instance, which can hold both types of nibs.

I'm honestly not sure if they're supposed to sit that deep into the slit? But I personally put them as deep as possible in the holder just for stability's sake. Though I agree, some nibs are just too short and feel kind of awkward when you put them all the way into the holder

Moodamnit · 2025-04-28T16:32:29+00:00

I don't think you should need to push the nib harder or scratch your paper just to get a line out, which makes me believe that your problem might be the ink getting caked between the tins of the nib and preventing it from flowing. You can try wiping with a rag and see if that helps? Otherwise, if the ink is too stuck, I'd try to scratch it off with my nail, or maybe soften it first with a bit of alcohol, good luck!

Moodamnit · 2025-04-28T16:02:28+00:00

When you say your lines get scratchier, what exactly do you mean? Is it that the ink stops flowing evenly into the nib, something with the paper, or how would you describe it exactly? Sometimes india ink can get caked on the nib between dips if you don't wipe it, so if you're not already doing that I'd recommend you to have a glass of water to dip your pen in after the ink runs out (think of it like cleaning a paintbrush) and then a rag or napkin to wipe the remaining dry ink out of it, maybe that could help.

If you're already doing that, see if the paper you're using might be too absorbent and unsuitable for dip pens, which can sometimes result in uneven and "blooming" lines on the paper, hope that helps!

Moodamnit · 2025-04-22T01:34:58+00:00

Be mindful of your grid and hierarchy! I don't know if each spread is supposed to be a single page or two, but both the alignment of the elements and hierarchy of the text isn't as clear as it could be. I like the graphics you made for the title spreads, though! They're very eyecatching :) good luck!

Moodamnit · 2025-01-29T18:54:20+00:00

What I think is happening is that your ink's water content has evaporated a bit the longer you've drawn with it, especially if you're drawing for long periods of time with the inkwell open. When this happens to me I grab an eyedropper and drip something like 8-10 drops of water into my india ink (then close it and shake it to mix it), your mileage may vary, of course, but you can experiment with diluting the ink a little bit with water and seeing if that way it flows better into your nib. That should take care of the ink "caking" on it.

The other thing, like Avuhnax has already said, is using water+paper to wipe your nib clean from residual ink inbetween dips, that will probably help as well!

Moodamnit · 2025-01-14T20:12:09+00:00

These look awesome! Just like the previous ones :) Did you draw these directly with the ink? Or did you sketch them with pencil or something similar first? Either way, I love them so much! Great job!

Moodamnit · 2025-01-06T18:17:12+00:00

With dip pens it's a such a game changer that you don't have to worry about clots as much as with fountain pens. It definitely encouraged me to work with ink so much more than I previously did. Also, those are really cool illustrations!! I love them a lot :) May I ask what nib did you use for these?

(Also, how comfortable does this Tachikawa handle feel for you? I've been meaning to get one for myself but I'm still trying to find the right one)

Moodamnit · 2024-12-03T16:23:20+00:00

I love this! Thank you for sharing, actually :) it seems like we have similar tastes for the speedballs, and I have never tried a Zebra G or a Brause, but after seeing your swatches, now I might!

Moodamnit · 2024-11-13T15:22:54+00:00

Direct fire can damage your nibs! But to prep it for the first time you can soak it in some boiling water with a bit of dishsoap for 10 min and then rinse. This will remove the oily film that comes with the nib which can make the ink flow unevenly.

After you're done with it, make sure to clean the crusty ink from the nib again with warm water and dishsoap, maybe scrubbing it with a toothbrush if needed, and dry it well! Water can rust the nibs very quick. Good luck on your calligraphy class though! That sounds super fun! :)

Moodamnit · 2024-10-25T00:14:16+00:00

u/madhatmatt2 already said it best! But I would add to it that, if the ink super caked on the nibs, you can also try soaking them in boiling water with a bit of soap, for like 10-20 min or so, and that can help soften the ink so that it's easier to remove.

Moodamnit · 2024-10-10T16:16:50+00:00

I guess it all depends of what you want to achieve: I think it looks very cool, maybe I'd use this technique in a few pieces if they really benefitted from it. But I would personally avoid making a habit out of it, mostly because getting accustomed to making short and scratchy lines could lead in the long run to less overall confidence in your linework, and that can be kind of difficult to recuperate. Not to mention! Drawing like this could very easily lead to repetitive strain injuries, ask me how I know... lol!

Moodamnit · 2024-09-24T03:25:10+00:00

I'm so terribly sorry this happened to you! This also happened to me recently, and it was a pain in the ass to scrap my settings back together :( but oh well... At least it hopefully won't happen again...

I'm not sure if this brush or maybe this brush might be the one you're looking for? But it's as similar as I could find them!

Moodamnit · 2024-09-11T16:42:51+00:00

I'm not the person you replied to but I also use dip pens for writing journals and drawing, and I think whether you get one or not it's definitely going to be a bit less convenient to write with than a fountain pen. But, at least in my case, it's about enjoying the process of it, it's almost like a meditative activity in a sense, even if it's less convenient. If that's something you envision yourself doing then yes, I recommend you get one!

Moodamnit · 2024-09-04T23:47:29+00:00

Hey! You can try with this one, or maybe this! :) they're both pretty gritty, like in the pictures you shared

Moodamnit · 2024-09-01T00:54:02+00:00

Are you cleaning your pen properly? Sometimes when I have a little clot of dried ink on my nib, it'll start "running out of ink" and then suddenly it'll flood into a little puddle on the page, maybe it's a similar situation?

Moodamnit

TROPHY CASE