I have been looking around for tips to make everyone’s life easier and I have come across this very handy solution for those of us trying but failing to get our new calligraphy pens working when they come out of their brand new packaging. Here are a few:
To wear out the wax or oil coating from the manufacturer, try dipping it in boiling water, or better yet, pass them briefly through a candle flame. You can also wash it with soapy water and wipe it off with a soft cloth, but be careful not to leave any fibers onto the pen as they might damage it!
Always recap cartridge pens when you’re not using it, as ink may dry out.
In this edition of calligraphy letters we will take a bow, watch and learn as artist Ed Ching goes through the step by step process of making a quill pen. It’s GREAT, so go watch it now!
Have you ever caught yourself amazed by Asian calligraphy letters such as Chinese and Japanese and the way they are so artistically written? Have you ever wondered what the letters really meant and found yourself clueless unless you ask a native (or indeed look up on Google)? Yes, I can say I have, inumerous times, and have gone all the way to describe them as “pretty scribbles”. But what if you were to find out that those “pretty scribbles” are not actually Chinese, but English?!
I have to say it took me a couple of seconds to actually realise the wording on this calligraphy work was in English! Chinese born artist Xu Bing has developed an alphabet with letters of the standard western alphabet and redesigned them to have a look that’s very similar to the chinese alphabet. At a first glance, the brain automatically classifies it as “foreign”, but when you look closely, the letters spell out words in English. Take a look at this calligraphy picture, it spells “Forever”.
This picture was taken from Xu Bing’s official website where you can find out more about the project: http://www.xubing.com
Calligraphy Letters around the world…
Have you ever gone a little bit over budget on your travels to get a special souvenir that you just couldn’t resist buying? Ok, so we’re not talking about mini Eiffel Towers or so that you get in every street corner in Paris. This is a true work of art that deserves its price tag, a shiso leaf with beautiful calligraphy written on it was the result of a one year research by a young artist in Vietnam. Huynh Quang Linh, 26, from the central province of Quang Ngai said: “It took me a year to find a way to write calligraphy on shiso leaves. We must lay the shiso leaves in the misty air at night and then soak the leaves with a substance to retain their natural freshness. After that, we must dye the leaves, which is not easy.”
Linh also said: “The poems and sayings on the leaves are like significant messages which bring about pleasure and happiness to the receiver.Leaves with calligraphy written on them also give people a feeling of being close to nature. It is perhaps for that reason that many young people appreciate it.”
Today, Quang Linh owns a factory with nine workers and his work is sold in all major bookstores in Vietnam. As a hobby, he voluntarily teaches young people on how to do calligraphy every week in his factory.
This is proof that calligraphy as an art is still appreciated and can be features of significant cultural treasures! If you want to read the full story, visit Thanhnien News.
Hello and welcome to the “Calligraphy Letters” blog. While I prepare and search for some amazing content on calligraphy writing, you might want to get a head start in this skill by taking a look at this ebook I am currently recommending. Oh, but don’t worry - if you think it’s not for you, subscribe to this blog and I will be posting some handy tips and tricks for you to succeed at this wonderful art form that is calligraphy.
