Modern Calligraphy Workbook SUPPLIES LIST [Links Included]

You might be surprised to learn that you actually don’t need a whole lot of supplies to start practicing modern calligraphy with a dip pen.

Earlier this week, I made my workshop booklet available for sale here. The booklet is a starter guide to learning modern calligraphy with a dip pen, complete with a section on the anatomy of the pen, procedures for cleaning the nib before first use, basic strokes as well as full uppercase (majuscules) and lowercase (minuscules) exemplars for you to practice.

What else do you need besides the workshop booklet to get started? Here is a (very short) list of the supplies you’ll need, complete with the links to purchase from.

Sumi Ink - Sumi is a readily available practice ink that is gentle on your nib, in contrast to iron gall ink, which corrodes your nib over time and requires more frequent nib changes. It is an ink made of vegetable oil soot and writes like butttaaa. It does dry up after a while, so I like to decant the ink from the giant bottle I have here to a smaller container and then add drops of water here and there if I find the consistency to be tackier and not runny enough for a steady flow off the nib.

Shop it here and here.

Penholder - Starting out, I highly recommend the Speedball dip pen. It is fairly inexpensive and functions just as well as any other pen. As you practice, you may find that you prefer a wider barrel, a rubber grip, etc and that’s when you can start to shop around. For those seeking to start with an oblique pen, I recommend the Speedball Oblique Dip Pen. It is another inexpensive starting pen but in the case of the oblique, if you find you want to level up your practice, I recommend moving up to a pen with a metal flange, like this Century Turned Oblique pen. The metal flange allows you to adjust the angle of the nib so that you can write more comfortably. This was my first oblique pen and remains one of two favorites.

Nikko G Nib - Nibs come in a variety of different sizes, shapes and flexes. The Nikko G nib is the chrome nib pictured - it has a medium flex, perfect for new writers who are learning the ropes. It gives great thick downstrokes and beautifully thin upstrokes and allows you to figure out your style. If you have a light hand, you may want to try a more flexible nib like the Hunt 101 next, which gives you great thicks and thins with a gentle hand. If you have a heavy hand, you can look for a Zebra G, which is slightly stiffer than the Nikko. My favorite source for nibs is John Neal Booksellers.

Tracing Paper - Tracing paper is a new calligrapher’s best friend. Lay tracing paper on top of a worksheet to prolong your practice without having to draw/print new guidelines. How nifty is that? I prefer the Borden and Riley Marker Layout Bond.

That’s it! Are you surprised that you only need four things to get started?!

#theJustMarriedJacketNYC Bride #12: Yvette and Julian

Describe your wedding day in 3 words.

fun, romantic, surreal

Describe your wedding day in more detail.

My wedding day happened in a flash! Everyone said it would go by so fast and it sure did, but that is why I had planned a whole weekend in New York City with my close family and friends. That morning my bridesmaids and I got ready in the nearby Sheraton hotel across the marina where our yacht called the Festiva was docked. It was actually a calm morning as that is my general temperament. I knew these girls would keep me grounded and cater to my every need. I felt joy and anxiety interchanging throughout the day as neither my husband and I like to be the center of attention. All I knew is that I wanted everyone to have a good time and for the evening to be memorable. 

Our ceremony was short and sweet including a classical trio of musicians that played my favorite Beatles songs, ode to one of my mother's favorite bands. Our officiant was a friend of ours that we both met while living in NYC and he knew our relationship from it's very beginning. I didn't want my guests to be sitting for a long time and zoning out, I wanted a real party on a yacht! Our vows were so kind and genuine towards each other. It was so special and romantic to declare our love for one another in front of all the people we love.     

Afterwards, we cruised down the Hudson River, around Battery Park, up the East River under the bridges, to the Statue of Liberty and back. Some of my guests have never been on a boat before around NYC and saw the magical New York skyline including the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, and South Street Seaport. The highlight of our cruise was the Statue of Liberty, one of the most celebrated landmarks in the world as my guests were sightseeing, dancing, drinking, and mingling to celebrate our wedding! After dinner on the bottom deck, we had our first dance to "Best Part" by Daniel Caesar under an open sky on top of the Hudson River in my favorite city in the world.

Tell us about something your wedding just HAD TO have.

I absolutely had to have a taxicab on top of my wedding cake! We been in a few together before Uber and Lyft gained it's popularity, sometimes taking it home to my apartment on date nights when I wore heels in the city. And it definitely had to be in New York City in the place where we met, where we fell in love. 

My married bridesmaid and my wedding coordinator highly suggested I get a videographer after not getting one for theirs and regretting it. I was so happy I did and loved watching footage of my wedding that I was not aware of happening.  

Lastly, I had to have a remembrance photo of my cousin who died from cancer the year we got engaged with a sign saying "we know you'd be here today if heaven wasn't far away". She would have been my maid of honor and I did not have a maid of honor because I wanted to keep that role for her even though she was in heaven now. All these details were so special to me.   

Tell us about your bridal style.

I would say my bridal style was modern day glamorous, elegant, and romantic. I loved how my dress hugged my curves. It was a fit n' flare dress of pearly mikado and tulle fabric.

What's your advice for future brides?

My advice to future brides is "do you" meaning make it yours. For example, I skipped some traditions on my wedding day (like i.e. awkward garter toss mentioned above) and as a compromise to my highly religious (Catholic) family members, I had 2 other separate ceremonies including a church ceremony. 

Also, take care of yourself during the weeks leading to the big day. Be realistic and remind yourself that not everything will go perfectly but it was still be a magical moment in your life. Rest well the night before because it will be high energy and an out-of-body experience with all the emotions and ugly crying going around!

Vendors:

Venue: The Festiva Yacht, via Festival Boat Charter
Florist: FDK Florals
Photographer/Videographer: Le Image Inc
DJ: Que Entertainment
JustMarriedJacketNYC: Designs by Ellen

Favorite Calligraphy Practice Supplies for Beginners

What are your favorite supplies? What pen did you use? What ink is that?

I get so many questions about favorite supplies - what supplies to start out with and why, so I thought I’d put together a list of my personal favorites for calligraphers looking to expand their practice. Much of the time, it’s so easy to miss out on productive practice time by not knowing what’s even available, so I’m hoping this list will introduce you guys to some staple supplies in my inventory that I have used since I was first starting out.

Just a warning, this gets long, so here it is broken into parts: paper, ink, pen & nibs, and other miscellaneous resources.

Paper Recommendations for Calligraphy Beginners (and onward)

HP Laserjet Paper - 32lb - I’m pretty convinced that HP recently changed their “formula” for this paper because I have been finding that my nibs are not writing as well on it. HOWEVER, it is still the best practice paper I’ve come across that won’t break the bank. This paper is great for practice for the Tombow Dual Tips because the smooth surface won’t tear up the brush tips, thus prolonging the life of your Tombows, because those tips are surprisingly delicate and the costs add up when you’re replacing them.

Paper Recommendations for Beginner Calligraphers (from left to right): Borden & Riley #37 Layout Paper, Rhodia Dot Paper, John Neal Books Copperplate Pad

Borden & Riley #37 Layout Paper - Tracing paper is another great tool, especially for building on sketches and other artwork for production. I also use this tracing paper often in my workshops - students lay the tracing paper on top of a sample stroke to trace or on a blank set of guidelines to maximize their practice space without having to constantly reprint blank guidelines.

Rhodia Dot Paper - This is a pretty popular recommendation because the paper is just SO luxuriously smooth. However, as practice paper, if you go through as many sheets as I do in one sitting, the costs add up so I actually try not to use it too often. I’m partial to the dot paper because you can keep your practice straight but also photograph a particular good iteration of your work without any background lines / dots showing up on the camera.

John Neal Books Copperplate Pad - This is the secret sauce to my copperplate practice - I love that the grid comes with pre-made slant lines to keep my letters consistent. The grid is printed in 24lb paper, which isn’t TOTALLY ideal, because depending on how sharp your nib is (say, a Leonardt Principle or the Hunt 101), it may pull out some fibers. However, with a Nikko G, this pad works really great. I use this grid often for planning and laying out custom commissions.

Ink Recommendations for Calligraphy Beginners

Ink Recommendations for Beginner Calligraphers: Walnut Ink Crystals (mix with water according to instructions), Moon Palace Sumi Ink

Moon Palace Sumi Ink - This is my favorite ink to practice with. I use this also for any spot calligraphy because it is super pigmented so my hairlines are more likely to be picked up by my scanner. It’s not acidic so it doesn’t degrade your nib, which is also a plus.

Walnut Ink - Do you ever want to take your calligraphy practice to your local coffee shop and wow everyone who walks by with your ninja calligraphy skills? Maybe you need a change of scenery to get your creative juices flowing or making your desk chair is just killing your back. I digress, but my point is that walnut ink is magical because you can get your practice on WITHOUT taking along a cup of art water to clean your nib every couple minutes. Where sumi ink dries and thickens on your nib, walnut ink is water based and can wipe right off with a good paper towel and you are on your way again. I typically buy walnut crystals, which is SUPER cheap, and just mix it with distilled water in a small jar. This way, you can adjust how pigmented you want your ink to be. However, if you prefer to go to the pre-mixed route, this walnut drawing ink works really well!

Pen & Nibs Recommendations for Calligraphy Beginners

Pen & Nib Recommendations for Beginner Calligraphers: Century Adjusted Oblique Holder, Nikko G Nib, Blue Pumpkin (Hiro 40) Nib

Blue Pumpkin - Also known as the Hiro 40, it is one of the early nibs I explored and has been a staple in my life. I use it often for reproduction work - it has a blunt tip and produces heavier lines, which is great if you’re going to be scanning and digitizing your work. It’s also great for modern calligraphy because it produces more of a marker-like stroke. The blunt tip also works well with thicker inks (like Dr. PH Martin’s Bleedproof White or any of the Spectralite metallics.)

Nikko G - This is my go-to practice nib. I started my pointed pen journey with the Nikko G because it was recommended to beginners by basically EVERYONE on the internet, and quickly found that I did NOT like it and moved on to the EF 66 and other nibs. However, more recently, I’ve seen the light when it comes to this nib. It’s like the everything-bagel of the nib world - it’s got your thin hairlines, your solid downstrokes and is built nice and sturdy so you don’t have to worry so much about damaging the tines. In the last couple months, I’ve pretty much used this nib exclusively in my practice and have really enjoyed it.

Century Adjusted Oblique Holder - This is my all time favorite pen. It’s not ideal on so many levels - it’s heavier than I thought I would have liked, it’s super dirty and rusty - but I love it so much because I’ve adjusted it to my grip and it’s the most comfortable pen I have. I’ve bought more expensive, more colorful, more trendy pen holders since, but this dirty, machine made one has my love through and through. My biggest recommendation for students is to pick up a cheap pair of pliers and adjust the pen to your grip because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter the pen, so much as your comfort. As long as you know how the nib should hit the paper, you’ll be able to adjust the flange accordingly. (Put as simply and concisely as possible, the angle of the nib should hit the paper in such a way that when you pull your downstrokes, equal weight is placed on each tine.)

My favorite places to get supplies:
Amazon
John Neal Booksellers
Paper & Ink Arts

#theJustMarriedJacketNYC Bride #2: MariLauren and Rob

MariLauren and her beau had the most intimate wedding at the posh Nomo Soho Penthouse - attended by just their Frenchie and their 3 vendors. The couple had planned for a more elaborate wedding celebration in the backyard of their home together later in the year (with even more stunning details!) but opted for a civil ceremony with just the two of them in March to make things official! MariLauren’s advice to future bride rings so clear and wise and is also what I would recommend to my friends and brides as well!

Date: March 18

Location(s): Nomo Soho Penthouse

List of vendors and URLs: It was a DIY civil wedding. I only had three vendors!

Makeup - @irenomakeup

Officiant- Suanne with @Officiantnyc

Photographer: @Jaymartinez21-photo

Videography: @Sgpsociety-video

Describe your wedding day in 3 words.

Love, emotional, unique

Describe your wedding day in more detail: It was the perfect day for us. Very relaxed, very intimate, very stress free! 

Tell us about something your wedding just HAD TO have:

A view of the city!! We were born and raised in NYC and were getting ready to embark on a new journey. We were getting ready to move out of the city and to our new home in CT, we wanted to be in one of our favorite places in the city, Soho. 

Tell us about something you could have done without or wasn’t necessary in the end:

I could have done without the wind! lol So windy that day and I had always envisioned the ceremony outside on that balcony but we had to bring it inside and it worked, it was actually very beautiful. 360 degree view of the city. I was a happy girl, it was sunny and a beautiful day otherwise. I could not complain. We got great shots outside before the sunset. My veil was not necessary, I could have done without it as well.

Tell us about your bridal style. Modern, Minimalistic

What's your advice for future brides? When i first started planning I was using everyone I’ve ever known who had gotten married before me as a reference point, a guide. All the traditions, the supposed do’s and don’t. All the things I thought I was supposed to do or the sequence I was supposed to follow and then I did more research and self discovery and realized we could get married however the f... we want. It’s our love. It’s our life. It’s our wedding. I wanted to do it differently. How it felt right to us. So my advice is ...there are no rules to this. I had my civil wedding in a penthouse in soho with an incredible view, our immediate family and our french bulldog and it was perfection. We will be having a somewhat more traditional wedding in a few months in our backyard with family and friends and my pretty dress that I got when I first started planning but chose not wear for civil ceremony. I'm excited! The Adventure continues! Do whatever makes you happy and don't worry about what anyone will say or think!

#theJustMarriedJacketNYC Bride #6: Nena & Adam

Describe your wedding day in 3 words.

FUN. PIZZA. MAGIC.

Describe your wedding day in more detail.

My wedding day was actually spread out over two days, for double the fun  ... and the planning. PART ONE On Friday we went to City Hall in Manhattan to get legally married and to feel that at least one part of our wedding was just for ‘ourselves’. We’re not religious and not fussy, so it was a nice and sweet way to start the day.  We then had a short ceremony in front of immediate family (<20 people) at Sunday in Brooklyn (a restaurant in Williamsburg). We had my husband’s brother officiate while we exchanged part-weepy and part-funny vows. At the end of the ceremony, we swapped ‘family business jerseys’ as a cute nod to our families & their small businesses.

We then went hard in the motherf***ing paint with dinner and drinks. PART TWO On Saturday night we had a larger pizza party (~75 people) at Fornino in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was SO FUN AND LOW KEY AND THE BEST. We hired a magician for cocktail hour, served pizza (and other delicious nosh), had an open bar, and danced all night long under the stars. In the last hour it started to rain for a little and instead of moving inside, our guests just danced in the rain (to an inspired choice by our DJ - “It’s raining men”). It was so memorable and just a butt-load of fun.

Tell us about something your wedding just HAD TO have.

One thing we wanted was really the fun and low key vibe — we hate stuffy and formal weddings (no offense!). So we made conscious choices from encouraging a casual dress code to more casual menu choices to MAGIC to no registry or formal ‘bridal shower’ etc. We just wanted an excuse to see all our friends & family in one place and celebrate our love. 

Tell us about something you could have done without or wasn’t necessary in the end.

I was STRESSING about whether or not to arrange transportation to the ‘after-party’ bar for my pizza party guests, but all the transportation quotes we received were so ridiculous ($$$). In the end, I listened to a wise friend who reminded me we’re in the middle of a city with public transportation, and that we’re adults now (theoretically) so we can all spend the extra few dollars for a short cab ride to the next bar. Two nights before the event I impulsively decided to email out Uber discounts (e.g., $10 off any ride that I pre-paid for) to my guests and everything was FIIIIIIINE! I feel like I didn’t even need to do that in the end! 

Tell us about your bridal style.

Simple, elegant, low-key... but with a healthy dose of fun and flair. I kept the style of everything simple from the invites to flowers to favors — but I also made some fun and unusual choices (or at least I thought they were): e.g., wore a jumpsuit, hired a magician, and served pizza as the main course of my wedding reception! 

What's your advice for future brides?

You do you, B. Pick your battles with your parents & in-laws, and power through anybody that says “Really? Are you sure?” about your eclectic choices. It’ll all come together in the end. Oh also, save money. Like right now. Yesterday, really.

Vendor shoutouts:

Photographer: Huy Ha - @haquochwee or https://www.haquochuy.co/ 
Florist: Mimosa Floral - @mimosafloral or http://www.mimosafloral.com/
DJ: Playsomethinggood - @playsomethinggood or http://playsomethinggood.com/
Strolling magician: Gary Ferrar - @garyferrarmagic or https://www.ahrealmagic.com/
Venue: Sunday in Brooklyn - @sundayinbrooklyn or https://www.sundayinbrooklyn.com/private-events/
Venue: Fornino Pier 6 - @forninopizza or https://www.fornino.com/locations/brooklyn-bridge
Candle wedding favors: Brooklyn Candle Studio @brooklyncandlestudio or https://brooklyncandlestudio.com/
Photobooth: MVS Studio - @mvsstudio or http://www.mvsstudio.com/
Desserts: Ample Hills Creamery @amplehills, Peter Pan Donuts @peterpandonut, and Buttermilk Bakeshop @buttermilkbakeshopny
Bridal Jumpsuit: Jill Stuart Mara Jumpsuit - available at BHLDN @bhldn
Bridal Reception Dress: Self Portrait White Azalea Dress
Groom Suit: Custom designed at Indochino - @Indochino
Wedding Rings: Stone & Strand @stoneandstrand, and Bittersweets @bittersweetsnewyork
Bridal hair & make-up: Glamsquad @glamsquad

Meet the artist!

Come meet me next month at my bestie, Wonton In A Million's celebration of National Dumpling Day. Cynthia started her business two years ago to pay tribute to and spread awareness of the delicious Chinese dimsum (tapas) that we grew up with. Since then, she has tirelessly shared her punny dumpling goodness with the world, showering us with her wonderfully cute designs.

To celebrate National Dumpling Day, she will be hosting an all-you-can-eat dimsum brunch, followed by a scavenger hunt in Manhattan's Chinatown and an after party at Doyers street, aka the center of old Chinatown. I will have a booth at the afterparty, calligraphing names onto fun wonton cricuts. (Fun fact: I used to be a walking tour guide in Chinatown, so in addition to a hand calligraphed name, you might also get some obscure historical fact about the area!) 

Details:

What: Won-ton of Dumplings: A National Dumpling Day Scavenger Hunt 
When: September 24, 2017, 11AM
Agenda:
11AM - 1PM: All You Can Eat Dimsum at Oriental Garden
1PM - 3PM: Scavenger Hunt throughout Chinatown
3PM - 6PM: Finish Line Party at Doyers Street

Early bird tickets are now on sale, click the link above for details!