Here are a few common calligraphy problems we all seem to struggle with. I know that learning calligraphy is a slow and intensive process. Please be patient with yourself, make sure you’re taking breaks, and ask for help.
The Nib Won’t Cooperate
This answer was taken directly from a question someone asked me on Instagram:
“When your nib won’t cooperate, how do you know what the problem is and how do you fix it?”
My teacher Carol DuBosch said in the last workshop I took with her that there are 3 things to consider: nib, ink, and paper. The first thing that I check out is whether or not my nib is old or damaged. Damage prevents proper ink flow. If it’s a new nib, the protective coating needs to be gently washed off using a mild soap or your saliva (For more about new calligraphy nibs, read our article, “How to Start a New Calligraphy Nib”).
For more about calligraphy nibs check out our article, “What is a Calligraphy Nib??“
Sometimes the paper prevents the ink from being deposited properly. There may be a coating on the page that resists moisture, which can be frustrating! Sometimes the paper’s too thin and doesn’t hold ink well, so it bleeds. Sometimes it’s the interaction between nib and paper. Carol showed us to gently sand our broad edge nibs to get them to grip the paper slightly.
Lastly, you may need to adjust the consistency of the liquid you’re trying to write with. When I’ve tried to write with watercolor wash, it’s just been too thin, so I added more pigment. Some bottled inks need to be adjusted before you do any serious writing.
Troubleshoot between nib, ink, and paper.
Hand Pain
There are a few reasons this pops up in a calligraphy practice. The main reason is the practitioner has an excessively tight grip on the writing instrument. (We have a whole blog post about this topic: “A Better Pen Hold for Better Calligraphy”) Many times when we start calligraphy, we keep the same grip we’re used to with a regular pen. Be patient with yourself while adjusting to a lighter grip. A few ways to lighten up are to:
- As you write, practice removing your index finger from the writing instrument; just let it hover out there. This will show your hand that it can still control the pen or pencil without applying all that pressure.
- Take a pencil, eraser side down, in your non-writing hand. Place the eraser on the page about an inch above where you are writing. This will hold the paper steady and transfer some of the stress from your writing hand to the other hand.
- Make sure your nib is flexible enough. If you’re working with a firm pointed nib, it’s going to take a lot of pressure for the tines to open, and your hand is gonna feel that after a bit. Switch to something more pliable when you have a lighter grip.
- Make sure you’re sitting up straight and that the surface of the table is far enough away from your head and shoulders that your shoulder doesn’t crumple up toward your ears. This will allow freedom in your writing arm and in your hand, so that you have access to all that range of motion rather than trying to articulate every movement from the hands and fingers.
- Take a break!! Any motion eventually hurts the body if you repeat it for an extended period of time! My teacher Paul Antonio recommends getting up every 30 to 40 minutes.
Smudges and Ink Spills
These kind of go hand in hand, and they still happen to experienced calligraphers and artists. Here are a few ways to minimize these issues:
- Maintain a neat and clean work environment where you have enough space to spread out, but still have access to all your tools. This may be your kitchen table after the kids go to bed or you could set up shop at the library after school.
- Put some ink from your larger container into a smaller one with a tight fitting lid. If the ink does spill, it won’t be as disastrous. Also, the less ink you have available to dip your pen into, the less likely you are to pick up too much.
- Clean your pen and nib regularly as you write, both to avoid unintentional smudges and to keep the nib performing well as you work.
- If you have some tape, make a tape roll and stick the bottom of the container to your work surface:
Ink Feathering
The bane of any good practice gone bad. As you go along you’ll learn what paper will work well with your intentions. Before you sit down to do anything serious or involved, test your ink on a scratch piece of the paper you mean to use and let it dry completely. Basic copy paper is not great for working with a dip pen and ink. Some markers even bleed terribly on these papers. In the past, I’ve sprayed fixative on paper that bled a bit to prevent the ink seeping deeply into the paper. For the sake of practice and beginning, I suggest something like a Rhodia Blank pad or Canson Marker Paper Pad. They take ink well and you can still see the guidelines through them. For more about guidelines, check out our article, Tips for Guidelines and Why You Need Them.
Crooked Letters
Speaking of guidelines . . . I used to think of them as training wheels that I wouldn’t need after I got proficient in my script. Now I think of them as major architectural support for my work. There is a difference between how you think a script is supposed be written, how the script is actually written, and how you’re writing it. Your study of the script and what you’re actually doing while writing it will strengthen the integrity of your script. Nothing is more distracting in a script than letters that are unintentionally out of place compared to the rest. To avoid this, make a commitment as you’re practicing the strokes — not the letters — to be intentional with your lines. Not only are you training your hand to write the script properly, but you are training your mind and eye to see the script as it should be written.
One thought on “Common Calligraphy Problems”