I am a bit of a Type A personality. I once remarked that I was not a perfectionist because I could never get anything perfect which made the room of girls that heard my sentiment erupt in laughter; I guess I didn’t understand the meaning of the word and they all knew me too well. I always learn the hard way.  One of the things I have been struggling with in my lettering practice is being able to identify a nib once it is in its holder. Even though I feel like I thoroughly clean my nibs after each use there’s always ink that hides the nib identification and the nib holder hides the other part. I don’t know about you, but I have the hardest time removing my nibs from the holder. I have even tried the suggested jewelery pliers and only succeeded in breaking my nib in the holder thus rendering it useless and almost losing an eye.  In these novice stages of my lettering adventure it’s important to me to know which nibs I am enjoying so I can reference back to them for the future, if I can’t read what they are (and trust me it is hard enough without ink on them and being hidden in the holder) then I am working blindly. I decided to start from ground zero and replace nibs + holders and use a label ( a sheet of label paper cut to size). I am so happy with this system! Eventually I plan to create a chart so I can reference the different effects I can achieve with each nib. This may seem like a lot of extra work that you aren’t up for and you may wonder why I have so many different nibs. In this nascent stage I want to find the nibs that work best with how I create my letterforms. I am very heavy handed and a flexible, ‘bouncy’ nib creates a completely different look than a stiffer nib for me.  I haven’t been doing this very long, but I feel like I have already outgrown some of my earlier nib favorites in favor of nibs that respond to my heavy-handedness.  My main goal for the identification system is to be able to have a quick reference so I can re-create a look.  I also want to reiterate that what I am doing is not traditional calligraphy (although I admire that very much), although I do reference traditional calligraphy techniques like using guidelines and referencing calligraphy specimens. My goal is create my own hand(s) and thus the need/desire to experiment with multiple tools (nibs).

Since I get this email about 20 times a day I thought I would make sure I included my current favorite nibs, these most likely will change in the coming months but these are the ones I have been gravitating towards and why:

Hiro Leonardt No. 41-I would not suggest this for a beginner, it is very flexible and delicate. This is my favorite nib to create loopy girly letters, it makes loop forms like a champ.

Blue Pumpkin- This seems to be a favorite of  modern lettering artists/calligraphers (for good reason) such as Meredith Bullock of Hazel Wonderland. Both Poppy Pedals and Holly Hollon love it for cotton envelopes which have a lot of pulp. It is similar to the the above nib, a little stiffer. Again, this may not be the best nib to try if you are just starting out. I feel like I can control this nib well when I want to create very thin hairline strokes and a balanced down stroke. Sample lettering.

Gillot 1068A-I honestly don’t remember why I bought this, a mistake? Perhaps. It has turned out to be a happy accident. It’s very stiff and I would recommend for an advanced beginner. It works best on smooth surfaces so if you have any texture it will catch. You can get very nice angular/sharp letter-forms with this nib. Sample lettering.

Zebra G-I can’t recommend this nib enough. If you are starting out buy this nib, please.  It’s a little more flexible than the Nikko G (these two are very similar). It’s a nice stiff + smooth nib. When you are starting out with your lettering/calligraphy practice you have so many new things to worry about (angle, pressure, inking, substrates, etc.) just make it easy on yourself and get a nib that won’t be too wonky in your newbie hands and that won’t get caught on your paper and cause messy disasters. You can create nice fine hairlines (which seems to be what calligraphers around the globe covet). As long as I am lettering this nib will be in my lettering rotation.

Brause Rose-I have mentioned this nib before, I LOVE it! This nib is very flexible and the nib I go to when I want to re-create an almost brush like stroke, the upside is that it can also create very thin hairlines. Again, not a beginner nib (stick with stiff nibs), but it is a nib that you may want to add to your nib arsenal if you love the look of brush lettering but can’t get the hang of using a paint brush to letter. Sample lettering.

Nikko G-This nib is so similar to the Zebra G and the reason I mention them both is in the off chance you can’t find one or the other you have options. Stiffer than the Zebra G, again a great nib for beginners. I really love Japanese nibs they are precision cut, the Nikko G by hand! So smooth–like butter.  This is another nib that is in regular rotation. Advanced letterers will love this nib as well.

What I have learned in this lettering quest is that anyone can learn calligraphy, it’s about practice + practice (and then more practice), dedication and a passion for the art. I absolutely want to learn traditional calligraphy in the near future, but I have been so happy with where this project has taken me both personally and (recently) professionally. Let me know if you have specific questions I am interviewing an amazingly talented calligrapher for an upcoming feature and would be happy to pose some of your questions to her.

P.S. I have linked to the nibs in this feature (companies I trust like Amazon + Dick Blick), but you can always reference The Directory and look under Calligraphy Supplies for vendors I recommend. If you have a reputable Calligraphy supply company overseas that you like please let me know and I will add.  I want everyone to be able to find calligraphy supplies at a great price without worrying about outrageous shipping fees or long delivery times.

If you have been following along with my lettering adventures here and trying it out for yourself I want to recommend you invest in what is called a dinky dip. They come in many incarnations, most of them are four small vials housed in a natural pine block.  There’s pros and cons with that one, the big pro is if you knock one over (which you invariably will) you spill only the most minute amount of ink on your work surface. The cons for me are that I have been using an oblique holder (and sometimes nib) and I find it difficult to navigate the nib dipping within such a small space. Perhaps there’s a trick to it, but I don’t know it yet. The other con is I hate the way the natural unfinished wood gets so messy. I ended up spray painting mine with black chalkboard paint so it didn’t look like such a mess.  The one I purchased above has a much wider dipping area and you don’t need to fill it to the top, so if you knock it over again the mess is less. I also like that the block is finished which means if I get ink on it I just wipe it off after each session and it looks brand new (yes, I am a neat freak).

This is an oblique nib holder, this version is a very inexpensive plastic option, I wanted to try the oblique holder out and didn’t want to invest in one that was more expensive if I wasn’t going to enjoy using it. I have since found that I do indeed like using this type of holder a lot. The oblique holder assists me with keeping on a nice slant which I have found very helpful. I have since invested in a more comfortable version, but it is pretty ugly so I didn’t photograph it, but you can take a peek at what I own here.

This is an oblique nib, which to me is one my most favorite lettering discoveries thus far, you can use it with a straight holder.  This nib is made by Mitchell and is firm, for beginner’s it seems a firmer nib is much easier to manipulate (at least that has been my experience). You can get beautiful hair line strokes with this nib. The nib holder with the cork is so nice to have when you are doing long practice sessions or writing out multiple envelopes (which I have not tried to do yet).  I promise to get up some specimen samples created with this nib so you can get a better idea, but I think this is a lot of information to process for today, no?

P.S. for those of you lucky enough to be in NYC, Paperfinger is doing a workshop-Love Letters & Valentines that I wish I could attend! It’s a beginning modern calligraphy workshop in a very intimate setting. I don’t know if there are still spaces but here is the link.

When I first started this series I had no idea that it would have such a phenomenal response + reach.  I love to know that there are other lettering enthusiasts out there and that you are as excited about this subject as much as I am. When I get an email or comment that these posts have motivated you to try your hand at this medium.  Now that cursive is no longer taught in school I feel more than ever that we need to rally and not let hand lettering go the way of the Dodo.  Another amazing  is that I have been able to contact lettering artists that I admire without them shooing me away (wipes sweat from brow). I am thrilled to be able to offer you an interview today with Ithaca, New York based Meredith C. Bullock of Hazel Wonderland.  You may have seen her work before, I know I have pinned it more times than I can count. Her hand has a wonderful, loose, romantic and un-contrived flow to it.  I am a fan and I hope you will become one too!

|MEREDITH C. BULLOCK | HAZEL WONDERLAND INTERVIEW|

I love the name of your business, ‘Hazel Wonderland’ what is the story behind it?

Thank you! The name Hazel Wonderland came to me in a moment of love, endlessness, beauty, inspiration and grace. A moment I experienced when I fell in love with my husband and looked into his speckled hazel eyes and felt everything.

How did you get started in lettering?

When I was a teen instead of doodling, I wrote my name or my crushes name over and over again till I liked the way it looked. My mom caught on and gave me a calligraphy set. I was hired at the age of 16 to write escort cards for a graduation party. Years later, I picked up the pen again for my wedding invitations and I haven’t put it down since.

What are some of your favorite lettering supplies?

The blue pumpkin is my favorite nib, Higgins and sumi are my favorite inks. Smooth illustration paper is my favorite paper. And pens, it’s all in the wrist.

Name one random talent you have that people may not know?

I’m an award winning hairstylist.

Any recommendations of books or classes for lettering enthusiasts to further their studies?

Wow, I would say reading your blog is the best education I know of! I am completely self-taught sans books. Just a whole lot of practice.

Any advice on what ‘not’ to do in your lettering practice? 

Great question!  I’ve learned the hard way too. Lets see, I’ve got a few:

1. Never leave your nib in water or any sort of fluid for longer than 12-24 hours. It will eat away at the coating that allows the ink to flow smoothly. An old cloth/rag and spit is all you need.

2. Don’t skimp on paper and ink, these two things foster beautiful, clean, crisp and professional results.

3. When creating a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork, always do a sketch first without pressing too hard with the pencil, refrain from erasing the sketch till your absolutely certain the ink is dry, make sure the ink is waterproof and the paper is archival, try to use a fresh new nib and lastly always practice on a scrap piece of paper before you you dive in. I find I’m always a bit rusty my first 2-5 words.

A huge thank you to Meredith!  I hope you liked this interview and if you have any burning lettering questions please email me and I will be sure to pose them to future interviewee’s.

P.S. Meredith has a great blog as well, you can visit here.

I have to confess that up until a couple days ago, I hadn’t picked up a nib and ink for nearly three weeks!  I have mentioned that you can’t ‘will’ yourself to become better at lettering, you need to put the time + effort in; although I believe that sentiment wholeheartedly I did find myself wishing I could get better without having to pull out my supplies.  The holiday season took a lot out of me with work, visitors and such, so I never had that extra energy after my 12-15 hour days to pull out my nibs and get cracking.  I was also plagued with a bout of extreme insecurity, after practicing some legitimate calligraphy exercises and my letters looking more like a ransom note than calligraphy, I was feeling a bit dejected.  Monday I started playing again and I even gave those ‘ransom’ notes a second look, you know what?  They weren’t as horrible as I remembered!  There may be hope for me yet. Some of the tools that have helped me get back on track are finding some guidelines that are a good size for me, I have a download available for you if you want to use the same ones (they were made for Copperplate practice). I have found a paper that I really like practicing on, it’s smooth, but not too slick (formerly I tried mixed media pads and bristol paper both were a little tricky) the paper is made by Canson and is the Pro-Layout for markers; bonus is that it is semi-transparent so you can slide your guidelines underneath and see them nice and clearly–so helpful!  I have become more and more attached to using the weirdly shaped oblique pen holder with the Zebra G nibs, I didn’t use it for the above lettering (this was the Blue Pumpkin another current favorite), but I am finding the oblique pen helps me with angle and being a little more fluid. It seems I naturally want to letter like Frankenstein would (if he was into calligraphy and all) just choppy and uncoordinated, so the oblique pen holder has given me a little more fluidity in my strokes.  The last thing I will mention is finding exemplars to study and re-create, these are usually alphabets with both upper and lowercase samples, sometimes you may find some with words (I once spent a few hours writing out the word ‘minimum’ to practice connecting). The Paper Bride has a really pretty + simple alphabet/practice guide that you can download here.

In my limited experience with lettering I can tell you that the tools make a big difference, if your paper is too slick or has too much texture you may run into problems with how your nib reacts to the substrate (paper). Calligraphy can be a relatively inexpensive hobby (as compared to my photography one), I am not including classes in this but quality nibs, holders, ink and paper can be procured for under $20, so don’t skimp on your tools. Let me know if you have any questions!

P.S. I had The Directory nice and loaded with resources for you for this post, but I must have accidentally deleted it (still learning how to use this here blog) so I will work on getting that updated again this weekend.