Inks

The Beginner’s Guide to Modern Calligraphy

September 17, 2020 by Lindsey Bugbee 2,105 Comments
Beginner’s Calligraphy· Calligraphy· Dip Pen Calligraphy· Faux Calligraphy· Inks· Nibs· Tutorials

Over the past few years, I have taught several beginners’ modern calligraphy workshops and answered countless calligraphy questions via email. Those experiences have taught me that there is a need for an article like this one: a post that shows you where to start learning from scratch! In this blog post, I’ll explain how to learn modern calligraphy in a few simple steps. (Curious about the difference between modern calligraphy and traditional calligraphy? Take a quick trip to this blog post!)

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How to Use Coffee to Write Calligraphy

September 15, 2020 by Lindsey Bugbee 48 Comments
Calligraphy· Dip Pen Calligraphy· Inks· Tutorials

You can find some amazing calligraphy inks at specialty stores, but one of my favorite “inks” is available at the supermarket: coffee. You can use coffee to write calligraphy that features a warm, antique-like hue. Today, I’ll explain how to achieve the perfect coffee:water ratio, provide tips for successful “coffee calligraphy”, and show you how to protect your work from the elements.
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Every Calligraphy Ink Question You Ever Had … Answered!

August 18, 2020 by Lindsey Bugbee 34 Comments
Inks· Roundup

To write today’s post, I combed through emails that I’ve received with questions about calligraphy ink. I’m glad to modify the article to include additional information, so if you have a question, please email or comment! Without further ado, here are answers to the queries — both little and big — that TPK readers have about inks:

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Ziller Waterproof Calligraphy Ink: A Review

June 9, 2020 by Lindsey Bugbee 1 Comment
Inks· Review

It is surprisingly difficult to find waterproof calligraphy ink. When Ziller inks came to my attention in 2015, I had come to the conclusion that no ink can truly be unaffected by water. It felt fabulous to be proven wrong! If you like to incorporate watercolor into your calligraphy and/or illustration work — or you want to make durable envelope calligraphy, I suspect you’ll love this ink as much as I do.
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A Guide to Calligraphy Inks

September 10, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 226 Comments
Beginner’s Calligraphy· Calligraphy· Inks

In 2014, I wrote the original version of this post. In it, I made recommendations about which calligraphy inks to use and why! Fast forward five years, and I’ve had several chances to discover new inks. In this updated blog post, I’d like to discuss a few inks with you and why I think they’re so great! Keep in mind: there are so many inks out there, and I’ve only tried a smattering of them. If something isn’t on this list, it probably just means I’ve never used it. I highly recommend trying out any ink you come across and keeping your own list of favorites!
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How to Use a Dip Pen to Create Modern Calligraphy

August 28, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 98 Comments
Beginner’s Calligraphy· Calligraphy· Dip Pen Calligraphy· Inks· Nibs· Straight Pen Holders· Tutorials· Video

I first picked up a dip pen in 2005. At that time, it seemed to be best suited to making squiggles because it was tough to write letters with! Fast forward a few years, though, and I saw other people using these mysterious instruments to create modern calligraphy. Flowy alphabets with a beautiful contrast abounded, and I wanted to know how to do that myself!
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