After months of sourcing supplies and creating prototypes, the TPK Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit is now available in the TPK Catalog! Unfortunately, I only have a limited quantity (though we do plan on making more soon). In this article, I’ll explain the kit components and all the care that went in to creating them!
I have wanted to design and compile my own modern calligraphy starter kit for years. Finally, I decided I’ve seen enough of low-quality supplies or barebones kits that give you tools to create calligraphy but minimal information! I resolved to create a kit that would truly teach calligraphy, like a mini-calligraphy workshop in a box. Today, I’m proud to announce that The TPK Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit is available and ready to ship to your door — for free (if you’re located in the US)!
When you set out to learn something new, you want to feel inspired and have all the tools you need. That’s the goal of my calligraphy starter kit! I want you to be inundated with calligraphic beauty from the moment you open your package. The kit box itself is a work of art, and something I hope you’ll keep!
Open the box, and you’ll find your supplies, neatly wrapped and ready for use!
Unwrap everything, and you’ll discover all the supplies you need to get started, including:
The kit workbook is what truly sets this kit apart from every other kit out there. Most calligraphy kits might include an exemplar or two — and maybe a few pieces of scrap paper for practice. The TPK Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit workbook, however, features 25 pages of information and practice!
Like my in-person workshop participants, you’ll begin by practicing strokes and writing Amy Style calligraphy with your straight pen and the Nikko G nib. Then, you’ll try out the über-flexible Brause EF66 nib! For the second half of the workbook, you’ll switch to your oblique pen to write intricate Janet Style calligraphy.
The kit workbook was a labor of love. It took several months to design, and finding a company that could print on dip pen-friendly paper proved a bit of a challenge! But, eventually everything came together, and now the kit has the perfect complementary workbook!
I’ve always loved vintage and/or unique items. My mother is an antiques dealer, so I come by it naturally! These kits reflect my fondness for one-of-a-kind pieces. For example, we created the backing for your nibs from a vintage art book and gold embossing!
Your nibs will arrive wrapped in a cleaning cloth! Each cleaning cloth was hand-cut from vintage, tightly-woven fabrics that we carefully selected from a local shop.
Note that the uniqueness of the cloths means the cloth design and material is different for every kit! Consider the cloth a surprise: from gorgeous green linen to brightly embroidered cotton, you’ll end up with something delightful.
The TPK Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit includes a right oblique pen … which is *wonderful news* for right-handed people. 99% of lefties, however, will find this pen to be of little use — and for that I’m sorry! I’m considering offering a kit version in the future that will be lefty-friendly.
For those of us who can use the right-handed oblique pen, however, I want to say that this is a fantastic oblique! I can personally attest to that because Ana and I used jeweler’s pliers and a careful eye to hand-adjust each flange for your Nikko G nib. To learn more about why a brass-flanged oblique pen is the way to go, you can read this article!
This week, we’re kicking off the TPK Supplies Shop with the calligraphy kit — and that’s it! We’re new to shipping things, so we want to start simple and add items as we go. I have individual pens to put in the shop, Bleed Proof white ink, nibs, different sizes of sumi ink, and perfect little vintage cups for art/calligraphy water! But: all that will have to wait for early next month. For now, I want to hear feedback from you. First of all, what do you want to see in the shop that I haven’t mentioned?
Second: I was thinking about adding a gift-wrapping option for an extra $5.00. Would you potentially use that option? If so, do you like brown paper and ribbon, or would you prefer something more colorful?
Thanks so much for reading about my new kit — I’m so excited to be able to offer you supplies after many years of blogging about them! If you have any questions and/or feedback, please let me know in the comments. I appreciate your thoughts!
Have a great weekend, and thank you again!
Warmly,
Lindsey
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