The Calligraphy Pen

The following news story reminds us about knowing the calligraphy we are producing. (A translation is provided at the site that I've linked to).

As attractive and stirring as many of us find Chinese calligraphy, and for us Westerners I guess a lot of us find it mysterious, it must be remembered that the calligraphy we are admiring is actually words.

This fact was obviously forgotten by Max Planck Institute in Germany when they published a special issue about China including some lovely Chinese calligraphy on the cover of the magazine. The problem was that the calligraphy was actually an advertisement for a brothel and rather than giving the mysterious aura of the East to the page, it gave a rather more titillating invitation.

So the next time you decide to use some Chinese characters for a major work that you are planning to exhibit or display, get a translation of what it is you’re writing. It will save the embarrassment that the Max Planck journal must be feeling.

So you have recently taken up calligraphy, maybe you have taken a calligraphy course or have studied online. It’s very likely that early on in your calligraphy career you will need some advice or guidance on some of the work you are attempting. Or perhaps you need some direction about where to go to get a good deal on some equipment, or even what equipment you should be using.

What you’re actually after is the valuable resources available from your local calligraphy guild. Joining a calligraphy guild will help you network with other calligraphers, many of them seasoned veterans. All kinds of questions can be answered and advice given by calligraphy guild members.

Events such as exhibitions and workshops are an invaluable part of calligraphy guild membership and they are held at regular intervals depending on the guild you have joined. You will also get notification of upcoming national and international events that you will be sure to find you will want to attend.

To quickly find your local calligraphy guild, you might try visiting the Cynscribe site.

Generally speaking, the words calligraphy and lettering are often interchanged to mean the same thing. However, when talking about calligraphy we often refer to the broad form of the art of creating beautiful writing in all its guises. There are three main types of calligraphy today, Western or Roman, Arabic and Chinese or Oriental. Some of the styles of calligraphy can better be described as fine art calligraphy.

Lettering refers to this creation of text and the drawn forms of text. Logos, headlines and most works for reproduction fit this category. With the art of calligraphy, the finished product is usually achieved with one pass of the calligraphy pen. The final result is appreciated for its individuality as well as for the consistency and fluidity.

Lettering differs because the process involves a certain amount of letter sculpting to ensure uniformity in letters because often times the result is meant to meet some sort of commercial need.

Calligraphy does not always require perfection, the finished work often reflects the personality of the person holding the calligraphy pen, their spirit. Lettering is a more exacting form of calligraphy and requires a more definite idea of uniformity and evenness.

The term lettering may also be used to cover every kind of letter-making, including calligraphy, drawn lettering, monumental letter-carving, typeface design, and so on.

There are some exquisite looking wooden calligraphy pen holders for anyone looking for the softer feel that wood provides. Apart from the many antique and vintage pen holders that come up for sale every once in a while, you have to go hunting to get them. Here are a couple of the more easy to find, but extremely functional and stylish wooden pen holders.

One maker that has a few to select from is Brause Pens who makes double-ended wooden callgraphy pen holders. The Brause 1614 pen holder is a thin holder while the hexagonal wooden pen holder is a more substantial instrument. Naturally, these pen holders fit Brause calligraphy nibs.

If you want something a little special you might like to have a look at Wills Quills and the advertisement for some hand turned calligraphy pen holders. They are double ended, hand turned and look absolutely out of this world. They have been made to take a standard calligraphy nib such as a William Mitchell, Speedball or Brause nibs.

Checking out online acutions and other specialist pen stores will also help you to find more people stocking wooden calligraphy pen holders.

This is the second in what I hope will be a continuing series devoted to highlighting the work of some extremely talented calligraphers who have an online presence. Alas, I will only be able to post them as I come across them in my travails through the virtual ether.

This second chance to marvel at how someone wields their calligraphy pen is highlighting the work of Alice Young who not only has an extensive gallery to view at Contemporary Calligraphy, but also writes a very extensive calligraphy blog with some heartfelt commentaries about the calligraphy network.

Alice is an artist and calligrapher and presents three galleries on her site, the first displaying abstract acrylics, the second are her cedar brush pieces and the third is a variety of calligraphy on paper.

For a chance to take pleasure in the work of Alice Young I suggest you head on over to Contemporary Calligraphy.