Relish slow living with the renowned modern calligrapher
What is western calligraphy?
K: Western calligraphy usually has two styles: historical and modern. I mainly create modern calligraphy. It is more creative and free style, you don't need to care much about the letters' height, spacing and slant. So the work of modern calligraphers are usually more unique and stylish.
How do you set the mood for writing calligraphy?
K: Relaxing ambience is a must. Swing dance music is my favourite as its jazzy melodies could brighten me up and motivate me to write with the rhythm.
Have you tried any creative ways to present your calligraphy artwork, apart from the paper?
K: I played around with wine bottles, leather bags and wooden boxes.
What is your favorite calligraphy style?
K: I like engrosser's script as its unique oval style. One of the special techniques of this script is pen lift, which requires you to stop and lift your pen after writing a broad downstroke, then move on with a thin upstroke.
Any tips for newbies?
K: I would recommend beginners to take a foundation calligraphy class to learn the basic skills. It is important to know how to get the tools that suits yourself. It is true that practice makes perfect, the first thing the beginners should do is to demystify the techniques and tricks to compose the alphabet well in order to create a beautiful calligraphy.
Basic tool
The most common types of nib are broad and pointed. Pointed nibs are mainly used for modern calligraphy styles. They are elastic and easy to exert the pressure during writing.
Penholder has two main types: straight and oblique. Oblique penholder is more suitable for a right-handed calligrapher.
Japanese ink is the best choice for practice as its price is relatively affordable and the texture is thicker and denser.
If you want to sparkle your calligraphy, why not try writing in gold? Simply mix the solid gold paint on the palette with a bit of water. Once you create a rich and opaque pigment, transfer it to your calligraphy pen nib.
Image credits:
Kalo Make Art
