Calligraphy Hobby- How to do so cheaply

ryansace

Hello,

I am considering taking up Calligraphy as a Hobby, and was wondering does anyone have any money saving tips to save on the paper, and the pens? Ive heard taping 2 pencils together is an option, anyone know how to make own ink/own pen?

I also want to start making my own birthday cards, how do i stock up for that cheaply? All the create your on in WH Smith are rather expensive.


Thanks a bunch,

Ryan

Lucina_2

You can make ink from lots of things, for brown ink steep 4 teabags in some hot water, leave to cool (if you want it darker use more tea).

Red/Puple inks - use berries

½ cup of ripe berries elderberry, blackberry etc...
½ teaspoon vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
Tools:
measuring cups and spoon
strainer
bowl
wooden spoon
baby food jar
Directions:
1. Fill the strainer with the berries and hold it over a bowl.
2. Using the rounded back of a wooden spoon, crush the berries against the strainer so that the berry juice strains into the bowl.
3. Keep adding berries until most of their juice has been strained out and only pulp remains.
4. Add the salt and vinegar to the berry juice. The vinegar helps the ink to retain its color and the salt keeps it from getting moldy.
5. If the berry ink is too thick, a tablespoon of water.
6. Store in baby food jar.
7. Only make a small amount of berry ink at a time and when not in use, keep it tightly covered.

I also find lots of craft kits at car boot sales for only a few quid.



Hope this helps

paddy's_mum

Taping two pencils together is fine if you are a real beginner and need, at this point, to learn how to shape the letters.

Good old Quink ink is still relatively cheap and although not particularly resistant to fading, will do nicely while you get to grips with the hobby.

Ask anyone who has an office printer if they will let you have offcuts/end of rolls of their computer paper. Most offices just throw them away but if they are ruled for lines of numbers (forget the proper word!) they make good pre-lined practice paper.

I once was given almost a van load of scrap paper simply by calling into a local commercial printer and asking what they had in their scrap bin that they might let me have. (I couldn't believe the quality of some of what they gave me - try a test run of David Shepherd fine-art, limited edition prints which had smudged in the process!!) Put the word out among family, friends and colleagues - you'd be surprised just how much unwanted paper there is floating out there for the asking.

If I had one suggestion to make, it would be that you beg, steal, borrow or make a calligrapher's drawing board. They help enormously with posture (avoiding backache) and pen to hand angle. I recently disposed of most of my collected-over-years supplies (my eyesight isn't so good any more) but the one thing I held onto was my well-made and padded board.

Your local library can be a mine of inspiration and will usually manage to get a selection of good calligraphy books in for you. Just be aware that calligraphy can become an utter addiction so that you see it in use everywhere, from billboards to film credits.

My sister and mother who are both cardmakers get a lot of their supplies from the Paper Mill Shop. There might well be a branch near you.

Hope all that helps and here's wishing you pleasure in your new hobby.

thisuseridistakenagain

Good point on the library there, i photocoped the pages of a library beginnners book so i could trace the letters. I used normal printer paper, but because the photocopy ink is so dark you can see it through and trace the letters while you get started.

THe main thing i found it that it looks much better when you dont use a caligraphy- inky pen!! i bought a calligraphy felt tip from hobbycraft for a pound and it it much easier to use and looks less scratchy. But these pens are really just chisel tip felt tips (though a little bit thinner) so you could have a go with one of those.

Another good way to do this is with a flat paint brush and just any old paint you have lying around. The wet brush moves much easier than a pen, which i found really scratchy and difficult.

As far as paper goes i just used a normal lined notepad as the lines help to guide you with the heights of letters.

As far as card making i just started with a pack of plain card and used normal envelopes from poundland. folded the card myself, and just stuck on random bis of paper and glitter, ribbon etc that i collected. I found that if you go to a shop that sells wallpaper and get samples of the paper and borders you can make a nice card fror free!

Oh and watch QVC for some inspiration, but dont be buying from there its soo expensive!!

Hope that helps