Hey! Are you trying to teach yourself pointed pen calligraphy? Are you feeling… frustrated??
I hear this from my students ALL. THE. TIME.
Pointed pen calligraphy is super hard to learn because there are so many little nuances. So many little things that you don’t know you’re doing wrong.
So here’s the TOP FIVE beginner mistakes, to spare you some frustration.
CLICK BELOW TO WATCH THE VIDEO FROM MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL OR KEEP READING FOR THE WRITTEN HIGHLIGHTS.
MISTAKE #1: CHOOSING THE WRONG NIB
Ok, there are a TON of nibs out there. C-Nibs, Broad-Edge, Drawing, Monoline…
So, first things first: you want a flexible, pointed nib.
And the best beginner one that I recommend is the Nikko G.
MISTAKE #2: NOT CLEANING YOUR NIB BEFORE USE
Didja know? Brand new nibs come with a protective coating that you have to wash off before it can work properly.
There are SO. MANY. WAYS. that you can do this.
But I prefer the lazy method: just dunk your nib into your ink, then wipe with a paper towel. Then repeat a few times until the ink coats the nib more evenly.
MISTAKE #3: USING THE WRONG PAPER
So, unforunately, you can’t just do calligraphy on any ol’ paper.
The ink will feather and bleed and your nib will catch and it’ll be a downright awful experience.
My favorite paper is: HP Premium 32 Laserjet Paper (or 120 gsm paper outside the U.S.)
MISTAKE #4: HOLDING THE CALLIGRAPHY PEN WRONG
This is, by far, the hardest thing to get right.
Your nib has to hit the paper at exactly the right angle and rotation in order to make your ink flow smoothly.
So remember: Your nib should meet the paper at a shallow angle (not too upright). And your vent hole should point straight toward the ceiling.
MISTAKE #5: GIVING UP TOO SOON!
I get it, Instagram makes calligraphy look SO. EASY.
But it’s not. It takes patience, slow practice, and constant adjustment.
It’s totally doable. But you gotta know what you’re doing wrong.
So I hope this post has helped you avoid some of the most frustrating mistakes.
WANT MORE GUIDANCE?
I put together a FREE No-Bullsh*t Guide to Getting Started with Pointed Pen Calligraphy.
It shows you:
Exactly which tools to buy and where to get them
How to prepare your tools so they work right for you
The proper grip, angle and position for your calligraphy pen.
So just click below to grab your free guide!
Happy Calligraphying!
