This Christmas I was gifted with an assortment of pens, nibs, and ink. I like pens but I haven’t done pointed pen calligraphy or fountain pen work in a long time, and I am scared that I won’t remember how to use any of these tools at all. Luckily I have SkillShare so I can work on some classes to get back up to speed, but also I thought I’d post some of my inspiration for pen work here.
One of the best resources I’ve found for the style of calligraphy I am interested in learning is Mirabelle Makery. She has some fantastic resources as well as beautiful modern calligraphy. Her Instagram stories are full of great videos to learn calligraphy as well as inspirational projects. My favorite recent projects of hers are her gift tags:
This is exactly the type of calligraphy I would love to learn how to make with my new tools.
Another artist who I’ve actually followed for a while who uses pen for illustration is @monoclecat.jpg. I’m mostly just really impressed by their ability to create really dynamic and emotive linework with a pen. I feel like the tool definitely adds to the specific style and I am hoping to try out a similar method using my new fountain pens.
Hopefully I can follow through and make some of this stuff happen. I have been really drained and unproductive lately (and since the beginning of the pandemic). I am hoping that at some point I can have some energy again and make more work. I am hoping the inspiration of some new tools helps