I went to Riley Street, on a quest for supplies. I had a list: certain inks, paper, nibs. I got some black paper, they did have that. They didn’t have the other things I wanted, but I got things anyway, didn’t I? Special orders have taken place.
Here’s the thing. I bought this particular black paper because another calligrapher mentioned it. Online blog, not someone I know. I wanted the ink that I didn’t find for the same reason. I’ve been very grateful for the information I’ve found online about ink, and about pen nibs, but no one’s even come close to discussing what I want to know about inks and papers. Or maybe I should say, no one else is telling some things I know about inks and papers, and that I want to know more about. So I’m going to tell. In bits. Not all at once, it will take far too long.
I’m not much of a calligrapher, since I hardly ever finish anything, but nonetheless I have a ridiculous fascination for the trinity of nib, ink, and paper. Sometimes I use crummy paper, and I have been known to embrace inks of low degree. When I get a new ink, I try it out on a half a dozen different kinds of paper, with half a dozen different nibs. Okay, that’s a lie. I have three or four nibs, tops, that I always try, when the question is new ink. The other score of nibs are for when the question is new paper. New paper gets the works.
‘Cause I don’t know any better. Doubtless because I’m self-taught I know nothing. Jk, I know LOTS of things. 😛 But gosh, look at the time. I’ll tell you all about that black paper and the inks that hate it later.
juanitaweb 