Equipment used in Calligraphy
Vellum
Vellum is a velvety surface which is a little
springy. It is usually calf skin, but occasionally made of goat
skin. The fresh skins are soaked in a lime solution for 10 to 15
days. This washes away salt, and breaks down the fibers. Each
skin is then individually processed through a machine with three
large rollers. One roller has blunt knives on it which scrape
away fur left over from an initial coarse scraping using a double
bladed knife. It is then soaked in the lime again for a week and
processed through a similar machine. This time, the roller has
sharp knives on it that cut off fat and flesh from the underside.
After that, the skin goes back into the lime for two more weeks.
It is then stretched taut on a wooden frame with strings attached
to wooden pegs. A craftsman then shaves the skin with a
semicircular knife, removing grain and smoothing the surface.
Finally, it is treated with pumice, a spongy volcanic glass. Now
it's vellum.
Coarser, tougher vellum is used for
bookbinding. Vellum is very sensitive to the atmosphere. It may
absorb too much water or get too dry if left out in the wrong
conditions. Some people rub powdered cuttlefish, squid, or
powdered pumice on the surface. This helps make it more resistant
to weather, but also makes it more porous. Gum sandarac corrects
this problem, but can not be used before gilding. The hair side
of vellum is tougher than the skin side. If you need to correct
something on vellum, scrape it off, or use an eraser, then clean
off the vellum. Vellum may be found in special art or craft
stores, and is expensive.
Parchment
Parchment is sheepskin processed like vellum.
It is then pounced and shaved. Pounce is a fine powder that
prevents ink from flooding. Parchment is oilier and rougher than
vellum. It is thinner than vellum and was therefore used for
books by scribes.
Paper
Paper comes from the root word papyrus. High
quality papers are made from vegetable fiber pulp. Cheaper papers
are made from wood pulp. Paper comes in all different sizes,
assortments, and colors. It can be dyed to a warm brown shade
that mimics parchment.
Ink
The most common ink recipes were for carbon
inks. The recipe itself is of lamp-black or other pigments, gum,
and water. In 1857, aniline dyes for paints and inks were
developed because pen companies were having problems finding ink
colors and pigments to suit their own pens. People liked them
better because they were less corrosive than carbon inks. Now, in
modern times, the rule for calligraphy inks is to avoid
waterproof inks, unless a waterproof ink is required. Waterproof
inks are thick and fibrous, and clog the pen. A good calligraphy
ink should flow freely with no spread, dry quickly, and be stable
when it dries.
Stick ink is a favorite calligraphy ink that
comes in a solid form. It is mixed with distilled water or boiled
with tap water to become usable. It is favored because the
calligrapher can get the precise density and texture of ink
needed. Stick ink comes with a box which can be used as a
container for dry ink (wet ink flakes in storage) or a rubbing
surface. You can also add color or gum to perfect the texture and
color to your liking.
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And then there are
cartridges, tubes that you screw into the pen. You get a
continuos ink supply that way. Colors
Colors are useful for multi- colored
letters, decorations, and borders. You can also mix them
to get your own colors. Water colors are pigments in gum
arabic. If you want to make your own colors here is the
recipe: mix bright, strong powdered pigments with a
binder such as gum arabic, egg yolk, or glue size.
"Pure, finely ground pigments must be used and the
richest hues can be extremely expensive, even when bought
in minimum quantity." (pg. 78 Johnston, Edward) Size
is a thickener. To make your color, add the pigment and
medium in a jar or plate with mixing wells. Stir and let
them sit overnight. Then have fun!
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Colors
Colors are useful for multi- colored letters,
decorations, and borders. You can also mix them to get your own
colors. Water colors are pigments in gum arabic. If you want to
make your own colors here is the recipe: mix bright, strong
powdered pigments with a binder such as gum arabic, egg yolk, or
glue size. "Pure, finely ground pigments must be used and
the richest hues can be extremely expensive, even when bought in
minimum quantity." (pg. 78 Johnston, Edward) Size is a
thickener. To make your color, add the pigment and medium in a
jar or plate with mixing wells. Stir and let them sit overnight.
Then have fun!
Pens
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Quills were preferred for
writing on vellum. A quill is a goose, swan, or turkey
feather totally stripped of its barbs. It wears down
easily which is why reed pens are more convenient. Reed
pens go back to the Egyptians and are larger than quills,
being 8 inches long. To prepare a reed pen, take a knife
and cut the reed at a slant. Then tune it to the desired
size. Cut a slit down the writing point. This is
essential to the ink flow. The
most modern type of pens are the metal pens. Fountain
pens are good for rough and finished work. They are small
enough to be carried around easily with a large reservoir
or cartridges to provide a constant ink supply. Its
advantage is that it has continuous ink flow, but a
setback is that it never has a very large nib. Finally,
there are fiber tip pens. These are designed for
calligraphers. Like the fountain pen, they are limited in
size. Their broad, medium, and fine tips wear and tear
pretty easily. Felt tip markers are even worse.
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Pencils
Pencils are used for ruling writing sheets.
They must be fine with hard points. For paper ruling, which keeps
your lines straight, use H and HB (hardness indicators). For
ruling on vellum, use H6 or H7. Two HBs tied together give an
outline of the letters. It is easier if the pencils are different
colors. Carpenter pencils are wide and flat. The lead can be
sharpened on fine sandpaper. For ruling, use a two foot wooden
ruler with a metal edge. These are also good for measuring and
guiding a knife.
Brushes
Brushes have three main purposes. The first is
to put ink into the pens. It usually looks better if you take the
brush and load the ink rather than simply dipping the pen. For
this job, use medium sized, round hair sable brushes. Brushes can
also be used for sizing and color. For coloring use one brush for
each color. If you have a shortage of brushes, clean each brush
thoroughly before using another color. Brushes can also be used
as a writing tool. A common brush is the Chinese bamboo brush
with hair tips. Then there is the flat tipped sable brush, which
is almost the equivalent of the edged pen. Round hairs are used
for lettering.