Some Unconventional Flourishing Tips

I’m not an expert calligrapher.

I can’t speak from years of experience.

So why the heck do I think I can share, teach and help others?

Because I’m focused on sharing what I’ve experienced, and what works for me.

That can mean some … pretty unconventional tips. 😬

My latest blogpost on how to get smooth lines in flourishing covers tried-and-true tips like warm-ups, wrist and arm movement, how to hold your pen so it doesn’t snag on paper.

But here are some unconventional tips that work for me i.e. may not work for everyone (and especially not complete beginners!).

• I never trace a draft. I refer to a pencil draft on the side, and write directly on clean paper. I can never trace exactly since pencil is 10x smoother than pointed pen. And the moment I deviate from the draft, I feel like I’ve messed up and need to restart. Tracing a draft also, counter-intuitively, constraints my movements and lines get shakier.

• I flourish in the air. Before writing a specific flourish, I mimic the movement in the air as a trial. But I use much larger movements — say the flourish is about 3cm wide on paper, I’ll make it 15cm when I’m mimicking it in the air.

• I practise with a super sharp nib. Like the Leonardt Principal Extra Fine. If I can flourish with that nib, I can flourish with any nib. (Let’s ignore the fact that the LPEF sits permanently in my favourite holder, and I’m just lazy to switch it out. 🤐)

• I blur my vision. I cross my eyes just before transitioning into a flourish, and my hand goes into auto-pilot to execute the movement. Oddly, if I focus too intently with laser sharp vision, I’m more likely to mess up with shaky lines.

• I fling my arm vigorously and punch my pillow. Not to the extent of a sparring competition of course; just a more intense version of warm-ups. It loosens the kinks in my muscles, and helps me vent my stress and frustrations. Win-win for smoother flourishing.

Did any of these strike you as being strange? Or do you have even weirder tips that you use in your own practice? 😛

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