Lettering with a Parallel Pen

At the August Calligraphy Guild meeting, I had three new experiences.

  • Martha Cole was our guest presenter who shared her fun and whimsical uncial-inspired lettering with us.
  • I used a parallel pen for the first time!
  • I created all kinds of colors by mixing only two colors of ink.
The parallel pen was a completely new tool to me and I felt quite awkward using it. The awkwardness didn’t scare me or slow me down like it used to. I played with it and tinkered with making different strokes and then began making some letters. The letters I made were all different sizes and inconsistent widths.

And it was OKAY. So many times, I used to be very hard on myself when I was learning a new skill. Now, I am learning to be okay with the messy, beginning stages of learning. 

The expectation that I had for the day was to enjoy meeting Martha and experiencing her teaching style and to play with the mixing the Windsor Newton Dark Blue and Yellow Ochre to get all of the amazing colors from those two inks. (This is a technique from Carol Dubosh.) 

Supplies Used

Mindful Creativity

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