Growing up in a Sindhi household, I was always taught the value of money. Although we are stereotyped as miserly, we just try to spend our money wisely. I try to incorporate my frugal ways into every aspect of my life and the same goes for calligraphy. If you’ve been reluctant to start calligraphy because of the price, hopefully this post can change your mind. You need only 4 basic supplies to start off and you can spend as little as ₹500. Read on to know exactly what you need!
Written with a Blue Pumpkin nib and Fountain Pen Ink
Nibs
My go-to nib for pointed pen calligraphy is the Leonardt DP40 Blue Pumpkin Nib. It is incredibly smooth to write with, does not catch on the paper fibres and gives beautifully thin hairlines. The only downside to this nib is that it rusts quite quickly.
My second favourite nib is the Leonardt Copperplate Crown Nib. It is the perfect nib for beginners and lasts a little longer than the Blue Pumpkin.
Both nibs are cheap so you can buy a couple of each to test them out.
The crown nib is pictured at the corners and the blue pumpkin nibs are the ones in the middle.
Cost:
Manuscript Leonardt DP40 Blue Pumpkin: ₹52
Manuscript Leonardt Copperplate Crown Nib: ₹45
2. Nib Holder
Pointed-pen calligraphy requires either a straight or an oblique nib holder. If you do not want to spend a lot of money for a hobby you aren’t sure about, I would recommend the straight holder.
I started my calligraphy journey with a straight-nib holder since it was inexpensive. However, once you get a little more serious, it would be a good idea to invest in an oblique holder with a brass flange. Most calligraphic scripts are written with a slant and the oblique holder makes it easier to align to that angle.
Cost:
Manuscript Leonardt Natural Wooden Dip Pen Holder (Straight): ₹140
3. Paper
Many practice pads that are available on the market are pretty expensive. I like to DIY my own and spend a fraction of the price. Make sure that your paper is 85 GSM or higher, so your ink doesn’t bleed. Buy your sheets at a local stationery store, print out your guidelines, get them spiral bound and you’re good to go!
Cost:
100 A4 sheets (90 GSM) - ₹130
Spiral binding: ₹25
4. Ink
India Ink has got to be my favourite ink when it comes to calligraphy, but it can get a little expensive. However, I recently found a super cheap alternative that gives me very similar results – Fountain Pen Ink. Almost all stationery stores sell fountain ink, or you might just have some stashed away at home. I like to use the fountain ink for my everyday practice and save the India Ink for more formal pieces.
The fountain pen ink writes just as well as India Ink as you can see in the picture!
Cost:
Black fountain pen ink (30ml): ₹80
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Ink in Aqua (30 ml): ₹405
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Ink (30 ml): ₹405
Manuscript Calligraphy Ink (30 ml): ₹590
Winsor & Newton Calligraphy Ink (30 ml): ₹625
And there you go! These are all the supplies you need to begin pointed pen calligraphy.
You can get in touch with Karishma Mansukhani on @aninklingofcurry