Is it Friday already?! The week flew by for me. I love, love, love to make these mandalas. I have a step-by-step mandala picture tutorial at Flickr. You can view it here. This particular mandala was made for an exchange. The quote is by Jean Paul Richter and says, "Cheerfulness, like spring, opens all the blossoms of the inward man."
This flourish is based on one I saw on page 29 of The Universal Penman. I hope everyone has a great weekend!!
you have no idea how i've come to look forward to "flourish friday"! you always share the most beautiful things, jane! your mandala is stunning (love your pointed pen letterforms!) and i really enjoyed your tutorial! happy weekend to you! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the link to the mandala tutorial. Yours are beautiful! And I can't wait to try one in between all the wedding work I'm so busy with.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to say how much I enjoy your Friday Flourish too, Jane.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
Your mandala is gorgeous! I so admire your calligraphy and design sense. Will definitely check out your tutorial as soon as I get another work break.
ReplyDeleteDear Ms. Farr.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog while googling for flourishing, and I’m stunned with the beauty of your work. This post encouraged me to try making a mandala card for a friend of mine, so thank you for teaching. (I still do not know what a mandala actually is, but I expect it is a work with a repeating, circular pattern.) How do you get those fine lines when flourishing letters?
In case you’d like to see how my first attempt turned out, it’s here (http://goo.gl/XFKBO) on my blog.
Greetings, Tor-Ivar!
DeleteI am glad to know you have found my blog and Flickr tutorial helpful. I admire your desire to practice calligraphy. I congratulate you on using what you have learned to create lovely birthday gifts! You are correct - I call the designs "mandalas" only because they are circular designs.
I am glad to see you have visited both The Calligraphy Pen and IAMPETH for instruction. Both sites are excellent resources.
For the lettering of the Jean Paul Richter quote above, I used a pointed, flexible pen point (nib). I cannot remember exactly which one I used, perhaps a Hiro 700. With a pointed, flexible nib, you achieve thick and thin strokes with pressure (thick) and release (thin). To achieve fine hairlines, only the ink should touch the paper. There is no pressure on the nib. Whereas, with a broad edge nib, you achieve thick and thin strokes with the angle of the pen nib. I hope that makes sense.
Thank you for your kind words about my work. I appreciate your comment. My best to you as you continue your calligraphic journey!
Kind regards,
Jane