Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Fun Technique

Happy Friday, Friends! Following is a reposting of my August 26, 2011 Flourish Friday.  If you want to see the comments from the original post, CLICK HERE.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

 Rachel and Matthew started classes at Purdue University this past Monday. I think I've shared before that I try to write to them each week while they are at school.  I enjoy trying new techniques on their envelopes.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

At IAMPETH, Brenda Broadbent and Linda Hirsh shared a very cool technique using a black Glaze pen.  It so happens this past Saturday the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a picnic. Each member that attended received a goody bag which included a black Glaze pen. (Insert Happy Dance.)

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

 The Glaze pens have this little protective bulb on the end which must be removed before using the pen.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

 Brenda and Linda demonstrated using the black Glaze pen on black paper.  They showed the technique using elaborate Zentangle designs, but I just did some basic block letters filled with simple designs.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

 Once the Glaze pen lettering has dried, you go back in with colored pencils.  I used Prismacolor pencils. The marks from the Glaze pen are raised, giving an embossed look.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

I still thought the lettering needed something. I went back in with a white Uniball Signo pen and added drop shadows to help the letters pop a bit more.  (I made copies of one of my old Zentangles to put on the kids' cards.) Glaze pen on dark paper = Fun stuff. :)

You've probably heard that Brenda Broadbent is selling Paper & Ink Arts to Al Allen of Durable Supply Co.  /  Marker Supply Co.  I know Brenda has been looking for the right buyer for her company for a looooong time. I wish both Brenda and the Allen family the very best for a smooth and orderly transition.

For those of you in the path of Irene, I pray you are erring on the side of caution.

Wishing everyone a happy and SAFE weekend.

Pilot Parallel Pens

I love Pilot Parallel Pens. They come in several sizes and give wonderful, crisp lines. I like the larger sizes especially. Brenda Broadbent, owner of Paper and Ink Arts, gave a nuts and bolts demonstration of the versatility of these pens at the IAMPETH convention.

She first had us dismantle our pens. Assuring us that it was virtually impossible to ruin them. Her main goal was to convince us that these pens are more than cartridge pens. They are easy to disassemble and clean with ammonia water or Windex. Soak the pieces in the ammonia solution, rinse and dry.

The greatest thing is that you can load your fluid directly into the barrel of the pen. You can load them with nearly any fluid....sumi, watercolor, gouache, walnut ink, etc. She was hesitant about using acrylics though. Several people in the class said they've even used bleach successfully.

I used walnut ink. I have given step-by-step directions over on my Flickr account. You can view the tutorial here.

This is Brenda's book Parallel Pen Wizardry. I think it's a must have if you own one of these great pens. You can order it, along with the Parallel Pens, from Paper & Ink Arts here.