Calligraphy: A Scribe's Notes - Art Blog
Goose Quill Success
by calligraphy , June 23, 2009—12:00 AM
After many weeks of reading, asking questions, curing quills, scorching quills, cutting, mangling and muttering, I finally got a quill to write. Two of them actually. The aluminum can strip reservoir is a pain as far as I'm concerned. I can't get the thing to sit straight or touch the back of the quill properly so I resorted to holding it in place with masking tape. It worked. I did the entire piece (except the painting of the stones) pictured with a quill and gouache on a very poor choice of laid charcoal paper. Put that on the list of things not to do again. The color was perfect but the surface was frustrating. I need to rework it, I think the stones look like potatoes. But the quills worked! Happy dance!
COMMENTS
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07/29/2009 * 19:41:43
Tonight I have tried five different beer cans hic! of different strength to cut up and make re.hic! se. hic! voirs.
The first one, 2.5% worked O.K. The second, 3.9% was O.K. The third, 5% hic!became a little more difficult hic! to make into the hic! perfect spiral to in.hic!sert into the perfect.hic!ly cut hic! goosequill ( prepared much earlier after five long years of natural drying and curing )( By the way, try it without splitting the quill. It works even better.) Whoops! A moment of sheer lucidity. Hic!I have now downed my can of xxxxx suhic!per and have forgotten hic! what we were talking hic!about.Can hehehe i hic! come back and try again?
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07/03/2009 * 10:44:41
Marilyn,
I have only seen one other person do the masking tape trick and I must say it DOES work better than that pesky aluminum strip thing. Seems like soda cans were a heavier gauge metal years ago because it used to work OK. I took classes with George years ago and have my notes etc. but there is a lot I have forgotten. This exercise has brought a lot back. I have tried a couple of curing methods that people have suggested and some work better than others so I continue to experiment.(pssstt) If you would like to share your curing process you can email me privately. mary@artid.com
06/28/2009 * 16:15:35
I use an 1/8 inch piece of masking tape under the bottom and crossed over the top for a reservoir. It works much better than the tin pop can thing. I love using quills and cut them all the time. I have a unique curing process that is fast and it WORKS. George Yanigita was my teacher and he had some great hints about forming tools to make GIANT quills which are like a C-0 or larger. So fun!
Madeline ( homepage )
09/23/2009 * 12:31:47
As usual, when I see your work I see myself picking up a pen and ink and calligra-phying something. Well, I picked up the pen and dipped in ink; mmmmmmmm... vision foggy. Need lots and lots of practice to be as good as you. I LOVE YOUR WORK and I love you!!!!