Oh my goodness, why not?! You don't really need expensive ink to practice writing, and dip pens are wonderful for learning how to shape and connect letters. They taught cursive when I was in school, and my first year, we used dip pens. After that we went to Sheaffer cartridge pens, and then ballpoints took over, as long as the teacher could read our writing.
I'd get a book on cursive, a bottle of ink from your local stationer--less expensive is good to start, but I *would* get fountain pen ink in case you wanted to use it in a fountain pen later on. Pigmented inks for dip pens only will corrode and ruin the innards of fountain pens--best avoid. Get some reasonably nice paper. Tell the person at the store you're practicing calligraphy and need a paper that's heavy enough the ink won't bleed through, and with enough tooth the ink will actually dry. Copier paper tends to be slick and nonporous, but there are inexpensive papers that work well. You don't need fancy stationery to practice.
And then, have fun! Use those nibs--especially if you have stubs or italics. Learn how they like to be held and what kinds of lines they make on the paper.
Wow, you couldn't tell I'm at all absorbed in this hobby, huh?
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Date: 2011-08-26 09:20 pm (UTC)I'd get a book on cursive, a bottle of ink from your local stationer--less expensive is good to start, but I *would* get fountain pen ink in case you wanted to use it in a fountain pen later on. Pigmented inks for dip pens only will corrode and ruin the innards of fountain pens--best avoid. Get some reasonably nice paper. Tell the person at the store you're practicing calligraphy and need a paper that's heavy enough the ink won't bleed through, and with enough tooth the ink will actually dry. Copier paper tends to be slick and nonporous, but there are inexpensive papers that work well. You don't need fancy stationery to practice.
And then, have fun! Use those nibs--especially if you have stubs or italics. Learn how they like to be held and what kinds of lines they make on the paper.
Wow, you couldn't tell I'm at all absorbed in this hobby, huh?