The pen is an important tool in hard-pen calligraphy creation. It is like a gun in the hands of a soldier. The writing performance of a pen directly affects the creator's mood and performance ability in creation. Imagine a pen with a stagnant pen tip and a sharp pen tip. When writing, the paper is scratched and the water stops in the middle, which will definitely affect the author's creative mood. How can he create good works?
“A good calligrapher will get a good pen, and a sharp tool will disturb the good worker. It is also quick to use it smoothly. He said that someone who is good at writing without choosing a pen is not included in the treatise!” (Wang Yuanqi’s "Wang Yuanqi" " Pei Wenzhai Calligraphy and Painting Manual") Ancient calligraphers were very meticulous in the selection and use of their own tools; similarly, today's hard-pen calligraphy authors should not be very careless in their selection and use of their creative tools. The following is a summary of some of my experience in choosing and maintaining pens during use. I hope it can serve as a reference for all hard-pen book lovers.
Let’s first look at the material of a pen and the types of nibs.
The appearance of modern fountain pens and the materials they are made of such as stems and sleeves vary widely. However, the pen tip, its main component, cannot be made without metal. From hard and wear-resistant space metal titanium to expensive gold, they can all be applied to the production of pen tips. Use these rare metals to make pen tips. The main reason is to consider the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the pen tip to extend the service life of the pen.
The types of pen nibs can be divided into fully covered, semi-covered and fully exposed. As the name suggests, the full-covered type wraps the nib and tongue into the pen barrel, leaving only about 2 mm of the pen tip exposed for writing; the fully-exposed type exposes most of the pen tip and tongue; the half-covered type is somewhere in between. .
When choosing a fountain pen, if conditions permit, you can choose a gold pen. The nib type can be fully exposed. Because the gold pen is a high-end pen, the production from the sleeve to the nib is very fine, and the nib has excellent wear resistance and other properties. The reason why it is recommended to choose the fully exposed type is because the elasticity of this kind of steel pen tip is good, and the strokes change greatly during writing, which can improve the expressiveness of creation.
Of course, not all the more expensive and high-end gold pens are suitable for us. For example, the world-famous Parker gold pen is well-made and has a lifetime guarantee, but its price is not acceptable to every author. Moreover, its pen tip is delicate and soft, which is suitable for writing lingering and even-thick letters. It is not suitable for writing artistic square Chinese characters, which is especially difficult for beginners to master.
As for choosing the fully exposed style, this is also my personal opinion. Calligraphy authors can also choose according to their habits or needs for creative effect.
When you go to a stationery store to buy a pen, first choose a type of pen based on your preference and financial ability, and then make a specific selection. You can follow the steps below.
First of all, make sure the rod sleeve is not damaged. The nib of the pen is the most important. It must be installed tightly and not loose. The size of the metal particles on the left and right sides of the tip are basically the same and should not be damaged. The nib is close to the feed. Then put it on the paper in the writing position and check the size of the gap in the pen tip and the elasticity of the pen tip. Finally, fill in the ink and check whether there is water leakage in the water storage bag or piston barrel; tap the pen tip lightly on the paper, and there should be no water dripping out; mark the "∞" symbol on the paper, and there should be no scraping of the paper. The water comes out smoothly; write a few words according to your habits and see if the changes in the thickness of the lines meet your requirements.
It is impossible to choose a perfect pen that fully meets your own requirements. This requires the author to use the chosen pen more and practice frequently in order to master it and create good works with ease. Come.
Hard-pen calligraphy generally uses black carbon ink. This kind of ink contains colloid. If the pen is not put on the cover during use, it will be in contact with the air for a long time, and it will easily condense and block the pen tip, resulting in poor water flow during writing and insufficient fluent and coherent writing. This is a common problem for hard-pen calligraphy enthusiasts. Little trouble. At this time, the pen should be cleaned and maintained.
The nib part of most pens can be completely disassembled. We can use a soft brush and a water spray bottle to clean the nib and tongue, but there are also some pens that cannot be disassembled or are afraid that disassembly will damage the nib. At this time, you can first put the pen into a basin of clean water and rinse it repeatedly to clean off the remaining ink. Then use a water spray bottle to rinse the pen tip, and use a thin cotton thread to insert into the gap between the pen tongue and pen tip (not suitable for all-inclusive pens). Perform cleaning. It can generally be cleaned. But sometimes the residual ink will block the fine cracks on the pen tip, making it impossible to clean, and blisters will not work. You can put your hair into it and clean it.
When using a pen, in addition to regular cleaning, you should also pay attention to the following aspects: first, do not press the pen tip with excessive force; secondly, do not write on hard or rough objects. ; Put the pen cover on after use to protect the pen tip from damage and fill it with high-quality ink. These measures can protect your pen from damage and extend its service life, so that it can serve you in its best condition and create your own creations. More and better hard pen calligraphy works to come.