INK SPLATTERS THREE WAYS
Sometimes you finish a calligraphy piece… and it just needs a little something EXTRA.
One of my favorite ways to add a little pizzaz is ink splatters!
See how it adds movement and interest to the piece on the right? And also fills in some of the negative space, too. Huzzah!
So how do you do it? Well, I’m going to show you three different ways!
You can click below to watch the VIDEO TUTORIAL, or keep reading for just the highlights.
TECHNIQUE #1: THE PAINTBRUSH TAP
Use a slightly larger paintbrush (I like a Size #4 Round), so you can get a good amount of ink onto your bristles.
Then, position the bristles over the area where you want the ink splatter to go. And then, tap the handle of your paintbrush firmly against another solid item, like a pen or paintbrush handle.
This will result in fat droplets, with a scattering of tinier drops.
This is NOT my favorite technique to use with calligraphy, because the droplets are a little too large and can obscure your lettering. But it’s a good technique to use for art on a larger scale.
TECHNIQUE #2 : THE BRISTLE BRUSH
This one starts off just like Technique #1.
But, instead of tapping the handle of your paintbrush against another stick, you brush the BRISTLES of your paintbrush down against the stick.
This results in a fine spray of tiny drops that spread out in a linear pattern.
I like this technique for calligraphy because it’s small scale, but it’s a little hard to control where exactly the drops go and it can get a little messy…
TECHNIQUE #3: THE POINTED NIB FLICK
This is my favorite way to create ink splatters for calligraphy.
Take an OLD, WORN-OUT NIB (this technique will misalign your nib tines) and dip it into your ink. The more ink on your nib, the bigger your splatters will be.
Next, flick the tines down against a hard, non-porous edge (like an old credit card) and you’ll get a lovely, random splatter pattern with tons of movement.
TIPS AND TRICKS
DO NOT add ink splatters too close to your letters. This might make your calligraphy hard to read!
DO consider the direction that you want your ink splatters to go. The way you brush your bristles or flick your nib will determine where ink splatters land on the page.
DO NOT accidentally drop a huge blob of ink right in the middle of your work [facepalm]
Now go add some beautiful INK SPLATTER to your calligraphy pieces. =)
I hope this helps you on your calligraphy journey!
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