Calligraphy With a Quill Pen

Quill pens were once an increasingly popular writing instrument before ball point pens and pencils became mainstream. Crafted from goose, turkey or swan feathers with an ink flow control slit in their center-calamus feather, quill pens could be found throughout history.

Inks for drawing

Drawing ink was comprised of natural ingredients such as iron gall (ferro-tannate), lamp black, bistre and logwood, which could be mixed to produce linear or tonal effects and were often diluted further for transparent gray washes.

Quill pens are pressure sensitive pens that use capillary action to draw ink up through their feather or reed/bamboo nib. While it takes some practice to become adept with quill pens and their line sensitivity, you will soon discover their many uses on various paper surfaces and your own drawing/writing style.

Quill pens are typically constructed from goose or swan feathers, though other species and even bamboo shoots have also been utilized. Once assembled, feathers are typically trimmed to a point with an ink-holding slit at their ends; until steel nibs and fountain pens were introduced during the nineteenth century, ink was applied with a reed pen to achieve smooth inking applications.

Inks for calligraphy

Calligraphy with a quill pen can be an exquisite and rewarding art form. This style was popular throughout history, used frequently on documents such as the Declaration of Independence. Calligraphy can also be an engaging activity to enjoy with kids while getting in touch with your heritage.

Feather quills are an extremely flexible tool and can be used with almost any form of ink, from traditional iron gall ink (which may no longer be readily available) to carbon-based inks like Indigo Blue and other carbon-based ones. Just be sure to wash off your nib with warm water after each use!

Quill pens are comprised of feathers or other materials like reed or bamboo that have been trimmed to a point and fitted with a small slit to control ink flow from its reservoir – known as the calamus – via capillary action; no matter what orientation it’s held at when writing with one.

Inks for writing

Writing with a quill pen can be an extremely satisfying experience, though it takes practice to become proficient at using one. They operate through capillary action to produce fluid lines with variable thickness that differ significantly from regular ball point pens. Furthermore, pressure sensitive ink flow means the scribe needs to pay close attention as to how much ink has deposited onto their paper – it is strongly advised that when using quill pens quality sketch or drawing paper is preferred as cheaper types may tear and pill more readily with use.

Traditional quill pens are constructed from feathers from large birds (usually geese but also swans and turkeys can be used). First they must be cut down to 9 inches long, stripped of barbs and formed into a nib before the tip is split (cut) to hold ink.

Early quill pens used carbon-based black ink, before it was eventually switched over to iron gall inks during the Middle Ages – permanent deep purple-black or blue-black pigments which darken with age.

Inks for printing

Quill pens were first invented at the start of the Middle Ages. Prior to their invention, reed or bamboo pens had been the primary writing tools used by scribes; these did not hold their point very well and required frequent sharpening. Quill pens proved more durable, suitable for writing on papyrus material and eventually became the preferred pen used when printing documents like Declarations of Independence.

Feather quills are typically constructed using goose or swan feathers, though turkey feathers have also been used. When cut to the shape of a traditional pen nib, feather quills feature a small slit to regulate ink flow from their hollow center known as the calamus – quill pens operate through capillary action so even if held upside-down they won’t spill out all at once (unless aggressively shaken! ).

Iron gall ink was the go-to ink for quill pens, consisting of iron salts mixed with tannin derived from gallnuts and thickener.