As calligraphers, the words "Finetec" and "handmade paper" are no strangers to us. In fact, I actually got introduced to Finetec during my first Copperplate workshop back in 2014! My instructor had demonstrated writing our names with it and I was so mesmerized by the shimmer and how elegant it looked on paper. I bought my first palette right away and now I'm honored to be an Art Ambassador with Royal Talens who helps distribute Finetec in North America.

Finetec is a line of high quality watercolor and offers a variety of transparent, neon, pearlescent, iridescent, metallic colors that work beautifully for calligraphy.

How to use - Finetec comes in pans and in order to properly use it with a pointed nib, you will need to dilute it with water until you get a milk like consistency. Add a couple drops of distilled water directly onto the pan (I like to keep my water in a dropper bottle), mix with a brush, and load it onto the nib (both front and back!) until it covers the eye of the...

I love painting and how it complements calligraphy so beautifully. After sharing recent envelopes with painted florals, I received an overwhelming response and requests for a tutorial...so  I'm excited to share this video with you!  

In this video, you will learn:

• How to paint florals using gouache and bleed proof ink (supplies that most calligrapher already have!)
• 3 brushes that I use for painting and detailing
• How to double load a brush with two colors for the ombre look

Supplies used:

• Black cardstock paper
• Dr. Ph Martin's bleedproof white
• Arteza gouache (this is the set that has the Stone Blue color, but you can try other gouache colors if you want!)
• Princeton 12 round brush
• 3/4" flat brush (I personally have the Royal & Langnickel acrylic brush, but I'm linking something similar)
• Sakura water brush

You can incorporate these florals into your finished pieces, envelopes, place cards, etc! I personally added these florals onto dark blue...

Did you know you can use gouache to make your own calligraphy ink?  It's a great way to add beautiful colors to your piece! I also enjoy practicing with colored ink to switch things up. Arteza recently sent me their gouache and watercolor paper to test and I'm happy to share that I am really pleased with their color options, quality, and how the ink does not smear after writing on their watercolor paper.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make your own ink:

*Disclosure - Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and purchase. However, know that I will only recommend supplies that I use and stand behind. Thank you for your support!

Materials You Need

• Ink Jar - I love using dinky dips for when I need a small batch of colored ink. These are tiny containers that fit your nib perfectly. The one that is shown here is from M.Lovewell and you can get it here. If you are working on...