The Calligraphy Podcast

The Calligraphy Podcast

Welcome to The Calligraphy Podcast, a space for calligraphers to talk about, share and grow in their art–and cultivate community along the way. Join hosts Ajab Rajvir Jandiala and Christen Turney as they delve into all things pen and ink.

Episodes

August 15, 2023 46 mins

Get ready to flourish! In this episode, we chat with Schin Loong, calligrapher and artist at Open Ink Stand about all things flourishing. Schin is known for her Madarasz-inspired writing and flourishing and is the author of Calligraphic Drawing. In this episode, we talk about the freedom flourishing gives and how to approach this calligraphic discipline in a digestible way – one stroke at a time!

Follow Schin at @openinkstand on In...

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It's summertime, which means folks are making time for calligaphy. Maybe you're headed to a calligraphy class or conference or are on a vacation and are bringing your pens along for some "me" time with pen and ink. You could also be enjoying a quiet weekend at home and are putting time aside for calligraphy. Whether you're on a plane, in a car, on a walk, or at your desk, we hope you'll have an open mind today as we talk about how ...

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June 15, 2023 28 mins

The smell of sandalwood fills the air. A gentle scraping sound is heard from the other room. Everything turns black. No, the world isn't ending. We're just over here grinding o...

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May 15, 2023 29 mins

For us (Ajab and Christen), calligraphy started out as a hobby. We know from experience, once calligraphy enters your life, it's hard to shake it! While both of us now work as professional calligraphers, we know how important it is to maintain that spirit of curosity, practice and...

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Get ready for an all new season of The Calligraphy Podcast. Starting May 15, we will release one episode per month.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and follow us on Instagram @thecalligraphypodcast.

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October 18, 2021 37 mins

From the large tips on the Tombow dual pens to small point of a Pentel Brush Sign Pen, we're talking all things brush calligraphy.

Detailed show notes to come.

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September 13, 2021 43 mins
Today, we welcome special gust Chantelle Hoffman of Bespoke Strokes. Chantelle shares about how she made the decision to step back from her calligraphy business for a season and what brought her back.

You can follow Chantelle on Instagram at @bespokestrokes or visit her website, bespokestrokes.com.

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August 9, 2021 20 mins

Ever wonder what it's like to go to a calligraphy conference? In this episode we share clips from the 2019 IAMPETH conference and tell you all about what you can expect from a week with fellow pen and ink lovers.

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July 5, 2021 27 mins

In this episode, we talk about:

  • how to learn a new script
  • why keeping a Beginner's Mindset is the key to learning
  • tips for beginners
  • challenges faced by advanced calligraphers

Recommended in this episode: Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield

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June 21, 2021 74 mins

Nina is a calligraphy teacher and artist renowned for her Live sessions on Instagram and her incredible attention to detail.

In this heartfelt chat, we talk about:

  • The journey of a calligrapher- from apprentice to master
  • Why basics matter
  • What it means to 'Pay it Forward'
  • The relationship between a Mentor and Mentee
  • Nina's favorite tools

Follow Nina on Instagram here.

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June 7, 2021 42 mins

One of the biggest streams of income for calligraphers is wedding envelope jobs.

In this episode we talk about:

  • how to set up a job,
  • what to charge (yes! We talk real numbers!),
  • tools of the trade
  • and more!

Your homework—time yourself! How long does it take you to write an envelope in calligraphy? Tell us your time for a traditional envelope or a modern style envelope.

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  • Do wine, beer or beetles go into inks?
  • Why do metallic inks need to be stirred frequently?
  • Is Iron Gall ink actually bad for your nibs?
  • Are chemical reactions part of ink-making?
  • What kind of ink should we use if we want to create something for our great-great-great-great-great-grandkids?

We bring Mr. Fox of Fox & Quills on the show to answer all these questions, and lots more!

New ink announcements: Fox & Quills

Check o...

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In this episode:

  • How you can OWN your calligraphy journey
  • What makes calligraphy worth pursuing
  • How you can determine if calligraphy will become your career
  • If being a calligrapher means being the best
  • How to deal with judgment

Plus, Christen asks a bold question and Ajab shares her vulnerabilities.

Books recommended:

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December 7, 2020 35 mins

In the last episode of season 2, we recap the past year of the podcast, share some BIG news and end with two rounds of rapid fire questions.

Thanks to all of our wonderful listeners for your support these last few years. We will be taking a few months off to enjoy the holidays and plan for season 3, coming spring 2021.

 

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November 24, 2020 37 mins

At one point or another, we all get asked to create a commissioned piece for a client. In this episode, we break down all the steps from inquiry to delivery and share how we handle projects like this.

Watch Martina Flor's Adobe Max presentation – Christen mentioned it when discussing sketches.

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November 9, 2020 25 mins

*Disclaimer: This episode is not legal advice. We share about copyrights, the public domain and plagiarism in this episode. Consult a legal professional if you have questions about this topic.*

In this episode, we talk about plagiarism, copyrights and the public domain. We hope our heart behind this episode comes through–we want to honor and respect fellow artists and those we learn from. 

An article we liked about the public domai...

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In today's episode, we interview Sarah Richardson of Sarah Script. Sarah specializes in Copperplate and Engrosser's Script, in fact, she wrote the book on it! We talk with Sarah about her book and how she overcomes self doubt.

Check out Sarah's Instagram

Visit Sarah's Website

Sign up for Sarah's Classically Copperplate class

Buy Sarah's book, Copperplate Calligraphy from A to Z

Sign up for Christen's Holiday class

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While the coronavirus has us holed up at home, the calligraphy community has adapted and taken to the internet to provide a plethora of online classes. This episode is all about how to plan for and teach a calligraphy workshop online. If you're not a teacher, this episode will put into perspective all the hard work teachers put in to make classes accessible to students across the world.

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We use the famous words of Brian Walker, shared by Heather Held, to format today's episode. We talk about resources to study from, tools to practice with, and asked our listeners to reflect on their own experiences and offer up advice to new broad edge calligraphers.

Below are the resources we mentioned:

Books:

  • Foundations of Calligraphy by Sheila Waters 
  • ...
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September 14, 2020 29 mins

In part one of our broad edge series, we talk about the basics of broad edge calligraphy–tools, how to get an x height, how it relates to and differs from pointed pen, and more.

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