posted
One thing I've started a sure interest lately is Calligraphy. After watching Russ Mowry at work at French Kiss A Brush 2 years ago it got me thinking...hey I want to give it a try.
I have practiced almost every night while watching TV, with only fountain pens and paper pad. I have scripted hundred and hundreds of pages. No official masterpiece yet! Only practice.
The fun thing is that it's like practicing hand lettering in your living room but without the cleaning up after. The curves and the moves are pretty similar to what we do with a lettering brush.
If somebody is interested in sharing this passion let me know your postal adress so we can correspond.
Life is so good!
-------------------- Pierre Tardif P. Tardif Inc. 1006 boul. PIE-XI sud Val-Belair QC. Canada G3K 1L2 418-847-4089 pierre@ptardif.com Posts: 800 | From: Quebec city | Registered: Aug 2002
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you blew us away at moose mania with your beautiful work. Nice job, even for a cunuck.
-------------------- Ken McTague, Concept Signs 57 Bridge St. (route 107) Salem MA 01970 1-978-745-5800 conceptsign@yahoo.com http://www.pinheadlounge.com/CaptainKen
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"A wise man once said that, or was it a wise guy?" Posts: 2425 | From: Salem, MA | Registered: Apr 1999
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You are WAY too modest. You already do beautiful calligraphy. Thanks for the pen you gave me at Moose Mania!
The pens Pierre had at Moose Mania are the coolest thing i have seen for calligraphy ("C" or chisel type nib) with a cartridge. They beat the speedball dip pens for ease of use. They are fairly new and the only picture i could find is here: http://www.blotspens.co.uk/acatalog/Calligraphy_Pilot_Parallel_Pens_15.html
However, Canadian Signcrafters (a merchant here) carries them.
-------------------- Steve Racz Racz's Handcarved Signs Posts: 1078 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
wow, this REALLY makes me want to grab some pens and give this a shot. my mom has done calligraphy for as long as i can remember, but her style is very rigid and by-the-book -- really nice for wedding invitations, diplomas, and the like, but it doesn't have the personality of this!
my bachelor's degree is in architecture, so i've spent a LOT of time obsessing over hand-lettering (i've always loved interesting hand-lettering, especially ink on paper -- this DEFINITELY caught my eye).
would be cool to see some more alphabets that could be used as practice sheets...awesome stuff!
-------------------- Ryan Long Magic Light Neon Sign Co. Crawfordsville, IN Posts: 132 | From: Crawfordsville, IN | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
You definitley have the gift Pierre!! That 'loose' unlaboured look I'm always tediously trying to achieve.
You can get paid for the fun too.
...gettin' $2 or more per outer envelope and another $1.25 for the inner envelope doing wedding invitations!! (You'll get PLENTY of practice then )
May not sound like much money . . . 'til you find out there will be 400+ invites.
Nice money in the summer months - you get to be in the AC with this job, or in the winter, nice and toasty-warm just addressing letters in your com'forta'bail chair.
(People also like to have their original poetry done, and then they frame it so perty!
Lots of creative ways to make money with calligraphy.
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I found the pilot parallel pens at cultpens.com in the UK. They also had the pentel brush pen. Canadian Signcrafters was temporarily out. Marcia
-------------------- Bob & Marcia Peach Peach Signs Inc Sandwich, MA rpeach9828@aol.com Posts: 1020 | From: Sandwich, MA | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Pierre, You truly have a gift. Even if you are a little brat! Hey....you should advertise your calligraphy. You'd be amazed at the easy money you can make doing wedding invitations and such, all from the comfort of your living room. Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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How much like it, is it to the brush? Since I consider myself more of a vinyl and computer jockey than an actual letterhead, I've been practicing with my brushes to learn how to pinstrip and other schtuff. If I can practice without the clean up that would be nice. Once I feel I've got some of the basic strokes and curves down then I could go back and futz with the real thing (paint & brushes).
Awesome work!
-------------------- Brian Diver PDQ Signs Everett, Wa
posted
Our stock for both the Calligraphy pens and the Pentel brush pen are on the way to us. Call us to get your orders in Steve & Pierre already have you on the list.
-------------------- Marj Payne Canadian SignCrafters Supply www.signcraftersupply.com 75580 Wildwood LIne South Bayfield, ON, N0M 1G0 800-663-9753 cansign@tcc.on.ca Posts: 16 | From: Bayfield, Ont | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
I share Pierre's love of calligraphy. In the early days of Letterville, we had ties to several calligraphy websites. I'd like to see that sort of relationship renewed.
The hardest part is learning to relax and let the brush or pen do it's thing. Sign painters train to make straight even strokes. The secret to calligraphy and scripts is learning to let er rip.
Better get me a set too Marj! My Birthday is coming up on the 18th of October. I think this would make a wonderful gift to myself.
-------------------- Steve Shortreed 144 Hill St., E. Fergus, Ontario Canada N1M 1G9 519-787-2673
First I gotta see the panel you did every day when I get to the shop. Every day I'm reminded of the fact that I'm still years away from marketable hand lettering. Calligraphy, though, was something I thought I was getting the hang of. Now you gotta go and show me I can't do that either. Your window splashes are great, too.
Probably gonna come to town and my dog will follow you home.
Thanks for nothing.
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Pierre, I wish I lived close enough that I could watch you do some of that calligraphy magic in person. Hopefully I'll see you at a meet sometime. You do beautiful work.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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Pierre - no more practice needed - just convert pen strokes to cash - you have a unique look = should market itself once word gits around - good advice above about doing invitations & what not . . .
-------------------- Carl Wood Olive Branch, Ms Posts: 1392 | From: Olive Branch,MS USA | Registered: Nov 1999
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Pierre, you blew me away at Moncton, and this year at Consac too doing all those pages of calligraphy one after the other at SUPERSPEED! I look at the alphabet you gave me and shake my head, it's so good; getting to your level is like climbing a huge mountain towards a really-far-away lightbulb(!). Really inspiring! I will share the main advice you gave me which was PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, every day, and I know any calligraphy practice I do will help with the hand-lettering and just generally loosening up which is much easier said than done for me. Marj I'm calling for some pens which I've been meaning to do since Consac. Pierre your work is beautiful and artistic, thanks for sharing!
posted
Is there are "Mario LeMieux" in there? *Beautiful* work Pierre!! I totally agree with Carl, no more practice needed.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Pierre...awesome work. Reminds me very much of John Steven's stuff and if you're not familiar with his stuff - that's pretty good company to be in. Check him out at www.johnstevensdesign.com
Good luck!
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
I just have to add a little something for the poor little spouses of "pen maniaks"...
Last Easter, Pierre and his wife were at our place for a visit and one evening from right after supper ( must have been 8pm tops ) till about close to midnight, Pierre and I must have used 100 sheets of blank paper just writing stuff and alphabets while Marie-Claude and Heather just sat there talking and just being totally ignored by the 2 "pen maniaks"... sorry girls, but this comes with accepting to live with a sign guy !!!
By the way, I tip my hat to Pierre... I may stand taller, but with a calligraphy pen in his hand... he's ahead of me. Great work buddy !!!
posted
Kimberly, your dad also ranked up there as one of my top favorite caligraphic artists.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Another GREAT source for all things dealing with pen & ink is: www.johnnealbooks.com/ Very nice folks as well- Cat
-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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