Acquiring
a Formal
Hand:

(2) Methods

of the desk is about 500 or

normal

board lowered,
pen devoted

board nisei):
pen depresseli

le-i

Fig. 46.

pen shaft"

NORMAL

ANGLES

too acutí.

( ink morUi thickly)

Angle too great:

Fig. 47.

6o°. It gives complete
control of the ink in
the pen, which can
be made to run faster
or slower by slightly
elevating or depress¬
ing the shaft (fig. 45).

The writing-board
may be slightly lowered
or raised with the
object of elevating
or depressing the pen
shaft (fig. 46 & p. 84).

The pen makes a con¬
siderable angle with the
writing surface^ so that
the ink, which is held
in the hollow of the
nib, comes in contact
with the paper at the
very extremity of the
nib, making very fine
strokes (a, fig. 47).

The spring is ad¬
justed carefully, the tip
being approximately
inch from the tip
of the nib. The
nearer the spring is
to the end of the
nib, the faster the ink
flows. The loop must
be kept flattish in
order to hold the ink
well (see figs. 35, 48).

34

filling the pen, &c. Acquiring

a Formal

It is convenient to stand the ink, &c., beside the Hand-
desk on the left, and for this purpose a little cup- ^ Meth0ds
shaped bracket or clip may be attached to the edge
of the writing-board. The filling-brush stands in
the ink dish or pot of colour (p. 142), and is taken
up in the left hand; the pen, retained in the right
hand, being brought over to the left to be filled.

Improved forms of springs are shown in fig.

Fig. 48. Outer and Inner Springs.

48; but springs seem to be necessary only under
difficult conditions such as writing on the flat or
on a flattish desk, or on a difficult writing surface,
or when using a very broad nib (requiring a great
deal of ink).

When the pen, the ink, and the writing surface
are all working well the ink is repelled from all but
the track which is laid down by the broad, sharp
Edge of the Nib, as it makes its clear-cut strokes.
As the pen-shaft is nearly horizontal the ink is
under the writer’s control and the nib may be filled
to dripping-point (without a Spring). I usually pile
the ink up on the back of my nib (with the brush).

In careful work the pen should be tried, on a

35