I often get asked by customers why at first a new nib does not work well or why the ink does not flow very well in it.The most common reason is that the new nib has not been prepared before using it.New nibs are usually coated with a thin coat of lacquer to protect them. This should be removed before you start writing. There are 3 ways of removing the lacquer.The most popular method is to use boiling water. You need 2 cups of water; one with boiling water and the other with cold water.

• Place the nib in a penholder (to keep your fingers away from the boiling water); gently stir the boiling water with the nib for 3-4 seconds (being careful not to dip the nib too deeply and get the penholder wet)
• Now dip the nib in the cold water and gently stir again for 3-4 seconds

Repeat these stages several times, carefully dry the nib and it is ready for use.(note: sometimes the nib will look duller after the treatment)

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Which paint colours to choose can be quite daunting -so many colours are available. But you do not need to buy them all!All colours can be mixed from the 3 primary colours; red, blue and yellow. However, mixing a yellow and blue together may not always give you a vibrant green, if the colours being mixed are not pure and contain a small amount of another primary colour, it may differ the tone. For instance a yellow which contains a small amount of blue pigment would result in a greener tone. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find the exact desired colour.You will be able to achieve a much wider range of colours by mixing secondary colours e.g. purple, green and orange together rather than just the primary pigments. Therefore buying 6 colours of paint rather than just the 3 primary colours, will enable you to mix any colour you want.The 6 colours are:Ultramarine (blue-red)Paris Blue (blue-yellow)Lemon Yellow (yellow-blue)Cadmium Yellow (yellow-red)Vermilion / Cadium Red (red-yellow)Madder Red / Alizarin (red-blue)Schmincke Calligraphy GouacheColour Wheel

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