Why Do People Like "shading"?

[MFP]

I'm new to fountain pens so maybe I just don't understand. Why do people think that uneven distribution of ink a/k/a shading is a desirable property? To me it looks like a flaw from excessive ink flow.

 

[PaganArcher]

It's a subjective matter. I enjoy a page of text with shading. If I wanted uniformly colored writing, I have a printer.

[mana]

It makes the writing look more lively, lends it a bit of flair that you do not get from lines and scribbles that are of uniform color. Personally, I like it a lot. There are of course places and occasions, scripts and documents, where shading is not desired nor wanted. My personal correspondence, however, is none of those.

[Bluey]

There's a number of reasons why:

-it differentiates from other pens such as biro or roller ball

-it adds a certain flair to your writing.

-different inks shade to different degrees

-the shading is like a focus of the interaction between you and your fountain pen, like a type of self expression. It's akin to doing whirls and loops and other types of creativity when doing Copperplate.

-it looks groovy

Edited August 30, 2017 by Bluey

[senzen]

It looks cool, even if sometimes it can be distracting.

[ehemem]

Ahhh, give me a nice dark, even black any day...

[Catrin]

I dearly love shading inks for all of the reasons others have stated, I just love the flair from the variation. I did not get it myself when I first moved to fountain pens earlier this year - as I tried more samples and different nibs I discovered that I really do like them.

 

Not everyone has to like them - that is why there is such variety. For example, I don't understand the attraction to black or brown inks - which leaves more for those who do.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Catrin

[Driften]

Most of my pens don't have a flow that leads to shading. I enjoy seeing it every time the ones that do give nice shading.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

To my way of thinking shading shows the author's hand. What's written is personal.

 

That is contrary to our dear Member ehemem - I have no Black FP ink on my shelves.

 

->=> Pass me another jar of the elusive Scabiosa!

 

Bye,

S1

Edited August 30, 2017 by Sandy1

[JakobS]

Variation is the spice of life as they say. I love being able to vary the types of ink I use and it allows even the most rote notetaking to become more interesting to me. I love being able to think it might be appreciated and one's day made unordinary when I sign paperwork at work for the assistant in my department's office who otherwise is pushing papers all day. I don't have any constraints on what inks I can use at work, so have used every color, except a true yellow, and that's only because I don't have one yet. My favorite shading ink is Diamine Tyrian Purple currently.

Edited August 30, 2017 by JakobS

[Freddy]

 

Fred

 

P.S. You wouldn't happen to be Rich from Brooklyn NY..not far from Holy Cross Cemetery 1849 {?}

[Sasha Royale]

I'm new to fountain pens so maybe I just don't understand. Why do people think that uneven distribution of ink a/k/a shading is a desirable property? To me it looks like a flaw from excessive ink flow.

 

The heart wants what the heart wants. There is no worthy explanation.

[inkstainedruth]

I'm with JakobS. I like a variety. I used to be like MPF, until I discovered how nice some shading inks looked on the page.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi MFP, et al,

 

I just think it's pretty to look at and gives my penmanship some unique depth and character.

 

Be well and end enjoy the spice of life.

 

 

- Anthony

[Arkanabar]

When I first explained shading to my older sister, she exclaimed, "In calligraphy, that sort of thing is regarded as a fault, but I see now that it's a matter of style!"

 

As all style is individual, that's the best explanation of the appeal I've heard yet.

[MFP]

OP here. Thanks to everyone for your appreciations of shading!

 

I can see that shading adds to the personalized, unique look of a writing. I will probably enjoy it more as I grow accustomed to it.

 

I've noticed that shading happens mainly when I use a pen and ink with a heavy ink flow and a smooth, non-porous paper that allows ink to pool before it dries. I wonder if part of the appeal of shading is our association of it with the smooth writing experience we get from wet ink on smooth paper.

 

Richard

[MFP]

 

Fred

 

P.S. You wouldn't happen to be Rich from Brooklyn NY..not far from Holy Cross Cemetery 1849 {?}

 

Thanks, Fred. I like the look of your writing! May I ask what pen and ink you used?

 

I'm a former New Yorker but from Buffalo, not Brooklyn.

 

Richard

[Freddy]

 

Thanks, Fred. I like the look of your writing! May I ask what pen and ink you used?

 

I'm a former New Yorker but from Buffalo, not Brooklyn.

 

Richard

 

Richard..my pleasure. Wahl-Eversharp Doric 1st generation..Pilot blue-black ink.

 

Fred

[chromantic]

I like inks that are even-colored and those with a modicum of shading, which gives a little character to the line. I agree with MFP that inks with excessive shading can be distracting and often does appear the result of a broken pen.

[minddance]

To me, there are 2 types of shadings

1. Smoothly gradated with good range

2. Dramatic and disjointed. (Nothing in between the lightest and darkest shade. Terraced, broken.)

 

I think type1 can be elegant, subtle and ocassionally whispers to the reader that you wrote with a fountain pen.

 

I detest the second type. Not a "Personalised look": it messes and does not represent my personality. It is most distracting even for recreational writing. Looks broken and irritating. It shouts incessantly at the reader (myself) that a fountain pen - a broken one at that - has been used, and distracts the writer (myself). But then, of course, some people only recognise this type of shading as shading. And they desire this. Not me. I wouldn't present this look for professional and formal purposes.

 

I would subdue this kind of shading (type2) with Kodak Photoflo, and/or a very wet or consistently dry pen. Also, I would use absorbent paper if the unruly shading still does not want to go away. There is, afterall, a maximum amount of Kodak Photoflo one can add before feathering and bleedthrough occurs. To be positive, it is this type of shading (Thank you Diamine and Pilot Iroshizuku) that compelled me to be in this forum, embark on a journey of tweaking my nibs, feeds, inks, experiment with different papers to perform exorcism on it.

 

Some inks are type1 but can ocassionally give a type2 look, depending on how one writes. But some inks are only capable of type2, never capable of type 1 regardless of how one writes because these inks do not have enough range. For them, it is just light, dark, darkest, with nothing in between. Or maybe just light or dark.

 

For me, most of Herbin (wow, endless range!), Edelstein Smoky Quartz, Jentle Oku Yama, Diamine Chocolate Brown, (Sepia, Beau Blue), are essentially Type1.

 

Type 2 look: many Iroshizukus (Asa Gao, Ama Iro, Kon Peki, Tsuki Yo, Shin Kai, Yama Budo, Pilot Blue, Kosumosu, Chiku Rin), especially in Pilot pens. Diamine Monaco Red, China Blue (but cures, give it time on paper, to reduce the disparity between shades), Umber, (Meadow, depending on wetness of the pen) Classic Green, Amaranth, Florida Blue among many others in my Pilot 912soft medium and Pelikan M200medium on Rhodia. These inks I would use in Lamy 1.1, Somiko Broad (yes, dry broad nibs exist), Waterman Phileas M, or a real fine Sailor 14k Fine. Or go the wettest direction, a glass dip pen - to end their nonsense.

Edited November 25, 2017 by minddance