Feeling confident with the letter "p"

When you pen starts splitting.

The letter "p" was straight forward and easy but something happened while filming that is the real story. As I was writing the letter "p" my brush tip pen "split" in real time as I was recording. Pieces of the brush tip came off. I wrote another letter "p" and that one was messed up too. I talked about splitting before. You can watch the video and see it happening in real time.   

What causes splitting? 

The most common reasons are: 

• Pressing too hard. This is the #1 cause. Soft brush pens are designed to flex, but too much pressure forces the fibers apart. (This was me) 

• Using rough paper. Textured or low-quality paper can catch the fibers and cause them to separate.  

• Moving too quickly with heavy pressure. Fast, forceful downstrokes can stress the tip. (This was me again. 

• Normal wear. Even the most well-care brush pens eventually wear out after lots of practice.  

What does it look like?

Instead of one clean downstroke, you might notice: 

• A tiny "V" shape at the tip.  

• Two distinct lines instead of one.  

• Jagged or fuzzy edges on thick strokes.  

• Difficulty making smooth transitions from thick to thin. (This was me, again) 

Can it be fixed?

Sometimes. Try these first: 

• Lighten your pressure.  

• Rotate the pen slightly as you practice, so the same side isn't always taking the pressure.  

• Write on smooth paper (such as HP Premium 32 or marker paper).  

• If the fibers are only slightly separated, gently reshape the tip with your fingers while the pen is capped.  

If the tip stays split no matter what you do, it's usually worn out and it's time to replace the pen. had to throw mine away but luckily, I bought several. One thing about beginners like us find out, you don't need as much pressure as you think. A soft brush pen will produce beautiful thick strokes with surprisingly little force. 

A simple way to remember it is: 

• ✨ Light pressure = thin upstrokes

• ✨ Gentle, controlled pressure = thick downstrokes

• ❌ Heavy pressure = split tip and shorter pen life

Many novice calligraphers like me wear out their first brush pens quickly. I'm pretty sure some of you already have. It's almost a rite of passage, and as our control improves, the wear and tear on our pens will lighten, and they will last much longer.