www.tasart.co.nz
Online ordering: YES
Takapuna Art Supplies has a large calligraphy section. If ordering online make sure to call and double check they have the stock you are after. Sometimes they don’t have all the stock even though it says it is available. They can generally get in anything you need, there may just be a wait on some items.
INKS: There is a big range of Winsor & Newton calligraphy ink. They also have Dr Ph. Martins iridescent and White ink which are great for feature calligraphy such as wedding invitations and coloured envelopes. They stock Higgins Eternal black and sepia ink as well as bottles of Sumi Ink both are perfect for daily calligraphy practice.
NIBS: Takapuna Art Supplies stock a range of nibs for both pointed pen and formal calligraphy. Their nibs are organised quite well by brand in seperate trays. They stock my favourite beginner pointed pen calligraphy nib the Speedball Hunt 512. The Zebra G and Nikko G would also be good for pointed pen calligraphy.
They also stock a selection of William Mitchell and Brause nibs for formal calligraphy and have some Speedball nibs with the round flat end for monoline calligraphy.
NIB HOLDERS: Takapuna Art Supplies have a selection of nib holders. The classic black Speedball nib holder is great for beginners. The wooden and patterned ones are fun to have in your kit. They also have some oblique calligraphy nib holders which are designed for formal copperplate calligraphy and elegant scripts. I recommend trying these after you have got the hang of pointed pen calligraphy using a regular nib holder.
CALLIGRAPHY PENS: There is a range of calligraphy felt pens for practicing formal calligraphy. They stock the range of Pilot Parallel pens and ink cartridges - perfect for beginners learning formal styles such as foundational, italic and gothic. The beauty of these pens is you don’t have to worry about having a seperate ink pot.
BRUSH PENS: Takapuna Art Supplies stock Tombow ABT Dual Tip brush pens - this is the pen I use in my beginners workshops. They also stock Pentel brush pens in a whole range of colours. These are great for beginners, much smaller than the Tombow ABT brush pens which is great if you need to write smaller ie. a letter, wedding place cards, invitations, certificates etc.
PAPER: Takapuna Art Supplies also stocks Zeta paper in A4 & A3, sizes. Zeta paper is bleed proof so it is perfect for using with inks, and is also semi transparent so allows you to see your worksheets underneath.
Want to know more about calligraphy supplies in New Zealand? I have put together an overview of four physical Auckland stores – two of which you can easily order online:
- Gordon Harris (There are 4 Auckland stores, plus stores in Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. Online ordering available)
- Takapuna Art Supplies (Online ordering available)
- Daiso (2 Auckland stores, 1 in Wellington)
And two other online platforms for those not in Auckland:
- Inkt (there is a physical store in Whanganui)
If you have some information about supplies at a calligraphy store in your town please do send them through and I can add to this list.
PS. Some of these may be affiliate links which means I may get a tiny commission when you purchase through them. This doesn’t affect any of the recommendations though :)
PPS. Photos and products are from June/July 2020. Current instore stock may differ.