In one of my previous post, I mentioned that I had an oh-so-difficult homework to finish. I finally finished it. Took me 4 weeks (6 if i count the 2 weeks that I didn’t do anything at all) to finish it.
Bear with me while I recall the process of doing this homework. Using a high res pix of hoca’s original piece, I measured the size of each section, and the size of qalams using Ai. Then I drew each sections on last year’s calendar. Used those as templates to confirm the qalam size and practice the strokes. I think I practiced for 2 weeks.
Then I drew the actual template and the scroll turned out to be almost 2 m long with a width of 50 cm. I was terribly intimidated by the sheer size that it took me a few more days before i could actually write on the scroll. I had to redo the first scroll thrice before I could move on to the rest.
I didn’t do the whole scroll before moving on to the next one. I actually did in sections. I should post a photo of the finished homework first so you’ll know what I’m talking about.
So I did them from the top till the big flower. Then I put them aside for a few days coz I had to do extra practice for the lower sections. I couldn’t seem to get the diamond portions right. A friend pointed out that it could be the qalam size. So I took a new qalam and carved it to 3 mm tip. I sanded it so that the tip is rounded. I remembered hoca and the senior mentioned something about using rounded chopsticks without wrapping in cloth. However it didn’t quite work. The ink couldn’t be carried far. So I wrapped the rounded tip qalam in cloth and it worked! I finally managed to get the diamonds to look like it should.
After that it only took me 3-4 days to complete the homework. Now the scrolls are hanging in my bedroom wall coz I had to tack them up to take a pix. Not enough floor space to lay everything on the floor. So glad and relief that this homework is done. Now I just have to wait for Saturday and hope hoca gives me a pass. I might faint if I have to repeat it.
ETA:
Here’s the marked copy of this homework.
The original pieces are now hanging on my bedroom wall. Only because I hung it up to take a pix to send to hoca and am too lazy to take it down. Mom’s friend saw it and said it made a good wallpaper. She also asked if I really wrote each one of them and not print them out coz they look so uniform. Ouch! I actually had mixed feelings when I heard it but I suppose I should take it as a complement.
illustrated by Yaney 