My goal for this experiment was to use pieces of rope for writing and calligraphy. Additionally, I wanted to experiment with how different types of rope ends (for example, fused/melted versus completely frayed) would affect the writing results.

First, I cut three pieces of rope, each approximately 10 cm long. I treated the ends of these three pieces in different ways. For the first piece, I let the end fray completely to create many loose strands. For the second, I melted both the core and the sheath to create a hard, rounded tip. For the third, I pulled out part of the inner core and melted only the outer sheath together, which resulted in a flat, broad, and thin nib. I then used paint to test all three tools on A4 paper.

I expected this to be easy and thought I would be able to write with great detail using the rope. However, it proved to be quite challenging. I had to reload the rope with paint frequently, and with the hard tips especially, I felt like I had to manually smear the paint to get a visible result. The frayed tip worked much better, but the letters became very large, making it impossible to add fine details. That said, I found the aesthetic of the frayed letters to be the most appealing.

Would this process be easier using ink instead of paint? What would happen if I used a thinner rope, or perhaps only the inner core of the rope?

Since I find this to be a very interesting direction with a lot of potential, I want to investigate whether using ink or a thinner rope yields better results. I need to gather these materials before I can proceed with new experiments.

I plan to search the internet and YouTube to see if I can find any techniques or artists related to this type of experimentation.