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Piston Fill

Glossary

Shading

Light-to-dark tonal variation within strokes.

Shading is one ink drying at two depths — lighter where the stroke moved fast, darker where ink pooled at stroke ends and turns. It gives handwriting a watercolor dimensionality no gel pen can fake.

Medium-dry inks in medium nibs on smooth paper shade best; very wet setups flood the effect flat.

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