I'm off my experimentation phase and settled on few pens I favor greatly. This might be unasked advice but I find 3776 and TWSBI 580 to be a perfect workhorse pens. Dunno how well they do for sketching as I'm just a lowly writer of words.
Inks, I wouldn't even dare to recommend anything… there's like an ocean worth of ink!
Inks are a rabbithole I have *specifically* avoided going down. Like you said, an ocean's worth! But now, as I work with more colours, one of the ideas is to have a second fountain pen with another colour. I have a nice bottle of Iroshizuku yama-budo (a kind of fuchsia/purple that shines like gold under the light), and a couple of Noodler's (red and black) that I have lugged with me for several years, but never dared to use.
Also, I write with my Lamy every day! But not all fountain pens draw well, this is true. With writing, the angle of the nib never changes, and there is a consistency of speed, pressure, etc. For art, the ink has to flow at all kinds of nib angles, suffer the pressure variations, and not scrape when going up or down. Also, have a large ink converter!
My TWSBI Eco ticks nearly all the boxes, but there is one reason I can NEVER use it for drawing - the ink does not flow when I use the reverse side of the nib!
Reverse writing (/drawing) is not given, just a lucky side effect. There are custom made nibs that are ground to be usable like that. Have you seen zoom nibs? Those produce different lines depending on an angle, those are great fun and you can get them on Sailor pens, even the "cheapest" ones. I gifted mine away because while fun it was a little hassle when writing.
Yama-Budo is a great get, entire Iroshizuku line is full of hits, if I had to stick to one line of inks I would be fine living off it (my favorites are: Murasaki Shikibu, Tsuky-Yo, Kon-Peki, Momiji (love Momiji), Shin-Ryoku).
KWZ has some interesting ink, ie. iron gall inks that are not black/blue-black.
Thank you for this wonderful post, Nishant. Your insights, often so positive, complement your art well. I particularly love when you share short clips of you writing and drawing - your little morsels of art are so well composed, as if there was a sketch, then a refinement, then a final inking. But no! From head to hand to our hearts - just like that. Well done.
Thank you for your drawing pen recommendation. ✅ Now pls advise on ink. I can’t seem to find one (event the “permanent” ones) that will stand up to my watercolors. What the heck? My permanent markers do!
I've found that some so-called permanent inks just don't live up to the hype. Some just need a little longer drying time. Whenever I end up with inks that aren't as waterproof as I'd like, I just dip a brush into them and paint with them. Painting with ink washes can be a lovely exercise.
Thx for the tip, Amy. I’m now the proud owner of 4oz (lifetime supply) of non-waterproof blue and black ink, so I can explore those washes ad nauseam. Lots of night drawings, plus underwater scenes!
Reading your blog posts are such a delight!! You have such a unique way of storytelling which is so enthralling.
Thank you, Jyoti!
Lamy and Carbon Black, a very neat combo!
Yes! That said, I look forward to experimenting this year with both pen and ink.
I'm off my experimentation phase and settled on few pens I favor greatly. This might be unasked advice but I find 3776 and TWSBI 580 to be a perfect workhorse pens. Dunno how well they do for sketching as I'm just a lowly writer of words.
Inks, I wouldn't even dare to recommend anything… there's like an ocean worth of ink!
Inks are a rabbithole I have *specifically* avoided going down. Like you said, an ocean's worth! But now, as I work with more colours, one of the ideas is to have a second fountain pen with another colour. I have a nice bottle of Iroshizuku yama-budo (a kind of fuchsia/purple that shines like gold under the light), and a couple of Noodler's (red and black) that I have lugged with me for several years, but never dared to use.
Also, I write with my Lamy every day! But not all fountain pens draw well, this is true. With writing, the angle of the nib never changes, and there is a consistency of speed, pressure, etc. For art, the ink has to flow at all kinds of nib angles, suffer the pressure variations, and not scrape when going up or down. Also, have a large ink converter!
My TWSBI Eco ticks nearly all the boxes, but there is one reason I can NEVER use it for drawing - the ink does not flow when I use the reverse side of the nib!
Reverse writing (/drawing) is not given, just a lucky side effect. There are custom made nibs that are ground to be usable like that. Have you seen zoom nibs? Those produce different lines depending on an angle, those are great fun and you can get them on Sailor pens, even the "cheapest" ones. I gifted mine away because while fun it was a little hassle when writing.
Yama-Budo is a great get, entire Iroshizuku line is full of hits, if I had to stick to one line of inks I would be fine living off it (my favorites are: Murasaki Shikibu, Tsuky-Yo, Kon-Peki, Momiji (love Momiji), Shin-Ryoku).
KWZ has some interesting ink, ie. iron gall inks that are not black/blue-black.
I have not seen zoom nibs. I need to visit a fountain pen store that can meet all these cravings!
Thank you for this wonderful post, Nishant. Your insights, often so positive, complement your art well. I particularly love when you share short clips of you writing and drawing - your little morsels of art are so well composed, as if there was a sketch, then a refinement, then a final inking. But no! From head to hand to our hearts - just like that. Well done.
Thank you for your generous words. They have made my day! ❤️
Hey, thanks for the shout-out! Enjoy your travels!
Thank you for your drawing pen recommendation. ✅ Now pls advise on ink. I can’t seem to find one (event the “permanent” ones) that will stand up to my watercolors. What the heck? My permanent markers do!
Waterproof inks! I prefer platinum carbon black.
Now…damn…that’s what I thought “permanent” was! Duh. Anybody want two bottles of unused non-permanent ink?
I've found that some so-called permanent inks just don't live up to the hype. Some just need a little longer drying time. Whenever I end up with inks that aren't as waterproof as I'd like, I just dip a brush into them and paint with them. Painting with ink washes can be a lovely exercise.
Thx for the tip, Amy. I’m now the proud owner of 4oz (lifetime supply) of non-waterproof blue and black ink, so I can explore those washes ad nauseam. Lots of night drawings, plus underwater scenes!
Absolutely a great idea. Ink washes are a great thing!
No permanent is not that at all! 😅
Think of how sales would plunge if they called it “impermanent ink.”