Busy times

As per usual I've failed in keeping up to date with the old blogger, I've been pulling extra shifts at my job to pay for much needed house repairs and bills. And when I've not been slugging it away at work I've been working on some commission pieces which have required a lot of time and attention.
It doesn't help that my clients have requested changes several times resulting in major restarts and consuming what spare time I've ever had left.
But fortunately enough jobs are done, clients are happy, I've been paid for my time. Downside is that two clients have requested I not publish the pieces to my website (understandable as one is a large nude piece and another is off a family portrait) and the other pieces were fairly generic images for themed rooms.
One such piece I was greatly proud of but due to the finishing time of the piece and when the client arrived to pick it up. Taking a decent photograph wasn't doing any justice to the work.

Regardless I'm back. Got a few more pens to check out and review on, a few commissions to work on. And if I'm fortunate enough several absolutely wrecked technical drawing pens (that I'm currently bidding on via eBay) to document a "how to fix" sort of blog or video to construct...

I'm also looking to try an update to previous pen reviews, a quick look at bottled inks and handcrafted drawing tools anyone can do in the exploration of mark making.

Till then

Saturday night

Everyone's having a grand time playing guitar hero and drinking their rum. Out celebrating birthdays, getting over relationships. Meanwhile in planet boredom I'm sitting here dotting away this mad Griffin cat owl eagle thingy.

Then I realise how much I'm loving these pens I should really donate my old unused faber technical pens.
There's a young lass I work with with ambitions of art school next year. I've no doubt she'll get herself in but I'm going to give her them since her specialism is in the graphics/illustration field and they're something I think she should experience for her kit. She's never owned these sort of pens before so I think it's only fair I clean them up correctly and get them filled with fresh ink. No doubt the old faber ink I used years ago will be drying out and clogging the chamber.

So you can look forward to a post on removing the dried out gunk which you will come across if you get a set second hand.

Although to be honest it's the easiest process ever. But it's worth posting about for anyone curious or in need of a rough idea on how to do it.

Some latest illustrations

Lately I've been doodling away on some pieces enjoying a variety of pens, pencils and such. Mostly through bordom I will admit but more so from frustration.
The few I'm showing were drawn with faber castell pencils, my stano•pens and a pilot G-TEC-C4.
It's safe to say my "style" wavers from tool to tool. I do find it extremely frustrating not having a set way of drawing or illustrating like many other artists. But I guess I'm still just trying to find my way and own little style.

What does permanent mean?

Jerry's Artarama recently posted a video on what does the word permanent mean?

I was working on a blog post similar to this idea, however these guys know what they're talking about and sum it up perfectly in YouTube form.

I'd suggest checking out the video and even subscribing to their channel for more information and ideas.

Also before I forget. They raise an important note. We are artists, we are experimentors by nature. So when in doubt test it out. If you question some media's permenance always do a swatch and wash on another piece of paper just doing a double check can save so much annoyance later on.

Standardgraph technical drawing pens

Like I mentioned a few posts back I recently purchased from the powers of eBay for £5.45 a 3 pen set of standardgraph stano pen which was a German made set made in 1972 for technical drawing.
Standardgraph is still available but is more common as stano•professional in its newer designed pen body.

They, like every other technical pen are very easy to fill and use and the upside to these types of pens is that, if looked after correctly you never need to buy another one again. You can for newer models atleast purchase replacement parts for a fraction of the cost. And in many cases parts are interchangeable. So for instance if you bust the lid or handle you can get replacements quite easily or use another brand to substitute.

The main brands which are easily available are faber castell, rotring and steadtler. There are others but those three are the easiest to find.

You can purchase student sets and kits which come with various nib sizes but they can be costly. I'd always suggest if your interested in trying these types of pens out to begin with 0.35 or 0.25 nib. They're very fine and more durable to start off with. Starting off with a smaller nib can be temperamental to use and a larger nib can flood ink leaving your paper blotchy. A mid sized nib such as a 0.35 gives you that fine line your looking for and won't be as frustrating to start off with.

With all technical pens there are certain rules to follow. Failing that would result in your pen getting wrecked.

1. The nib is a fine metal wire which moves back into the holder and allows ink to flow to the paper. Bashing it about on paper will eventually bend or snap this wire and when that happens you need to give up and purchase a new pen body.

2. Since the nib is a fine metal wire. It will grab and snag on the fine fibres of paper which eventually gum up the nib and it starts to jump on the page. You literally have to draw scratchoff lines on a spare piece of paper to regain the ink flow after pinching out the fibres with your fingers. This is why you often see people like me with loads of black lines over their fingers, thumbs and fingertips because we've pinched out the gummy mess

3. Using better quality fine paper is better for these pens because the fibres don't fly about and gum up the nib. Remember these were designed for technical drawing so tracing paper, super smooth graphic papers and such is best.

4. Never over tighten the handle or lids you will snap the threads and the plastic will crack and you need to then replace those parts. Rotring was chronic for this and it became useless to use after the handle snapped

5. You can't hold the pen as close to the nib as other pens as your fingers will end up coated in ink. You have to hold it by the handle to prevent this or just deal with stained fingers

6. You must use drawing inks which are designed for these pens. And try using the best you can afford. I'd opt for rotring inks every time as faber castell ink dries down horribly inside an unused pen and then it becomes a nightmare to clean for reuse.

I'll no doubt make another post at some point for how to clean these pens for reuse. Especially if you purchase one from eBay or find a secondhand set from students or even charity shops.

No doubt by now you will be bored to death reading all this so down below ill post photographs of the pens, filling the ink chamber and assembly. And some doodles of the pens structure

Derwent graphik linemaker series

So I purchased this pack of pens when I was bored without any kit and wanted to doodle for a long train journey.
I purchased these from a rymans store and really enjoyed them and it was so handy that they came in a nice wallet. One that I could easily shove away in my pocket and added a nice bit of convenience to my travelling.

● lightfast water based pigment ink
● available in black and sepia
● handy for travelling with its wallet
● wallet by design or fault, can fit a slim mechanical pencil alongside the pens for added convenience
● wallet also holds any loose snapped caps of pens in place till you can put them on tightly
● nice japanese nib makes them strong for heavy hands, soft dot work and even lines

○ downsides include a stiff cap you need to make sure is snapped tight
○ they can dry a bit when left alone or forgotten but can be revived quickly
○ working too quickly may result in smudges from hands as larger nib gives more ink and needs an extra second to dry down

■ like I mentioned I purchased these from rymans for £11.99
■ also available in a 3 pack for £6.99
■ sepia coloured ink also available
■ range of nib sizes 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.8

Shop around for sales and offers and check out the derwent website for other derwent products that might catch your fancy. I've also seen this same set available in tkmaxx as part of their quirky stationary stuff.

Overall it's a nice set I personally think it's great for travelling and it's definitely something which stays in my travel kit

American crafts precision pen

This was another online purchase that at the time I could only find from the states so shipping was another fun filled expense.

●variety of precision fine tips with popular colours. Black, blue, brown, red, green and purple.
● advertised as being great for journaling or general purpose writing
●non bleeding and waterproof. Fade proof permanent and acid free.
●smooth, good control with a strong tip. Doesn't skip and makes good clean lines but it's best on smooth paper.
●personally I think this pen series is ideal for dot work than linework

○the writing on the barrel does fade away over time so if you want to reorder the same pens it's best to remember the model code.
○I actually find my hand cramps up terribly when I'm using this for linework and I have no idea why. But it's still amazing for dotting.
○one thing I'm not a fan of is how soft the cap clips onto the pen. I often find the cap popped off in my pencil case

■ like the pelikan pens I purchased this from dickblick.com for about $1.99 however 5 packs are available at $9.99
■ shipping from the USA is a hefty expense so try amazon and ebay
■ if you want to try these pens I'd suggest the brown and black as the brown ink is a really nice pigment and not overly dark
■ nib variety comes in 0.1 0.3 0.5 and 0.8

Pelikan techno liner

By far one of the best pen series I've purchased online. I am a huge fan of these pens and since discovering them I've easily killed 4 or nearly 5 by now.

● metal sheathed porus point nib which gives a really nice strength to the nib which is great for heavy hands
● acid free ink
● captures delicate details fantastically
● the most comfortable ergonomic grip lessens hand fatigue and cramp
● very airtight cap although you need to make sure to close it tightly
● it's extremely light and skinny to hold and use

I'm a huge fan of these pens and finding faults is a bit of a challenge however

○ does have a tendency to bleed on very porus paper
○ and failing to snap the lid on tight does mean it can float off the pen in your case

■ I purchased mine from dickblick.com for about $1.75 each but the overseas shipping was madness.
■ range of nib sizes 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 and 0.8 although I think they do run finer on paper
■ if your looking for these pens please shop around online and keep an eye on shipping since I've found it possible to locate in the UK. Or do what I managed to do and get your pal in the USA to ship them over saving you a small fortune

Overall I adore these pens and in my holiday to Orlando I'm intending to stock up.

Standardgraph stano pen.

So recently I purchased a fairly vintage or retro set of technical drawing pens by the German brand Standograph. It's a three set of pens dating from the 1970s and there isn't much information about the brand other than what can be gathered from wiki and random Google searches.

All in all its the same technical drawing pen mechanics as it's modern rotring, faber castell and steadtler pals.

When I get round to using them ill make a post about filling them up and the basics of their use. But honestly it's pretty simple and most can do it themselves without much thought.

I do however think that the original use for these pens is a dying trade and other than some illustrators, drawing artists or those who still do technical drawing for architecture and interior design they're beginning to fall out of favour as computer programs replace the need of these tools.
Before you would spend several hours meticulously drawing out the details of an architectural view with these pens on a drawing board and it's now replaced with a one hour computer production. They certainly save time but they lack the  charm of traditional illustration.

I could spend ages talking about the area of technical drawing pens but I'm probably best leaving that for another day.

Sharpie stainless steel pen

The stainless steel sharpie pen is a personal favourite and never leaves my bag. It's a lovely addition to my pencil case and a great pen for multiple paper types and for use with watercolours or ink washes.

●the stainless steel body has a nice feel in the hand and has a soft grip for comfort
● refillable
● ink doesn't bleed through paper
● smooth durable tip for precise and consistent line with minimal effort
● quick drying ink which is ideal for left handers
● waterproof and smear resistant ink when dry
● acid free and non toxic

○ it is not permanent ink it will wear off plastics and glass
○ it is not the "classic sharpie fine marker
○ price varies and refills can be hard to find in stores
○ no visual ink level so you never know when your about to run out
○ only available in black ink

A unusual thing is that you may be able to guess when the inks is about to run out because the nib eventually softens and the chamber is near finished or ready to replace

■ available from rymans for about £6.99
■ refills available from WHSmiths, cultpens.com for about £3.50 for a two pack
■ shop online for best prices or check out sales in stationary departments for back to school stock

This is one of those pens I'm biased about as I carry it all the time for occasional doodling or writing.

Sharpie pens are not a favourite. I don't use them all too often as I'm not a fan. I'm also not a fan of the look to them or how they became a cult staple to every art student,  especially since I believe there are better options. In regards to this, the design of this pen is so far from the grey signature barrel I almost get a sense of standing out of the crowd. It's unusual to get that sensation from a pen but I suppose it's the same for being the one kid wearing doc martins surrounded by friends wearing catipiller boots. It's the little things that give you a boost

Technical drawing pens from Jerry's Artarama

Technical drawing pens overview by jerrysartarama. I do suggest you check out their YouTube for more information on artist tools if your interested.
I will do my own post about technical drawing pens. But for now I'd like to state that they are an investment. They do need to be looked after and if done properly. You never need to purchase another one of those sized pens ever again.

Jerry's Artarama video link

Pilot DR Drawing Pen 05

This pen is so old in my collection I can't remember of it came from a kit of other armer or if I bought it from an art store. This is a very durable drawing pen and my own has fared it's own amount of abuse and still retains the hardest nib for drawing with.

● designed as a technical drawing pen
● fast drying
● highly water resistant
● light-fast black pigment
● super hard-wearing plastic tip
● ideal for use with rulers and wide range of papers. Inc cheaper sheets.

If your a technical illustrator with interests in architecture or interior design this pen will last year's. My own has been stepped on, dropped,  had bricks topple on it and all that has altered is the print on the barrel has worn away.

○ the nib can be so hard there is zero movement, give or molding an angle through wear and tear.
○ hard to make fluid ornate or organic lines
○ can result in skipping or jumping when used quickly or on very textured papers
○ rigid nip provides smooth line and can feel slippery when used with a light touch.
○ can be hard to write with as nib is so stiff on its edge

■ available online easily ranging around £2.99
■ offers constantly available on cultpens.com
■ nib sizes include
01/02/03/05/08

Pentel sign pen

The Pentel Sign Pen is one of the original fibre tipped pens and has been a best selling design since 1963 due to its enduring quality and performance.

● good for graphics and illustrators
● non permanent
● water based
● multiple colour options 12 available
● soft broad acrylic fibre nib
● due to it not being waterproof. Adding water results in a grey wash. However as the ink dries it becomes more resistant to bleed or water out. So its quite nice for light shadowing.

Variety of uses including everything from expressive bold handwriting to graphic design.

○ porus tip results in a soft spongey use and control
○ initial use is firm however softness occurs quickly meaning linework loses its initial sharpness. Honestly don't start a huge scale illustration expecting the line sharpness to stay throughout.

Although this pen is a good classic it's something I don't exactly enjoy. The spongey bullet is off putting and quite easy to stray off straight lines or increase width by applying too much pressure for that split second. The approx line width varies around 2.0mm depending on pressure applied.

■ available from your local stationary stores from rymans, the works and probably corner shops.
■ available online and tend to be tied in with multi buy offers
■ price ranges around £1.45
■ keep an eye on cultpens.com for offers involving free gifts for a certain brand spend. Other sites include pen wraps or cases if your interested.

Pen illustration is what I would primarily use this pen for. As a broad outline for faint shadow waterwash

Kuretake ZIG cartoonist brush pen NO.22

The Kuretake ZIG brush pen NO.22 is quite a challenge to get used to. However it provides a unique drawing and writing pen for linework. Commonly used for manga, calligraphy and sumi-e drawings. I find it to be a great tool for large quick sketch life drawings or simplistic stylised studies. For those beginning with this tool, may find it easiest to map out a rough sketch with pencil before going direct with the pen.

● brush pen with soft nylon brush bristles
● produces a range of thick and thin lines
● very smooth flowing
● water-based pigment ink
● water-resistant and lightfast
● replaceable ink cartridges
● long handle for expressive strokes and light touch

If you have ever used the water brushes by Pentel that you fill up the handle with water and can used for pen or watercolour on the go. It's a similar idea only with ink. At some point I'll be posting another blog about making your own.

○ quite hard to get used to
○ the handle which also holds the ink is a softer plastic. Squeezing results in blobs or could burst. Do not put it in your back pocket of your jeans, forget about it and sit down... I speak from sad experience.
○ the ink will stain and is hard to remove from skin or textiles. Again, experience.

■ hard to find at your standard stationary shop
■ eBay, jetpens.com and cultpens.com
■ approx £5 however shopping around is best.
■ occasionally can be found with extras such as colour markers offer or paper offer.

Overall it's a great pen. However not one I reach for or would repurchase again. It's a good solid tool. But not my style for illustration.

Staedtler Triplus fineliner pen

Cheap and functional the staedtler triplus fineliner pens are a good addition to a students pencil case. Since its fast assortment of colour availability this review will focus on the black pen primarily.

● superfine long-lasting pen
● water-based ink
● 0.3 mm line
● metal-clad tip and ergonomic triangular barrel
● advertises effortless and fatigue-free usage
● ideal for long time writing and or drawing
● advertises to be dry safe with ISO 554 tests meaning it can be left uncapped for days without drying ip
● advertises to be aeroplane safe thanks to automatic pressure equalisation, preventing in flight leaks.
●washes out of most textiles.
● applying water results in massive ink wash in blues, greys and purple inks.

Although this product is advertised to be dry safe. I can confirm that it took some time to revive the pen after letting it "dry" for two days. The nib was very hard for atleast an hour before easing back into its regular use. As far as being aeroplane safe. Turns out Glasgow is rather serious about not taking your pens on board so I had to bin them... meanwhile I could purchase a Bic biro at the WHSmith newsagents in the terminal.

○ nature of the ink makes it extremely non waterproof.
○ soft fibre nib. Under constant or heavy use can deform an edge or soften it which can change the feel when writing or drawing
○ as a result of nib deformation turning the triangular barrel can give a scratching edge or a very soft edge.

□ huge assortment of multipacks and range of prices.
□ purchased from rymans but available online and always on promotion, sales or multipack offers.
□ prices range from
singles at £1.49
6 pack £6.99 - £7.49
10 pack £12.99
20 pack £18.99
30 pack £25.99
All prices reflect current date Jan 2016.
Packs include colours, office colours, blacks, neon, metallic etc.

ZIG millenia drawing pen

The ZIG millenium drawing pen is made by Kuretake and provides a stiff nib durable for dotting images or for use on very slick paper. Great for use with watercolour or alcohol colouring markers.

• wide choice of tip sizes and ink colours
• water-based pigment ink
• waterproof
• acid free
• non bleeding
• safe for use on photographs
• ideal for dotting images or strong linework

○ very stiff nib
○ not great for loose fibre papers
○ not ideal for loose line quick sketches
○ nib can skip when used quickly

■ best prices at current at cultpens.com purchased at rymans. Shop around for best prices and offers
■ colours in black, yellow, green, blue, red.
■ various pack offers colour or tip sizes.

Information on ZIG millenium tip sizes
▪ 005 tip 0.2mm line
▪ 01 tip 0.25mm line
▪ 02 tip 0.3mm line
▪ 03 tip 0.35mm line
▪ 05 tip 0.45mm line
▪ 08 tip 0.65mm line

Pilot G-TEC-C4

The pilot G-TEC-C4 is a great wee pen for quick fineliner sketches.

• rollerball gel ink pen with bio polymer ink
• fluid,  skip free use
• no need to press hard
• gel ink prevents feathering
• extra fine 0.4mm nib writes 0.2mm line
• great for detailed writing or drawing
• allows for pen wash when water is applied giving grey wash

○ nib can bend under pressure or agressive use
○ occasionally ball has fallen out of nib
○ not fully waterproof

■ purchased from rymans. Available online
■ 3 pack £8.99
■ single £3.69
■ Ink colours include black, red, blue, purple.

New direction

It's been far too long and I've been far too busy or lethargic to maintain this blog, my website or even my art practice.

Occasionally ill get a message or email from practicing students or experimenting artists asking what tools I use to create a piece or what medium I work on. It only seems easiest to keep a catalogue of some sorts of my tools enjoyed. Similar to how someone experimenting with watercolour would make swatches of colour and try adding salt, sugars or silica beads to the patches of wet paint.

So I'm going to give this a try. See how I fare. There are thousands of beauty bloggers reviewing blushes, brushes, eyeshadow pallets or eyeliner pens. But I'm finding it hard to discover pen or drawing review bloggers. We purchase tools based on their price tag and our budget, by what the professional illustrators use and what our lectures advise or our role models promote.

I'm hoping to construct a review of tools to advise people who may cross this blog what may suit their needs, interests or what they may want to try out and expand their kit.

I admit I'm forever trying to find that fantastic pen that makes me draw amazing or makes me excite at the prospect of drawing more and more. One that's comfortable to hold for hours on end without cramping my hand and wrist.

Many pens are available from online retailers. Shopping around to get the better deal is a great way to grab a bargain but our local stores for stationary such as rymans, the range and hobbycraft. Even asda, tesco and Morrisons can hold a secret gem for our drawing tool collections. Not forgetting art stores in larger cities.
But as always suggested for those art stores it's far better to go in knowing what your looking for, rather than allow you to get overwhelmed and purchase items you will never probably need or use.
A main example being do you really need 3 different brands of gold ink pen? Or 7 different options for a 0.2 fineliner pen?

Hopefully not but I've met dozens of people who do this. And in quite a few cases they buy pens which are manufactured by the same overall company. Same inks, same nibs slightly different packaging.

Most noticeably is the fact that faber castell owns letraset and through progress in the company the pen that costs the extra £2 is overall the exact same as the one in the less fancy packaging.  Yes there may be slight differences nib strength, plastic strength but overall that's what I hope to document.

To maintain continuity I will be using a seawhite of Brighton chunky square sketchbook. A personal favourite for its paper colour, strength and it's texture for drawing with various tools. It's also a great size since I enjoy the medium and large size for most of my sketch works.

I'm also using Berol Venus pencils, particularly 2B. There will no doubt another post on its other lead strengths and what they mean etc. But at current if I fancy sketching out an image to ink over its currently a favourite over mechanical pencils. Yet again, another blog post to explain will no doubt follow.

Without waiting any longer or having to type anymore on my phone. Let's have a go at this shall we?