What kind of pen do you use?

[Dave Hawk]

Hi , I thought I'd jump in. I did your Rapidograph for a shot time but found them very restrictive and decided to work with quill. I use FW inks exclusively. Now I switched to color inks I use #1 -# 3 brushes. I will still use a quill if called for in my paintings.

This looks to be a very fast moving forum with many very talented artist.

[Tosh]

I got a really good price on a 7 pack of rapidographs, it must have been a mistake but I got the smallest to middle pens for 40 bucks, so these are what started me in P&I.

I've tried some of the others like Microns but they don't feel right to me so I guess I'm stuck cleaning out pens for the rest of my life I'm not real technical so I usually only use two pens at a time, the .60 and .25, sadly after some years using them on and off they have both recently died on me, so I switched to the next lowest sizes. I'd say I got my moneys worth out of them.

[bryncoch]

Hi! This is bryncoch. I use a range of Rapidograph Ink Pens. The main nib size I use is a 0.10 and most of my work is done with a magnifying glass in order to apply very small detail.

[Agito]

I use Unipen set (0.1-0.5) that I bought in the Philippines and it was my very first pen I used on my drawing (it ran out of ink after 2 years of usage) then later I bought a Copic Multiliner Set A-2 on Kinokuniya, Faber Castell S and F Fineliner and Sakura Microns 0.1 and 0.3...

[Moondrop]

Originally Posted by Adriantmax

I use a speedball dip pen, rotring Art pen (F) or Kaimei sable brush pen.

I'm amazed no one has made a fountain sketch pen that behaves like a dip pen with variable pressure/thickness sketching nib.

When I bought my Rotring Art Pen, I was really hoping for something like my dip pen but with the convenience of a cap ad reservoir refiller. Unfortunately the Art Pen is too rigid to get much variation in stroke. But does make for a very nice, finely balanced pen.

<delurk>
Actually, there are fountain pens with flexible nibs that could do what you're describing here. Waterman's vintage Pink nibs seem to be pretty close to the flexibility of dip nibs, from what I've read. I've never had the opportunity to try one myself. The closest I've got is a hard rubber Waterman 12 1/2 eyedropper pen with a #2 Ideal nib. It's pretty flexible. I'm just afraid to take it out of the house and risk losing it. My main sketch pen is an Esterbrook J with a 9128 nib (their extra fine flexible) that flexes pretty well, though not as much as the Waterman. The 9128s apparently vary in the amount of flex you can get out of them. A search for that nib on fountainpennetwork.com should bring up a thread where one person posted samples from two different 9128s she owns.

There are modern fountain pens whose manufacturers claim the nibs are flexi, but from what I've read they're not quite as flexible as vintage nibs.

But if you're after line variation with a built-in reservoir, a vintage fountain pen with a good flexible nib might be what you want.

</delurk>

[brandseo]

Thanks for the thread

[sharpclaw]

My primary pens right now are:

Technical Pens: Staedtler MarsMatic 700 pens. I use a set of seven sizes for these and have been using black Daler-Rowney Calli ink until recently (currently out, but I love this ink) and am trying Blick Black Cat india ink.

Brush Pens: Kuretake brush pen and Platinum Pocket brush pen - soft, both with Platinum Carbon ink cartridges, and Pentel Pocket brush pen with Pentel FP10 cartridges.

Fountain Pens: Kaweco Sport fountain pens -- fine and medium nibs -- with Noodler's "bulletproof" black ink.

Dip Pens: Speedball dips pens of varying nib sizes with Speedball Super Black india ink.

I am crazy about both pens and ink, so try a lot of both.

[oldboy]

Am thinking of buying some technical pens. If I should choose Rotring can anyone tell me the technical differences between models Rapidograph and Isograph?,or is it as I suspect one can be re-filled with bottled ink and the other with cartridges.

Koh-I-noor Rapidographs are not available in the UK.

Thanks

[driedpaint]

Hi, I work with any pen that fits in my hand
Really, I do have to say I like the tech pens the best because of the different Inks I can use in them. I can use them on finished hard board with out them smearing. dries on top of it. I have noticed that the micron pens even with there fade proof inks in them they don't dry as well, for some reason on hard surfaces. Also I like the range of Line thicknesses they offer, I can put any color Ink in them. What more could one ask? The only draw back is that you may not be able to rush through on a drawing because of the type of tips they have, your forced to take your time and that in the world of Fine Pen and Ink Drawing isn't a bad Thing..I Think...

[Northwest29]

So, Ethan, unless I over looked your post I didn't see any info on what you use. (please direct me if you already posted this) - Thanks

Everyone,

For a 'total', did I mention 'total, newbie to this type of art and forum this information is very helpful. My pen inventory only consists of Micron 0.2, 0.5 and Copic Multiliner .05.

At this juncture it seems that refillables might be more to my liking as as I hate to go shopping.

[sharpclaw]

Originally Posted by Adriantmax

I use a speedball dip pen, rotring Art pen (F) or Kaimei sable brush pen.

I'm amazed no one has made a fountain sketch pen that behaves like a dip pen with variable pressure/thickness sketching nib.

You might look into Ackerman pump pens, some of which are fitted with dip pen nibs. I have not yet tried one myself and cannot give you firsthand experience, but I was just today getting information from an artist who has four and is very happy with them. The artist's input on the pens and your comment made me think to mention them here.

[azulparsnip]

I'm currently using dip pens, two different nib sized Lamy Safari, and a bold pelikan Souveran. I'm planning to purchase another one with a more flexible nib (considering a Falcon - Namiki?)
but this Ackerman pump pen looks quite promising and very affordable.
Any suggestions on the type of nib that would be best for drawing? Like if I got two, which two would give me a good range of line for drawing and sketching? I have alot of nibs BUT I obtained them from scavengering the garbage, hence I know not their names. My husband has driven a garbage truck for over 25 years and I am still amazed at the stuff people throw away!
Anybody here tried one of these Ackerman pump Pens??

[sharpclaw]

Originally Posted by azulparsnip

Any suggestions on the type of nib that would be best for drawing? Like if I got two, which two would give me a good range of line for drawing and sketching? I have alot of nibs BUT I obtained them from scavengering the garbage, hence I know not their names.

Not (yet) having actual experience with the Ackerman pump pens, I ran a search on them and found this very detailed Ackerman Pump Pen review on The Sketching Forum. The two things that most caught my attention in this review are how a pump pen differs in use from a fountain pen and that the nib can be switched for another nib, just as different nibs can be used on the same holder for a dip pen.

I like both a Hunt 101 nib and a G-nib for dip pen drawing; Ackerman pens have both of these (there are various G-nibs under "Manga" and I do not know one from the other; sorry). When I break down and get one of these for myself (like how it isn't "if" but "when"?), I shall probably go with the Hunt 101, partially since I like the nib and partially since I should be able to swap out the nib for another of the nibs I like that fit the same size holder.

To get an idea of what nibs you have, you might want to check out MisterArt's extensive list of dip pen nibs and see if any look familiar. There are other merchants with lists and pictures, plus you might not have Hunt nibs. This seems like a good place to start, though.

[azulparsnip]

Thanks SharpClaw for this advice......I will check out the links and let you know here how I get on.

[TerryWal01]

I'm a Rapidograph guy. They are picky and I have thrown them against the wall in anger, but they always give a great line!!!!