Category: Blog

“Raquel”

“Tracy”

Sunday I spent most of my time drawing, erasing, redrawing, rubbing, redrawing with charcoal. With about fifteen minutes left with the model I decided to try out a new fude-nibbed ink pen. On smooth marker paper, without really having any experience with the pen or understanding of how to use it, I found I was getting lifeless lines that looked like what you would get with a felt tip marker. (Boring.) So, thinking that a textured surface would help, I grabbed a random sheet of paper from a shelf across the room and, holding the pen like a paint brush, drew rather quickly. The mangled hand is an example of the lack of fine control in the technique and a moment where perhaps I should have slowed down.

I currently use Noodler’s inks and affordable Lamy Safari and Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens. I like the portability and consistency of flow that comes with such pens, versus the traditional dip pen that may provide slightly more expression due to greater nib flexibility but introduce all kinds of tedious annoyances that I don’t have much patience for. I regularly sit beside and watch Frank Stack dip pen into ink, so I know it can be done and done well! I’ve hung on to a set of Rollerball drawing and lettering nibs for decades, but every time I break them out I struggle to find them adequate for my needs. Almost in the same way that I used to romanticize the typewriter while using a word processor, I still consider making my own ink and drawing and lettering with dip pens; but I want portability and cleanliness, not to mention consistency and immediacy in application. I’m sure that my pal Frank would tell me that it’s good to stop every once in a while and look away from the drawing rather than barreling ahead unhindered. I also imagine him explaining that it’s the reason I draw too many lines. And then I imagine him spilling a bottle of ink on the floor. If course, I’ve had my share of spills—wine mostly, ruined a few drawings too, but don’t expect to see me enjoying my Cabernet from a sippy cup any time soon.

“Raquel”