Cartoon pen

[lowks]

Besides FPs one of my favorite pass time is doodling ... which is evident here: http://lowkianseong.comicgenesis.com/

 

Can someone tell me which type pen I can use for this type of cartooning? (currently I use chinese brush with indian ink) Someone said ackerman would be good but I would like to know which model?

[macaddicted]

Can't help with the pen, but the cartoon is rather, um, pointed.

[lowks]

Can't help with the pen, but the cartoon is rather, um, pointed.

 

yups. A something-on-the-freetime thing. A combo of ink and pencil shading

[georges zaslavsky]

an extra fine nibbed pen, perhaps an older balance or an older duofold with an extra fine nib which are truely extra fine nibs in the truest sense of the meaning will help you for drawing cartoons.

[rcannonp]

I would look at Japanese F nib pens. My Pilot VP is probably my favorite, but I tend to use my Prera more because it's lighter and easier to carry.

 

You might also try something like the Pigma Microns or Copic Multiliners. They make a range of nib sizes as well as brush tipped pens.

[dcwaites]

I think Melpens has the Tachikawa manga refillable (cartridge) pens, as well as the dip pens.

The Tachikawa drawing pens have a carbon ink cartridge, come in black and sepia colours, and have Fine and Extra-fine nibs. These would be a good pen to see if that is the way you wanted to go, before shelling out a lot of money for a special fountain pen.

[MJ Vesuvius]

Agree on the Tachikawa. Or just for fun you could go old school

and try the classic pen-and-ink method. India ink and different

nibs (dip pen).

 

Another interesting option: Rapidograph technical pens.

Great when they're working, but rather high maintenance.

 

I got a laugh from your cartoons. Nice work!

 

MJ

[lowks]

Agree on the Tachikawa. Or just for fun you could go old school

and try the classic pen-and-ink method. India ink and different

nibs (dip pen).

 

Another interesting option: Rapidograph technical pens.

Great when they're working, but rather high maintenance.

 

I got a laugh from your cartoons. Nice work!

 

MJ

 

Thanks. They were drawn at a much younger age so some of the gags might be a bit ... well uhmmm contrived. I really feel a calling to go back to it though. Really loose myself during doodling sessions.

[emulh]

If you can spend a little on your instrument, I'd suggest a Namiki Falcon with XF nib. Other option could be a brush pen (like a pentel one), they accept pure india ink refilled by hand.

[CS388]

What about Rotring Artpen? Not too expensive and a wide range of drawing nib sizes.

[jBeckett]

Tachikawa dip pens with your choice of comic/manga nibs I find are the best for inking they're cheap too so there's not much harm in trying them out. If you do everything freehand you might want to go for something like the Namiki Falcon or a similar FP with a semi-flex nib, I haven't tried the Falcon myself but I hear only good things from the artists and illustrators I know who use them.

[stez]

Go on ebay. Buy yourself a Pelikan 120 made by Merz & Krell or buy a senator Regent. Made by the same company. You will be surprised by how wonderful it is to draw with one.

I spent 20 years as an illustrator, cartoonist. Trust me. Whatever pen you are currently using will pale in comparison. Then, after you've truly learned how to use a fountain pen. Go look for an earlier vintage Pelikan, or other brand, with a 585, 14K nib. Your life will never be the same.

Your drawing shows that whatever pen you are using is a total nail. No line variation. No life.

You need to see what a flexi or maxi flex nib can do. Come over to the dark side young jedi......bwahahaha...

stez

[balson]

if i had to guess i would say that comic was done with a sharpie. if you look closely you can see the writing on the other side of the paper bleed through the scan. this indicates that those lines in the comic are probably at least 1mm wide.

 

for a really graphic style of comic like that i would recommend a broad or a stub nib. broad nibs tend to be smoother writing. stubs create a wider line on the downstroke and a finer line on the cross stroke, so depending on how the pen is angled you can get some variation in your line width. a wide nib like a broad or a stub really forces you to work with large graphic lines and shapes because you just cant get those fine details unless you are working on a much larger sheet of paper.

 

here is a picture i did with a 1.1 lamy stub nib. the lamy safari is a good option for anyone starting out with fountain pens. it is a real workhorse pen. incredibly reliable. the nibs are easy to swap out so if you want to try out a new style of nib you don't have to buy the whole pen, you can just swap out the nib. and best of all its pretty affordable. you should be able to find one for about $30.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NQXB9_1RyEE/Unqcl_g4j4I/AAAAAAAAA6Q/BUC6cuf8xn4/s1600/nightrundoodle.jpg

[Kataphract]

You can draw with any fountain pen. Thick, thin, flex, italic, whatever. Some are easier to draw with, some offer more sophistication. If you don't mind the lack of line variation such as in the doodle you link to, then probably a medium or even broad round (fairly standard) will suit you. You can get some varying line weight as demonstrated immediately above with a stub or italic pen. I would not call it the ideal solution for drawing, but as you can see, it adds some interest to the drawing. A pen with some level of flex to it would be a more versatile tool than an italic, but these tend to be more expensive, modern pens don't have a whole lotta flex, and you can be bombarded by hemi-semi-demi flex terminology, along with the counter arguments that the pen in question isn't really a hemi-semi-demi flex, but really a semi-maxi-soft nib. Then people talk about their vintage uber-soft wet noodle, and the imagery I get from that simply can't be discussed on a family message board.