Best Pen For Artists

[RobW]

I'm relatively new to drawing with fountain pens, about 6 months now, and I've yet to find a nib style that will do everything I want it to do. Before fountain pens, I tried dip pens and a range of throw away fibretips (still use the latter sometimes).

 

My present collection includes a Sailor 1911 (F), a Platinum Music, two Ahabs, a Rotring Artpen (EF, F and B nibs), two Pilot Parallels (1.5 and 6mm blades), a TWSBI with Pendleton Brown's 'Hot Tip with Angel Wings' and a Pelikan 400 (EF). Of these, my favourites for sketching are the Pendleton modified TWSBI and - believe it or not - the Parallel 6mm. The reasoning is simple: the TWSBI flexes enough to give good line variation, laying down anything from F to B+; and it is reasonably wet even on watercolor paper. The Parallel is really interesting. Using a corner of the edge I can get really fine lines, while using the whole of the blade can give me lines you couldn't get other than with a small brush. I use Noodler's BB in the TWSBI and usually Lexington Gray in the Pilot.

 

Here is an ink and watercolor I did recently. The heavier lines were done with the Parallel 6mm (using the corner and/or the whoie blade vertically) and a not-so-waterproof fibre pen. The result of the fibre pen running when colour was added was a happy accident!

 

Edited October 25, 2012 by RobW

[pictogramax]

This is looking great, RobW, thanks for the detailed write up. Any chance of showing those "Angel Wings" nib from PB? I have seen examples from his italic nibs, but not from what you got.

Edited October 25, 2012 by pictogramax

[ecksdog]

Seems like you're into "Old World" style of sketching.

 

How about a bottle of ink, a pen holder, and a half dozen various nibs? Maybe add a fine sable brush like many cartoonist ink with.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Depends on how light a hand you have.

 

A semi-flex would be a first step. I suggest a Pelikan 140 EF (mid '50's-65) or a EF Geha 790 as cheaper good pen ('60-65). It is the equivalent of a Pelikan 400 in size.

EF will be hard to find, you can get an F nib ground narrower, if it is too too wide for you.

 

Vintage nibs tend to run narrower than modern by @ 1/2 a size.

 

 

If you have a hand from dip pens, a Pelikan 400NN EF would be your best bet, in the nib is light in action. A 'Flexi' or maxi-semi-flex.

Again an EF will be harder to find.

So you buy a F, the 400NN and send it off to a nibmeister to have it taken down to EF.

 

I would look in our sales section, or put up an ad to buy an EF artist nib. Some member may be rebounding from only narrow nibs to wider and have a few extra EF's in 'flexi'.

 

In either case, semi-flex or 'flexi' you get 3X tine spread of a light down stroke, with good snap back.

 

If you need more than that width in line flex, you have to go to easy-full flex/super-flex or the next step is a wet noodle. These do 4-5 times wider than a light down stroke.

 

Pressure....if you mash a regular flex so it gives you 3 X tine spread a light down stroke an semi-flex is half of that. 1/2...

The maxi-semi-flex/'flexi' is half of that. 1/4th a regular flex.

Easy full flex again half. 1/8th pressure from a regular flex..

Wet noodle half of that. 1/16 a regular flex's pressure.

 

Many of the more flexible nibs are F or narrower than F, or it too can be sent off.

 

Cheapest by far is a dip pen. You should use one at home to learn how not to bend your valuable nib into frozen pretzels.

 

Have you worked with the many stages of flex a dip pen can give you?

Cheaply you could find out what exact flex or flexs, you need for your art work.

[NedC]

My principal sketching pen is a Pelikan m205 with a Binder Condor nib which has been mentioned previously, I'd also recommend the Noodler's Konrad, I find that it's piston mechanism is less troublesome than the Ahab's syringe filler, though the Gate City Belmont's syringe is problem free.

 

I really do like the Pelikan m200s because they are reasonable priced and can be had with a variety of nibs, including specialty nibs and custom nibs, and the steel nibs they come with, though I've had some occasional problems, run a bit finer and are springier than the current gold nibbed Pelikans, though my 140 EF is quite capable of producing good line variation. The one real problem nib I got on a 200 I wound up regrinding myself, the steel nibs are reasonably priced and readily available so modifying them isn't risking too much. In Rembrandt's time an artist would have worked mostly with reed or quill pens the points of which wear quickly and require frequent reshaping, much like sharpening a pencil point.

 

I'd also suggest a Lamy Safari or Nexx which are relatively cheap, easy to disassemble and clean-important if you'll be using pigmented inks- and have a pretty wide range of italic nibs available for not much money, some run a bit dry with some inks I've found but that can actually be advantageous for sketching when you sometimes my want a broken line effect.

 

Don't spend too much money on trying to get the perfect pen, try different pens out, fine and flexible nibs, italic nibs, pens that you can easily take apart for cleaning are good, ones you can push to the point of damage without fear are good, sometimes a bit of wear or mangling can give you effects you otherwise wouldn't achieve.

 

Oh, the Platinum Carbon desk fountain pen, and the Tachikawa School G, manga fountain pen which has an untipped stainless nib which really does behave like a dip pen are also worth looking into.

 

Have fun with it!

[Miketsheehan]

Suggest you send stevlight a message and ask him

[P.A.R.]

My principal sketching pen is a Pelikan m205 with a Binder Condor nib which has been mentioned previously, I'd also recommend the Noodler's Konrad, I find that it's piston mechanism is less troublesome than the Ahab's syringe filler, though the Gate City Belmont's syringe is problem free.

 

Only the initial batch of Ahabs released had any problems with the syringe filler to my knowledge. They now come standard with new o-rings that work quite well and make the Ahab's filling system my personal favorite. So, unless the OP prefers a piston filler, the pens are not very different since they have the same nib and feed.

[Scribblesoften]

A Noodler's Konrad has the same nib as the Ahab but is a piston filler. Another reason to use of the the Noodlers pens is the nibs can be easily adjusted for for flow or swapped in the field. I love the art in this thread. Thanks for posting it.

[Mauricio]

 

Rob,

 

That is a gorgeous drawing. Thanks for sharing your Venice rendition wiht us!

[RobW]

 

Rob,

 

That is a gorgeous drawing. Thanks for sharing your Venice rendition wiht us!

 

Thank you, Mauricio.

[thisisanwar]

Many good suggestions already!

 

I would just point out that by insisting on a piston filler you are somewhat limiting your choices. There are not that many modern pens with "expressive" nibs; demanding a piston filler narrows it down even more.

 

From experience, I would say you need three things:

 

1) a pen with a nib you like (you can load it with cartridges you would fill up yourself with a chosen ink or install a converter which would basically mean a small piston filler, there you go:-)

 

2) a pocket brush pen (like Pentel or Kuretake pocket brush, Konrad piston brush or Blue Heron piston brush; these you could load with the same ink, or a diluted shade of a same ink, or a complimentary color

 

3) adequate ink; a waterproof kind that can withstand washes on top (Platinum Carbon Black or in your case better yet Platinum Carbon Sepia, for Rembrandt look); washes do not have to be of the same ink, a shading ink would be better if you want to play with values. Here's an example of using a shading ink, in this case a Pelikan Brilliant Brown:

 

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PICTOGRAMAX-ESQUISE-DE-JOUR-111209.jpg

 

Considering pen, for a variety of line you are looking for, I believe you should go for a flexible nib. Ahab is already mentioned, and it's price is so right. It's a good starting point, but also can be tricky. I had troubles with mine (http://www.pictogramax.com/2011/12/01/ahab-arrives/) but when it works, it's good:

 

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/04-AHAB-WORKS-061211.jpg

 

I guess I would use mine more if I didn't got two vintage flex pens from Ebay and they both beat Ahab easily in smoothness, resposiveness and flexibility. Mine were not much more expensive, but both have battered bodies. The nibs and feeds, on the other hand, both worked better than Ahab even though more than 60 years old:) Here's Onoto De La Rue:

 

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PICTOGRAMAX-ESQUISE-DE-JOUR-120124.jpg

 

For modern flex, apart Ahab, many swear by Namiki Falcon. I haven't got a chance to try it, but there's many threads about it. I just love Japanese "soft" nibs; they don't give extreme line variation, but are beautifully springy and a joy to sketch with. Here's from Platinum 3776 with a soft-fine nib:

 

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/PICTOGRAMAX-ESQUISE-DE-JOUR-111218.jpg

http://www.pictogramax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/PICTOGRAMAX-ESQUISE-DE-JOUR-111220.jpg

 

Lastly, there's a wonderfully detailed comparison of shading inks, including many sepia variations, in the Ink Reviews section.

 

And of course, a right paper would be the fourth thing:-)

 

Hope this helps!

Beautiful works!!

[thisisanwar]

Hard to say which is best for me now a days love to draw with pilot fine nib pen

[balson]

for an affordable modern sketch pen i recommend the lamy safari with a 1.1 stub nib with a cartridge converter. its cheap, incredibly reliable, and the stub nib will give you a fair amount of line variation without having to worry about breaking an irreplaceable nib.

 

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

the lamy gives a wide downstroke and a very narrow cross stroke allowing you to control the lineweight pretty easily. it does not have quite the same spontaneity of a flexible nibbed pen but its ease of use and durability make up for that.

 

 

for modern flexible fountain pens there are two companies that make them, noodlers and fountain pen revolution. in my experience both have some quality control issues. noodlers you just have to tinker with to get it to work. fountain pen revolution will replace any defective parts. if you just want to play around with a modern flex pen i recomend the guru from FPR, its the most affordable and it has an ebonite feed so its compatible with the ease my flex mod https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/240492-noodlers-ahab-ease-my-flex-mod/

even with the ease my flex mod they do not perform as well as a good vintage flexible nib but you dont have to worry (as much) if the nib breaks or if the pen is lost or stolen because it is easy to pick up another one.

 

there are a ton of great affordable vintage flexible nibs out there, waterman, conklin, wahl eversharp come to mind as good brands to keep an eye out for. if you are looking for a flexible stub nib british parkers are the brand to look for. the rule of thumb is that the older a pen is the more likely it will be to very flexible. the ones from the turn of the century for the most part behave the most like dip pens. by the 1920s they really got feeds figured out so you will see the best performance in terms of amount of flex without the pen dripping or gushing as much. each of the brands will have some variants that are not as heavily collected so they are more affordable. waterman 92 and W3 would be good examples. if you just want it for sketching its worthwhile to pick up one with cosmetic issues like discoloration or missing clips as that can seriously decrease the price of vintage pens.

[pictogramax]

thisisanwar,

 

these are great, love your style. I'm also fan of Pilot's fine nibs.

 

balson,

love your drawing also. I never got along with stubs, I always feel I lack the control over finer details, but that's just me. I have friends that just like you can work with that kind of nib without problems.