Drawing With Fountain Pen Vs Fine Felt Tip Pen

[Petergriffin]

What is the difference between drawing with a fine felt tip pen(like the Staedler pens) and fountain pens/dip pens? Any advantages or disadvantages to either one? Which one do you personally like drawing with?

[PolarMoonman]

Felt pens are drier and it's easier to control a felt tip if you are inexperienced with dip pens...

 

Both have advantages and disadvantages.

 

FELT TIP

 

Advantages:

Easy to use

drier than dip pens

Ink inside

 

Disadvantages:

one pen, one color

can't be reused

they dry out.

 

DIP PEN

 

Advantages:

one pen multiple colors, use a color, wipe off, and use another...

large selection of nibs to choose from

can change nibs

 

Disadvantages:

have to buy ink

takes practice to master...

 

I use felt tip, but am learning to use dip pens as well...

Edited April 11, 2013 by ParkersandPilots

[Antaresia]

I use both!

 

Advantages with felt tip is that the ink is usually waterproof - so you can go over your lines with water colour. Mind you, water soluble ink can be fun too if you care to go over it with a wet paint brush

http://25.media.tumblr.com/ce77c6d64c6f2a615ee11aeb4736b9ca/tumblr_mkayqedqz61qbkcd0o1_400.png

 

Of course, dip pens can use acrylic ink just fine. But you have to keep re-dipping, and you have to go a bit slower. I used dip & fountains for finishing only, or sketching (like the link above). Line-width-variation is a bonus, but you can get the same effect with a brush pen and they're much more flexible.

 

Felt tips are also much more portable. If you're looking for something in between a fountain and felt tip, go get a technical pen. I have a rapidograph that I LOVE, it requires some maintenance but not having to worry about the ink drying out or tip wearing out is worth it, for me. I can also choose & mix what colour inks go into it - this pen doesn't travel well though. It stays at home.

 

All pens are great, get one of each and a pentel brush pen too and you're set.

Edited April 11, 2013 by Antaresia

[teenytina]

Definitely line-width variation is the biggest plus to using a flexible nib on a crowquill/dip pen. You could also get that effect from a flexy nib fountain pen though without all the annoying re-inkings, and fps are of course much cleaner.

An illustration of the flexy effect: Note the shadow lines on the following image are much thicker than the lines indicating wood in daylight. Both lines were done with the same pen, flexy nib. No gaggle of felt tip pens for me. I hate the feel of a felt tip anyway, but that's not necessarily true for others. Feels and sounds like a nail on a chalkboard to me.

http://i.imgur.com/GIcrGNE.jpg

[muldi]

Definitely line-width variation is the biggest plus to using a flexible nib on a crowquill/dip pen. You could also get that effect from a flexy nib fountain pen though without all the annoying re-inkings, and fps are of course much cleaner.

An illustration of the flexy effect: Note the shadow lines on the following image are much thicker than the lines indicating wood in daylight. Both lines were done with the same pen, flexy nib. No gaggle of felt tip pens for me. I hate the feel of a felt tip anyway, but that's not necessarily true for others. Feels and sounds like a nail on a chalkboard to me.

http://i.imgur.com/GIcrGNE.jpg

 

Tina, May I ask what brand black ink you are using and the nibs? I must have six different black inks and am trying to settle on something waterproof but that doesn't eat my nibs. For watersoluble, I use Pelikan 4001 black. I love your drawing, too.

Thanks, Diane

[aenjin]

Another difference might be the angle that you use them at. Regular FPs seem to work best when you hold them at writing angles, whereas you can generally hold FFTPs close to vertical if you want and still get good lines.

 

Since disposable FFTPs dry out, when the pen starts nearing the end of its life you can use the dryness for effects, whereas a working FP is always going to give you a consistent wet line.

 

Personally I don't like having to keep buying them or how they perform, so I only keep one or two FFTPs around (convenient when you're traveling though), and I don't use FPs to draw with other doodling (though that may change), right now I'm mainly drawing with dip pens or pencils.

 

The biggest advantage dip pens have over FPs in my opinion is the ease of using waterproof inks which FPs can't duplicate for color range or type. That said, the advantageous pen is whichever kind that works well for what you want to do.

[subramaniyam]

Definitely line-width variation is the biggest plus to using a flexible nib on a crowquill/dip pen. You could also get that effect from a flexy nib fountain pen though without all the annoying re-inkings, and fps are of course much cleaner.

An illustration of the flexy effect: Note the shadow lines on the following image are much thicker than the lines indicating wood in daylight. Both lines were done with the same pen, flexy nib. No gaggle of felt tip pens for me. I hate the feel of a felt tip anyway, but that's not necessarily true for others. Feels and sounds like a nail on a chalkboard to me.

http://i.imgur.com/GIcrGNE.jpg

 

Wow!!! Frank Lohan's book? You should post in Daniellem's thread in the Write Stuff forum. She too, is using Lohan's book.

 

In my experience, drawing with fountain pens lets you use a technique called 'washes' since they do not dry out soon. It has a very nice effect, as you can see in my thread in the Write Stuff forum 'Sketching using the Hero 395'. Another advantage is the line variation you can get, along with a variety of shades depending upon the pressure you apply on the pen. Plus, it sets you apart from those (most of them) who use sketch pens!!

 

Sketch pens, on the other hand, cannot be used for washes and blending because they tend to dry faster. They are much more suitable for brief periods of sketching. YMMV

 

Regards,

Subramaniyam

[aenjin]

 

Sketch pens, on the other hand, cannot be used for washes and blending because they tend to dry faster. They are much more suitable for brief periods of sketching. YMMV

 

 

You're right that fineliners can't be used to make washes, but they do make a great base for applying washes (FPs with waterproof ink would also), you would just have a second pen or brush set up. For example you can fill up a plastic waterbrush with ink and go over your waterproof lines with it.

[heymatthew]

I find that doodling or drawing with felt tip pens gives me far more consistent lines. They're pretty predictable. Felt pens pretty much always just work, until they dry out. Unless you're pressing extremely hard, you won't get line variation or damage the tip. Depending on which felt tip pen you're using, they tend to bleed through. Especially Sharpies. Microns don't do it as badly. In high school, I wrote almost exclusively with Micron pens (I had pretty "girly" handwriting in high school... or at least that's what I was always told).

 

Fountain pens and dip pens give you a variety of line weights, sometimes in a single nib (ie: Flex or Semi-Flex nibs). Fountain/Dip pens can be more temperamental than felt tip pens (clogging, burping, skipping, hard-starting, etc.). Once you find a pen that really works for your drawing style, though, you can tweak it and get it exactly where you want it to be and go from there.

 

Felt pens are cheap and easily replaced if lost. Fountain and dip pens, not so much. Dip pens, in particular tend to be more messy and a lot more work. I can doodle or draw on an airplane with a felt pen, but I wouldn't dream of cracking open a bottle of ink and a dip pen on an airplane or a bus or subway train.

 

I think they each have their uses. I personally like to draw with fountain pens because I have yet to find a felt pen that can match the line weight AND durability of my EF and UEF nibs. The Microns get pretty small, but their little .005 tips tend to split, bend and break easily, rendering them useless.

 

Excellent drawing above, though. Wow!

[teenytina]

Tina, May I ask what brand black ink you are using and the nibs? I must have six different black inks and am trying to settle on something waterproof but that doesn't eat my nibs. For watersoluble, I use Pelikan 4001 black. I love your drawing, too.

Thanks, Diane

 

Thanks for the compliment!

 

I used J Herbin Perle Noire ink in a Namiki Resin Falcon, Soft Fine 14k gold nib. It is springy but not technically flexible.

 

Wow!!! Frank Lohan's book? You should post in Daniellem's thread in the Write Stuff forum. She too, is using Lohan's book.

 

In my experience, drawing with fountain pens lets you use a technique called 'washes' since they do not dry out soon. It has a very nice effect, as you can see in my thread in the Write Stuff forum 'Sketching using the Hero 395'. Another advantage is the line variation you can get, along with a variety of shades depending upon the pressure you apply on the pen. Plus, it sets you apart from those (most of them) who use sketch pens!!

 

Sketch pens, on the other hand, cannot be used for washes and blending because they tend to dry faster. They are much more suitable for brief periods of sketching. YMMV

 

Regards,

Subramaniyam

 

I did post in Daniellem's thread... just happened I could kill two birds with one sketch, here. Thanks for the suggestion! I bought the book in fact because of Daniellem's beautiful initial sketch.

The J Herbin ink is I think water resistant but not waterproof, and might be a good candidate for a wash. I have several blacks by Noodlers, Diamine, and J Herbin, but selected Perle Noire because I know it will behave, and I didn't need the drawing to be waterproof.

It's important to select an ink you know well and for the properties you need. Sometimes this may dictate what pen you use.

 

To Subramaniyam's point, you wouldn't want a waterproof ink if you wanted to pull out colors from the ink for a wash effect. You would want a waterproof ink if you wanted to watercolor over it and didn't want it to smear, for example.

 

I find that doodling or drawing with felt tip pens gives me far more consistent lines. ...

 

Fountain pens and dip pens give you a variety of line weights, sometimes in a single nib (ie: Flex or Semi-Flex nibs). Fountain/Dip pens can be more temperamental than felt tip pens (clogging, burping, skipping, hard-starting, etc.). Once you find a pen that really works for your drawing style, though, you can tweak it and get it exactly where you want it to be and go from there.

 

Felt pens are cheap and easily replaced if lost. Fountain and dip pens, not so much. Dip pens, in particular tend to be more messy and a lot more work. I can doodle or draw on an airplane with a felt pen, but I wouldn't dream of cracking open a bottle of ink and a dip pen on an airplane or a bus or subway train.

 

I think they each have their uses. I personally like to draw with fountain pens because I have yet to find a felt pen that can match the line weight AND durability of my EF and UEF nibs. The Microns get pretty small, but their little .005 tips tend to split, bend and break easily, rendering them useless.

 

Excellent drawing above, though. Wow!

 

I edited the above post Matthew to focus on a couple of points you are making that are really good ones.

 

It comes down to choosing the right tools (pen AND ink) for the end goal you have in mind. As to your drawing style, it's practice that helps you figure out what that is. Do stuff you like and do stuff you don't like, and your preferences and style become evident.

 

Matthew makes good points about the pros and cons of each approach. To the OP's question, it doesn't matter what I like or what he likes; it's up to you, Petergriffin, to take this information, meld it with your preferences and your goals, and make your own decision.

 

The drawing I made, for example, could do equally well as a waterproof pen and ink with a watercolor overwash. Or an ink wash, or ... you name it. Art is half subject matter and half the passion of its portrayal... or at least that's all you need to know to get started doing it yourself.

[teenytina]

oops, accidental duplicate.

Edited April 12, 2013 by teenytina

[heymatthew]

Excellent points made by a lot of people in this thread. This is really good information here.

[bitterwonder]

"Fountain pens and dip pens give you a variety of line weights, sometimes in a single nib (ie: Flex or Semi-Flex nibs). Fountain/Dip pens can be more temperamental than felt tip pens (clogging, burping, skipping, hard-starting, etc.). Once you find a pen that really works for your drawing style, though, you can tweak it and get it exactly where you want it to be and go from there. "

 

One has to get to know how to use a pen, and that comes through use with time, like getting to know a person.