Left Handed Cartoonist

[Mombydraw]

Hi, all. I'm new here. For decades, I've drawn cartoons with various technical pens. Koh-i-Noors, Rotrings, etc. My favorite of all was a Rotring Rapidograph-- a model that is no longer being manufactured. I've been testing different pens, hoping to fall in love with a new pen. I like a fine or extra fine line, and the ink needs to be ABSOLUTELY WATERPROOF. (Apologies for the shout.) I put a wash over the line, either an ink wash or a watercolor wash and freak if the ink bleeds.

 

The complication is that I'm a lefty. I push the nib; I don't pull it across the page. If anyone has any suggestions about a good fountain pen for lefties, and a really serious black waterproof ink, I'd be "all ears."

 

Many many thanks.

[Ordald]

Hi Mombydraw, maybe you would like to try a Tintenkuli, they are german pens with a metal strip as nib, the design is very similar to the technical drawing pens (Rotring Isograph for example). They make fine lines and can be hold very perpendicular to the paper, so no worries about pulling or pushing. They may be used with any fp ink. The original models are vintage collector items, it means expensive, but you can find several alternative brands. Regarding the ink, it's a very diverse matter, so welcome to the personal exploration. You would like to take a look at the "Inky Thoughts" forum of this site, there is a lot of useful threads about the subject.

Regards, Aldo

Edited September 14, 2014 by Ordald

[balson]

noodlers bulletproof black is the way to go for ink. its drying time is relatively slow, but its lightfast and waterproof when dry.

 

Edit: if you are handy, as most artists are, you might be best off getting into shaping the nibs yourself. that way you can modify the foot and shape of the nib to suit your hand perfectly

Edited September 14, 2014 by balson

[fiberdrunk]

I'm a lefty, too. You might try the Rotring ArtPen (EF nib or 1.1 mm) with Magic Color, which is actually a pigmented acrylic ink. The ArtPen can handle this type of ink (don't put it in most other fountain pens, though, and flush your pen regularly). These acrylic inks can stain an ink converter, so I recommend having "designated" ink converters per similar color. These inks are designed to be "layered" and washed. Highly permanent and waterproof.

 

eta: the Rotring ArtPen is a non-flexible nib

Edited September 14, 2014 by fiberdrunk

[Mombydraw]

Hi Fiberdrunk,

 

Thanks for the reply. Can you actually fill a Rotring ArtPen with a different kind of ink? I thought they came with cartridges. Can you convert it to a different kind of pen?

 

Many thanks.

 

PS. I have "jailbroken" my old Rotring Rapidoliners by pulling off the point part of the barrel with a jeweler's pliers, refilling the cartridge (which is meant to be thrown away when empty), and jamming the point back in there. Sometimes there's a little bit of ink leakage, but not too much. That's how desperate I am to make my dwindling supply last! ;-)

[fiberdrunk]

Hi Fiberdrunk,

 

Thanks for the reply. Can you actually fill a Rotring ArtPen with a different kind of ink? I thought they came with cartridges. Can you convert it to a different kind of pen?

 

Many thanks.

 

PS. I have "jailbroken" my old Rotring Rapidoliners by pulling off the point part of the barrel with a jeweler's pliers, refilling the cartridge (which is meant to be thrown away when empty), and jamming the point back in there. Sometimes there's a little bit of ink leakage, but not too much. That's how desperate I am to make my dwindling supply last! ;-)

 

You can get piston-fill ink converters for the Rotring ArtPen, which will let you use a wide array of fountain pen inks, including acrylic. They also take Rotring cartridges. I suspect the cartridges are the non-waterproof kind, though. There are different size nibs for it, but I don't think you can change it to, say, a Rapidoliner.

Edited September 14, 2014 by fiberdrunk

[Mombydraw]

Thank you!!!! Just ordered Rotring Artpen and a converter. Fingers, ink--stained or otherwise-- crossed!

[Icywolfe]

How about a dip pen? One of Deleter's dip pen inks is such a quick drying ink that it sort of dries on the nib if you stop moving for a few seconds. I think it's the yellow label one.

[Mombydraw]

I haven't found a dip pen that works with the way I draw, unfortunately, because I love how you can vary the line with dip pens.... I think I push and pull the point. Maybe more pushing than pulling. And then there's the s m e a r i n g factor because of leftiness. But I"m not giving up. You guys have been extremely helpful.

[Icywolfe]

I haven't found a dip pen that works with the way I draw, unfortunately, because I love how you can vary the line with dip pens.... I think I push and pull the point. Maybe more pushing than pulling. And then there's the s m e a r i n g factor because of leftiness. But I"m not giving up. You guys have been extremely helpful.

One of the deleter's ink dries so fast that I remember throwing a bottle out (I gave it to another person.) It never smeared for me but drying on the nib annoyed beyond a limit. All of Deleter's inks tend to be on the faster end of the drying.... to the point of annoyance. I guess it does fit the job which the ink is meant to be used: Sketching/Drawing Manga. Where you can accidentally smudge something even if you are a right handed person.

[fiberdrunk]

I haven't found a dip pen that works with the way I draw, unfortunately, because I love how you can vary the line with dip pens.... I think I push and pull the point. Maybe more pushing than pulling. And then there's the s m e a r i n g factor because of leftiness. But I"m not giving up. You guys have been extremely helpful.

You'll love Magic Color acrylic inks... they dry lightning fast!

[Kataphract]

I like a fine or extra fine line, and the ink needs to be ABSOLUTELY WATERPROOF. (Apologies for the shout.) I put a wash over the line, either an ink wash or a watercolor wash and freak if the ink bleeds.

 

The complication is that I'm a lefty. I push the nib; I don't pull it across the page. If anyone has any suggestions about a good fountain pen for lefties, and a really serious black waterproof ink, I'd be "all ears."

 

 

You have to be wary of claims of waterproof with fountain pen inks. Noodler's Bulletproof Black mentioned above? Waterproof? Well - no, not by my standards. Water resistant, and under the right confluence of conditions it won't bleed. The ink has to bind with the cellulose of the paper to become waterproof, so if the paper is low cellulose or has a lot of external sizing, or if you lay down a thick and heavy line so that the ink dries on top of itself, it will bleed. I have all sorts of acrylic inks that are absolutely positively waterproof, but even some of those that claim to be waterproof will still bleed a little, and pretty much all of them will destroy a fountain pen feed in extreme short order. The best I have heard of (but not tried yet), is Platinum Carbon Black ink. You still have to be careful with it, and preferably rinse out the pen after every use (though I have seen many reports from people who have left it in specific pens for over a week without problems). There is a pen designed specifically for use with the ink - the Platinum Desk Pen (extra fine Japanese nib). I hate the desk pen style (long tail, fugly cap), but people have lopped off the long tail so the cap posts and made easier to carry around.

 

As to pushing/pulling because you are a southpaw: western writing is designed to go in a certain direction not always conducive to being a leftie, but I see no particular reason why drawing would depend on pushing the pen, beyond you are emulating strokes you learned to use writing. I know this is advice that is easy to give but dang hard to follow, but you will get more out of your drawings with any type of flexible nib by learning to make pulling strokes.

Edited September 15, 2014 by Kataphract

[Polanova]

 

You have to be wary of claims of waterproof with fountain pen inks. Noodler's Bulletproof Black mentioned above? Waterproof? Well - no, not by my standards.

 

If I make a sketch with a XF - F nib on watercolor paper (Moleskine) I can get immediately over it with water color. I`ve not experienced any bleeding or smearing (I`ve not tried this with a thick nib or on other paper yet).

… just my 2 cents

Edited September 15, 2014 by Polanova

[fiberdrunk]

 

The best I have heard of (but not tried yet), is Platinum Carbon Black ink. You still have to be careful with it, and preferably rinse out the pen after every use (though I have seen many reports from people who have left it in specific pens for over a week without problems). There is a pen designed specifically for use with the ink - the Platinum Desk Pen (extra fine Japanese nib). I hate the desk pen style (long tail, fugly cap), but people have lopped off the long tail so the cap posts and made easier to carry around.

 

 

If you use Platinum Carbon Black ink in the Platinum Carbon pen, you won't have any clogging issues. I've had the pen over a year and have never once had to flush it! The ink flows just as it did the first time I filled it. It has an extra-fine nib.

Edited September 15, 2014 by fiberdrunk

[Mombydraw]

Trying this one too. It was really a BUMMER when Rotring stopped making that Rapidoliner! I should have bought out the factory. Oh well. Hindsight, 20-20, etc. etc. Thank you all for the suggestions...

[Kataphract]

If I make a sketch with a XF - F nib on watercolor paper (Moleskine) I can get immediately over it with water color. I`ve not experienced any bleeding or smearing (I`ve not tried this with a thick nib or on other paper yet).

… just my 2 cents

A fine or extra fine nib is better for this kind of thing. My Noodler's with a big, fat, wet line is far more likely to bleed into a following wash than my extra fine Twsbi. It will also depend on the paper you use, some work better than others. The thing is you simply need to test your pen, ink, and paper before you get too far in a work to make sure the results will be acceptable.

[Mombydraw]

That is the truth! Nothing like inking in an entire drawing with an ink that says it's waterproof, only to find out, when you start adding the wash, that the ink is not waterproof at all. And then you wonder: WHY WAS I EVER BORN.

[mrchan]

Hi, all. I'm new here. For decades, I've drawn cartoons with various technical pens. Koh-i-Noors, Rotrings, etc. My favorite of all was a Rotring Rapidograph-- a model that is no longer being manufactured. I've been testing different pens, hoping to fall in love with a new pen. I like a fine or extra fine line, and the ink needs to be ABSOLUTELY WATERPROOF. (Apologies for the shout.) I put a wash over the line, either an ink wash or a watercolor wash and freak if the ink bleeds.

 

The complication is that I'm a lefty. I push the nib; I don't pull it across the page. If anyone has any suggestions about a good fountain pen for lefties, and a really serious black waterproof ink, I'd be "all ears."

 

Many many thanks.

I am a leftie and I have a few solid suggestions as to what works for me.

 

I was going to start a post on this as well but here goes.

 

Ink-wise, most inks work as long as they don't take too long to dry. If you use a finer nib or you are an underwriter, then dry time isn't usually such an issue. Super fast drying black inks which are waterproof include the Platinum Carbon, and also Sailor Kiwa-Guro nano which dries as soon as it hits the paper.

 

In general most nibs work very well for most left handers. I find that as a leftie OVERWRITER, that certain nibs that kind of hook downwards such as Conway Stewards, tend to work less well as I push across and downwards the page. I find nibs that have a slight curve upwards are very forgiving and till this day, my pens that write the best are pens with nibs that are slightly curved upwards.

 

Note that this won't be an issue if you are a leftie UNDERWRITER, all nibs for underwriters (left or right) work equally well.

 

Here are some pics to illustrate what I mean by the nib being just slightly curved upwards. Sorry for the poor quality photos, poor lighting and all that, photos were done on the fly.

 

 

Somehow these nibs are very very relaxing to use as an overwriter for me. I notice that a few nibs that I own that curve downwards just dont work as well even though they have been worked on by a nibmeister.

 

In general however, use whatever fountain pen you like.

 

These are my two cents. Enjoy and welcome to the club. Be prepared to end up spending a lot of money :DCheers,

Julian

[NedC]

My go to fountain pens for drawing are the Platinum #3776 Balance with the steel nibs, about $50 to $60 from several Japanese sellers. I particularly like the UEF nib which is needle fine but quite smooth, at least compared to a crow quill dip pen. And, yes I strongly recommend the Platinum Carbon ink, I also use their pigmented sepia and recommend that if you like brown inks. You could also try the Tachikawa School and School-G pens which are popular with some manga artists and have a pretty waterproof ink and are cartridge filled. The Tachikawa pens are I tipped so a bit less smooth and will wear down after a few refills.

 

I also am left handed but am predominantly an under writer and don't notice that I "push" the nib any more than I "pull" it. Maybe that has something to do with learning first with dip pen and brush.

Edited September 16, 2014 by NedC

[Mombydraw]

Money spent on pens and inks almost never makes me sad. Even if I don't "fall in love," the experience is worth it. :-)