Monthly Ink Challenge - Season IV

[yazeh]

@InesF great job. I like the contrast/whimsy of fuchsia boat with the antarctic landscape. I wonder if it's a warning that how our "pink" way of living is melting the ice shelves.  

[LizEF]

Wonderful sketch, @InesF!  The glacier surface itself feels cold, but you're right, overall, it doesn't seem cold.  As to perspective - it's hard to get it right and I think this is a challenging angle anyway!  The sailboat next to a glacier was a surprise to me - I don't think I've ever seen that before!

[InesF]

  On 1/12/2025 at 1:53 PM, yazeh said:

@InesF great job. I like the contrast/whimsy of fuchsia boat with the antarctic landscape. I wonder if it's a warning that how our "pink" way of living is melting the ice shelves.  

Expand  

Thank you, @yazeh, you are most welcome!  

Indeed, the pinkish-red was intended as an eye-catcher and as a visual expression of the fact that we humans have a significant impact on nature.  

[InesF]

  On 1/12/2025 at 2:15 PM, LizEF said:

Wonderful sketch, @InesF!  The glacier surface itself feels cold, but you're right, overall, it doesn't seem cold.  As to perspective - it's hard to get it right and I think this is a challenging angle anyway!  The sailboat next to a glacier was a surprise to me - I don't think I've ever seen that before!

Expand  

Thank you, @LizEF, you are cordially welcome.   

Still unhappy with the drawing, I can see it as a learning piece. Only after finishing it and at first look from distance I recognised this tilting perspective. At one blink of the eye the glacier front is seen from above (not intended) and at the next blink it is seen from below. It is in the gradual colour intensity which has the wrong direction in the sky - would it had been from bottom bright to dark at height, the perspective would had worked. ... 🤷‍♀️ OK, yes, now I know.  

I always take my inspiration from image search, from text search and sometimes from AI-search. It all started with a scientific recherché about exotic microbes in cold environment in August 2024 and continued to grow into a pen-and-ink inspiration with these two (AI-generated?) images (one) and (two) in November 2024. There are many AI-generated images in the net, all showing the same red yacht! 👍 Haha!

 

[LizEF]

  On 1/14/2025 at 1:20 PM, InesF said:

I always take my inspiration from image search, from text search and sometimes from AI-search. It all started with a scientific recherché about exotic microbes in cold environment in August 2024 and continued to grow into a pen-and-ink inspiration with these two (AI-generated?) images (one) and (two) in November 2024. There are many AI-generated images in the net, all showing the same red yacht! 👍 Haha!

Expand  

Fascinating!  Thank you for sharing your inspiration.

[yazeh]

@InesF sometimes, I use images to draw, more or less correctly, whatever I need to draw

But when I read your prompt it reminded me of the the animation movie Ice Age and the scene inside the glacier. This I found on Pinterest 

[InesF]

  On 1/14/2025 at 3:38 PM, yazeh said:

@InesF sometimes, I use images to draw, more or less correctly, whatever I need to draw

But when I read your prompt it reminded me of the the animation movie Ice Age and the scene inside the glacier. This I found on Pinterest 

Expand  

Oh yeah! Thank you! I have seen the movie but didn't have the scene in mind (at least not consciously any more). I laughed a lot during the movie!

It is a good find and a great inspiration image for Land Under Blue Ice! 

[yazeh]

  On 1/16/2025 at 10:33 AM, InesF said:

Oh yeah! Thank you! I have seen the movie but didn't have the scene in mind (at least not consciously any more). I laughed a lot during the movie!

It is a good find and a great inspiration image for Land Under Blue Ice! 

Expand  

It'll be greater to be able to draw it  

[InesF]

Monthly Ink Challenge IV – February 2025

 

The set consists of:

KWZ Honey – in Conway Stewart JR Mirage M

Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Sabimidori – in Montblanc Egyptomania EF

deAtramentis Altrosa – in Waldmann Tango M

fading out: Pelikan Edelstein Topaz + Jade Mix* – in Aurora Optima Antarctica M

 

*) The mix consists of 3 parts Topaz plus one part Jade.

 

 

Here the short introduction on an A5 sheet of Fritz Schimpf letter pad (the paper is slightly off-white, but white-balance is not quite successful here):

 

And here is the ink-set-progress-swatch-page:

 

 

Some background information to the pens and inks.

 

The limited edition Conway Stewart Jack Row Mirage fountain pen was the second four digit cost pen I ever bought. It has a silver body with gold wire coiled around. No surprise, it weights 66 Gram empty. The nib is a stiff medium-fine and writes a bit dry, making it best suitable for Iroshizuku, Herbin and some Diamine inks. For the February Challenge I selected KWZ Honey as the chronological third ink for the set because it complements the others nicely for the more colourful theme. After the first writing trials the combination with the Pelikan Edelstein Topaz + Jade Mix turned out to be of exceptional harmony – by chance, I discovered a new favourite duo.

 

Each Monthly Set should have one extra fine nib, with or without flex. February has the Montblanc Heritage Egyptomania which draws an almost mono-line with its gentle architect geometry. The vintage look of the pen (it was something like a revival of the 1920’s models), its nice hieroglyph ornament, its sturdiness and its geometry makes it a perfect everyday carry. The paper should not have a rough surface to avoid the nib catching and pulling cellulose fibres. Almost every EF nib I have used so far does work well with inks of medium to low surface tension. And so does this one. Since more than a year I liked to test Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Sabimidori with the Egyptomania pen – and it combines very well! The ink lines are blue when directly looking down, are green from an angel and have a rusty-brown sheen under the right illumination. Those mysterious ink properties do somehow reflect and extend the mysteries around ancient Egypt (independent from the ink origin  ).

 

The Waldmann Tango was a birthday present to myself in 2024 but was not in use since then. It is also a pen with silver body (weights 44 g) that is made with outstanding precision in all its dimensions as well as in the engraved guilloche pattern. Its surface is lacquered and polished for playful illusive light reflections. The stiff steel nib is also on the dry side but provides the same writing sensation as all the stiff gold nibs in my collection. Pelikan Edelstein Rose Quartz would had been my first choice for the February set but did not well with the Waldmann nib. So I choose the low surface tension deAtramentis Altrosa (that should, in theory, be similar to Rose Quartz, but isn’t in practise) which turned out to combine nicely with Sabimidori and with the Topaz Mix. However, due to its low surface tension there is neither shading nor sheen with this ink.

 

In January, almost everything was aid about the Aurora Optima Antarctica and about the Pelikan Edelstein Topaz + Jade Mix. With each sentence I write, this slightly modified ink gives me joy. It is about the colour as well as about the fantastic shading deriving from the rather dry writing Aurora nib. I intend to fade it out during February but I may decide differently and fade one of the other inks out first.

 

 

The inks of the February Set are quite colourful and represent a broad spectrum from icy cold to cosy warm. It is like walking along a stormy cold path and entering a carnival party indoors that has reached some degree of elevated excitement. A fitting inspiration quote therefore is:

In Carnival We Wear a Mask

 

Get inspired, choose your pens and inks and start bringing your creative ideas to paper!

Looking forward to your contributions!

See you around February 16^th (plus/minus a week).

[LizEF]

I really like this set of mostly bright and entirely interesting colors! Just what we need to drive away the winter blues!

[InesF]

Monthly Ink Challenge – Result February

 

Sick at home, unable to do my drawings last weekend, I’m a bit late for February. Nevertheless, I did it. I screened a lot of photos and drawings to find a mask that I can reproduce with my four fountain pens and inks. The black and white template is from dreamstime.com, I added some colours to it – and here we are:

 

Not much more to say today, in early reconvalescence but still sick, I keep it short.

You have recognized the presence of the Optima Antarctica – no, but you see the Topaz/Jade ink? Yes, I’m unable to rotate the Aurora out; it’s too good. Not finally decided yet, but it may stay even during March.   

 

See you in March with an ancient theme ... 😮

 

Please feel welcome to post your creative pieces, if you have not already. Drawings, paintings, text, ornaments, everything is welcome!

[LizEF]

  On 2/21/2025 at 12:32 PM, InesF said:

Sick at home

Expand  

Sorry to hear it!  Wishing you a speedy recovery!

 

  On 2/21/2025 at 12:32 PM, InesF said:

Nevertheless, I did it.

Expand  

And it's gorgeous!  You did an excellent job on different styles of feathers / plumes.  Klaw crept up to the monitor, as if he wasn't sure whether your mask was safe   Upon close inspection, he decided it was nothing to concern himself with and went to find something to entertain him.

 

  On 2/21/2025 at 12:32 PM, InesF said:

Yes, I’m unable to rotate the Aurora out; it’s too good.

Expand  

It's it wonderful when that happens?  I still haven't lost my love for my new Waterman Carène.  It's such a joy to write with.  It may stay inked forever.   (This surprises me as I usually prefer bouncy nibs, but I guess sometimes you need a nice, smooth, perfectly balanced nail.)

[knarflj]

@InesF, I'm sorry you've been ill.  Hope you get well quickly!  

 

The mask is so beautiful, with its dark inscrutable face surrounded by all those cheerfully waving bright feathers.  Thank you for sharing your work with us!

[yazeh]

Dear Professor @InesF I'm sorry to hear that you were sick. Take care of yourself. Sometimes, if an ink is too good, one should use it, and not follow a scientific structure . Finding a perfect ink is being in love and looking elsewhere 🙀

 

Love the mask, I'm already in Venice

 

[InesF]

Thank you all, @LizEF, @knarflj and @yazeh for your good wishes! I think you did some good magic - my convalescence was shorter than expected.  

And thank you all for your kind comments - you are very welcome! 🙏

 

 

  On 2/21/2025 at 3:06 PM, LizEF said:

I still haven't lost my love for my new Waterman Carène.  It's such a joy to write with.

Expand  

Yes, it is exactly that! I'm also glad you like the Carène - you have my empathy! Mine is among my top 5 fountain pens, as nail as it is!  

 

 

  On 2/22/2025 at 12:15 PM, yazeh said:

Sometimes, if an ink is too good, one should use it, and not follow a scientific structure .

Expand  

Indeed! 👍 I will even go one step further and say: it's all about neuroscience! 🧑‍⚕️ 

[InesF]

Monthly Ink Challenge IV – March 2025

 

The set consists of:

Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Sabimidori – in Montblanc Egyptomania EF

Lamy Crystal Beryl – in Lamy Lady K

Pelikan Edelstein Topaz + Jade Mix* – in Aurora Optima Antarctica M

Diamine Writers Blood – in Pelikan M600 Red-White EF-stub

 

*) The mix consists of 3 parts Topaz plus one part Jade.

 

As already announced, I was unable to rotate the Aurora with the Topaz/Jade mix out during February. There had been enough occasions, but I failed all of them. This fountain pen and this ink, both are way too good to stop using them. I guess, it will fade out during March, but I’m now not so confident about.

The Egyptomania will fade out during the next week, or so.

 

 

Here the short introduction on an A5 sheet of Fritz Schimpf letter pad (the paper is slightly off-white):

 

And here is the ink-set-progress-swatch-page:

 

Some background information to the pens and inks.

 

The second fountain pen that was too good to clean out is the Montblanc Heritage Egyptomania. I love this excellent and precise extra fine line, despite the tendency of the tip to catch paper fibres. Maybe it is the well behaving Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Sabimidori ink with its surprising colour variations that mysteriously ensheathes this pen and ink combo.

 

This Pelikan M600 Red-White is the latest arrival of my X-White M600 floc. I ordered it with an EF nib that I reworked at the day of arrival into an EF-stub. The quality of the pen body is superb as expected; the red stripes allow a vague estimation of the residual ink amount when looking against good light; the piston operates securely and accurate; and the nib was the expected EF-gusher (Pelikan EF means F or almost M for other brands). The pen body has the right size, but not the right weight – it is too light weighted for my preferences. However, all the other positives more than equalize the weight disadvantage. It appears to me that Diamine Writers Blood is one of those inks everybody seems to know and almost everybody seems to use. This red-leaning brown, almost burgundy colour is not spectacular, as its saturation and its low surface tension disallows shading. Heavy ink load on high quality paper brings out some pale green sheen at the edges of lines – I would not expect it to see in daily routine use in the office. I can somehow sense what it is that makes this ink so popular, nevertheless, it is not in my top 10 list.

 

In January, in February and here, now everything was and is said about the Aurora Optima Antarctica and about the Pelikan Edelstein Topaz + Jade Mix: alltime joy!

 

The Lamy Lady was a surprise find on the secondary market. It was announced having a fine nib equipped but it turned out to be a stiff K nib that writes a smooth F line. I expected a bit more weight from a fountain pen with a ceramic body but was appeased as soon as I wrote the first few words with it. This pen is an excellent writer as the grip section is comfortable and the body is perfectly balanced. It immediately made it into my top 5 pens. What can go wrong when using Lamy Crystal Beryl with a Lamy fountain pen? The ink colour is a saturated magenta (surprisingly similar to R&K Magenta and to Iroshizuku Yama-budo) with some minor gold-green sheen on good paper. The pen is since some days in use and I enjoy the writing experience that surprises with a similar experience as with the Aurora Optima.

 

 

Pens and inks of the February Set are somehow combining into a bigger picture. Imagine to be in ancient times; maybe ancient Egypt, Greece or Rome – choose your arena. The inspiration comes as a riddle: take at least two but try to include more of the following words into an emotional and pictorial form:

Ancient Times, Blood, Lady, Aurora, Gemstones, Crystals of Venus.

 

 

Get inspired, choose your pens and inks and start bringing your creative ideas to paper!

Looking forward to your contributions.

See you around the Ides of March. Beware!

[yazeh]

Wow, that's one challenge for March @InesF, complex, abstract and creative. I feel, I have to write a story about a bloody war in the Ancient times, over Lady Venus or her crystals. All on one canvas or like a story board.... lots of thinking to do. 

 

Here's are my takes on Mask and Ice sheet. 

 

In Montreal in winter after the thaw cycle, the melting ice on the Mount Royal, creates sculptural frozen waterfall, reminding me of bas-relief, or mask light creatures, gargoyles or medusa like characters. However, the ice is grey white, cold. I wanted to mix that idea with the spectacular ice sheets around turquoise waters. 

 

Here are three takes on this idea. 

Paper is a Strathmore sketch paper. 

I used a Pilot Kakuno Ef/ Karas Customs Vertex, and a Sheaffer Prelude, plus a few waterbrushes...

 

This was part of a larger idea but it got ruined: 

 

 

De Atramentis Document Brown 

J Herbin Bleu Calanque

 

 

This was another take. The warmth of the page is due to the sun. 

I tried using a photograph I had taken as a model, but didn't seem to make it work. 

Same inks as above, plus Kala Onyx & Moonlight tide. 

 

 

Finally I went for another take focusing on the mask and leaving the ice/ ice sheet more abstract:

[InesF]

  On 3/4/2025 at 1:47 PM, yazeh said:

In Montreal in winter after the thaw cycle, the melting ice on the Mount Royal, creates sculptural frozen waterfall, reminding me of bas-relief, or mask light creatures, gargoyles or medusa like characters. However, the ice is grey white, cold. I wanted to mix that idea with the spectacular ice sheets around turquoise waters. 

 

Here are three takes on this idea. 

Expand  

Hi @yazeh, you are highly welcome!

WOW, that's great! I love your interpretation and your drawings.

The ice-climbing is great, I can almost feel the cold ice and the exhausted climber asking for a rest.

I can't judge what inspired you about the photo reference, but the drawing, as a stand-alone, has some emotions captured that are more intense because mouse is drawn a bit abstract. I think, that's exactly the charm of it.

And the mask is funny - well done! 

 

Thank you for participating in The Challenge!

[yazeh]

Many thanks @InesF

The inspiration photo is this: 

 

By aurora, do you mean aurora borealis? and what are crystals of venus? 

[RedPie]

Good picture @yazeh, I can feel the cold air!