A lesson learned
Posted: May 14, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized 18 CommentsI replenished my supply of extra fine black markers but I guess I didn’t spend much time reading the label of a new Pilot liquid ink pen. I did a drawing of this busy junkyard and you can probably see where I started adding wash to the paper. If you can’t, look closely at the sky. That’s where I realized that there was all this black pigment mixed in with my blue grey wash. Yikes! The new pen is not waterproof! I should have read the label! Nevertheless, I carried on painting but added much less water to the paper so as not to disturb the Pilot ink. Lesson learned.
What is your favourite pen?
I really like the Sakura Microperm 005 but they were all out the other day and that’s why I ended up with the Pilot.
I really like the end result… even with the bleeding pen in the sky. If you hadn’t said anything I would have thought that this was just the effect that you were after.
But, reading your explanation, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall… I’m sure you would have been very entertaining to watch when the ink started to run.
The gasp was audible.
Sometimes the paper and drying time contribute…. paper sizing mixtures are so unpredictable that I’ve had one stack of paper work great and then the next stacks bleeds and blooms washes all over the place. All with the same pen.
You’re probably right about the drying time because the longer I waited the less it ran. And I’m sure sizing makes a difference too. This was the Canson XL and it is very absorbent.
THat’s happened to me, too, but I think it gives the sky here a nice dramatic quality, like there’s a storm brewing in the distance. 🙂
Thanks. I like your positive spin on my unexpected result.
🙂
You always use these Microperm or pilot pens? I went away from them because I found the lines not lively enough (I used to draw with Edding). That’s why I use fountainpens nowadays, which also have their disadvantages of course. I am curious about you opinion.
Interesting question. The Moleskines that I work in are small so the pens are never fine enough for me. I thought I’d try a fountain pen so I bought a Lamy Safari Extra fine with Noodler’s bulletproof ink. First of all, the extra fine is still too thick for my liking. Secondly, the ink is not waterproof. Even if I allow it to dry. So I would really like to find a super fine fountain pen with permanent ink that wouldn’t bleed at all. I know what you mean about lively. Do you have any suggestions for me? To get a lively line I really have to move my hand around a lot to simulate that fountain pen quality. Plus with the microperm there is no variance of line thickness as you change the pressure of the pen.
I work in these Moleskines as well. I agree about Noodlers black bulletproof ink. For that reason I use Lexington grey in my 2 Lamy safaris (EF and F), it does not bleed. The grey makes the line more pencil like.
The EF pen was used in the Hagia Sofia sketch, the E in the Topkapi building, it just depends on the importance of the line. .
Recently I came home from Singapore with an inexpensive Hero pen and Hero black ink. The slightly calligraphic fountainpen is quite lovely, but only in a certain type of drawing.
But I like the black ink, I use it in my normal Lamy Accent pen. The Hero ink bleeds, but quite beautifully, the line remains clear and the wash does not shift in colour. I use it for B&W drawing with light tone washes (maybe you remember my Tsunami drawing).
I also bought a Noodlers flex pen for more expressive linework, but it leaked when I was travelling, as most of my drawings are made on trips, I don’t use it often anymore.
René, that is really helpful info. I will have to try the Lexington grey because I really like the way it looks in your sketches. It does have a pencil like quality. I’ll let you know what I think after I find it. This is really my first experience with fountain pens, and from what I see everyone has a different favorite. I think I will have to try a few more. But I do know that I don’t want to have that leaking experience again because that was a huge mess. Thanks again!!
This has been a helpful exchange. Thanks for sharing some. I’ve used Platinum Carbon Black Ink ($20 or so per bottle) in my EF safari lamy with some success. It dries super fast and never migrates. It does clog the pen if left for several weeks without use.
I love the idea of gray ink. Gonna have to give that a shot.
Nina Johannson wanted to contribute to the discussion but for some reason she can’t leave a comment here so she posted this on my Facebook wall. Here’s what she said:
Just wanted to add my two cents in the Lexington grey and fountain pen discussion:
Lexington grey is wonderful, I´ve used it a lot and still always have it in one of the usually three pens I carry with me. Also, Platinum Carbon black works well too, all waterproof and nice, but it´s sensitive about the paper (might creep on some) and MIGHT ruin a fountain pen if you leave it in there for too long without using the pen. I haven´t had any of that trouble though. I rinse the pen every now and then. But I wouldn´t put it in a pen that is immensely expensive, or one that I feel affectionate love for… Also, I have been told lately, that Japanese “fine” is usually finer than European or American “fine”, so I´d probably look into a Japanese brand of fountain pens if you want really fine lines.
I don’t know anything about pen types. I do know that I love this composition. The deep brown second floor adds a wonderful depth.
Thanks Alison! It’s not as clean as I like but it is a junkyard so a bit of mess is ok, I guess.
I had a similar problem with some fibertip markers that I just assumed were waterproof. They were not!