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Best Pen For Artists


keithwales

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I am looking for a piston fill pen for travel sketches. I am doing pen drawings and ink washes. I would like to know which pen will give me an active line. A pen that can altenate between fine wispy lines and thicker powerful ones. i have attached a few photos to illustrate the idea (the drawings are Rembrandt's, not mine). The reason for wanting the piston fill type pen is to use the same ink for drawing and washes. I have been looking at the Lamy 2000 and Studio for price range, style and durability. Any feedback and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

post-82256-0-27478000-1329257047.jpg

post-82256-0-11878500-1329257061.jpg

post-82256-0-25191600-1329257072.jpg

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I have and would consider any of these as good candidates:

 

Aurora Optima with Stub nib (0.9mm).

Pelikan M1000/1005 with BB (1.0mm) or 3B (1.3mm).

NOS Sheaffer Legacy with Stub nib (1.0mm).

 

Although I don't have one yet, a TWSBi 540 with the new Pendleton Bad Boy custom nib looks very promising (available next week).

 

A music nib might work but in my experience doesn't go as thin/crisp as those mentioned above.

 

Another option may be any of the "brush pens" if they would suit your need.

Edited by ajoe

“ I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant”  Alan Greenspan

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When my daughter graduated in illustration, I bought her a Lamy 2000 as her graduation pen. It has a medium nib (if I recall). I originally thought she would use it for writing, but a year on I see that she uses for sketching. In fact I think it's one of her primary sketch tools.

 

So besides your choice of nib, I suppose its a +1 for the Lamy 2000 (imho)

 

F

Nervous? No, I'm just thinking...

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I dont care for my Lamy 2000 for drawing as it sometimes balks when I draw from life. From invention, when I go slower it is ok. Like the pen,just find it not so useful.

 

My Platinum 3776 music nib is the most versitile, I can draw fast outside from life or slowly.

I have a 1935 Waterman that I have used for 50 years that draws well too. (I dont drag it around with me becasue it doesnt have fins and in the field I need pens that I can be rugged with).

 

My Pilot 74's and my Stipula Model T's are good for drawing too.

 

I too draw a bit like Rembrandt and Van Gogh so I think I know what you are looking for,

I am curious about that Duke that Bertram's Inkwellhas been posting about but it might be too heavy for my smallish hand.

 

(BTW try the Tom Norton drawing stick and walnut ink if you want to understand Rembrandt.)

 

Also, I draw a lot and piston fills are not the best option if you are traveling around.

Good luck.

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My artist clients favor the Rosetta Northstar for excellent balance.

 

Although it is not a piston filler, it does include a piston converter and with one of my Cursive Italic grinds for thick and thin line variation it works very well as an artist's pen. happyberet.gif

 

 

Pendleton

 

or one of these ...

 

 

 

http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab272/pendletonII/February%20Faves%202012/6c4ab7c8.jpg

 

 

 

http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab272/pendletonII/February%20Faves%202012/th_efbf3474.jpg

Edited by pb2

pendletonspens.com

 

~ May the Lord smile on you ~

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Other suggestions:

-- Peyton Street's Wahl Eversharp Symphony with the flexible stub nib (not a piston-fill -- uh oh)

-- Namiki Falcon

-- TWSBI body fitted with a Chinese "fude" nib from the Hero 86 pen (more on that here)

-- though I've not tried these yet, TWSBI now sells two sizes of italic nibs (a 1.1 and a 1.5) either of which might be usable

-- +1 on the bush pen suggestions (more on that here)

 

The Lamy 2000, with the Broad nib, is perfectly good too. Flows just fine with the right ink. It's a sturdy, rattle-around-in-the-pocket with-no-ill-effects tool.

 

Whatever you chose, I hope to see your work here!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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I've had good luck drawing with a Noodlers Nib Creeper flex. For more defined lines I tend to use a Safari with a EF or M nib depending on what I'm doing. You can flip the pen over and use the top of the nib for a little on the fly adjustment. ymmv but at least it works like that on my nibs!

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In Rembrandt's drawings the variation in line width is not only caused by a variation in pressure on the nib but also by variations in ink flow, so to speak. You get this when using worn-out feather quills or reed pens (do not know what Rembrandt used).

 

I use fountain pens a lot for drawing, and if I want significant variation in line width plus some ink flow irregularity I use my Namiki Falcon or Noodler's Ahab (inexpensive enough to be treated badly). But you would have to work on pretty small paper formats, i.e., make rather tiny drawings if you wanted an at least somewhat Rembrandt-ish look. And the lines would still look more "perfect" than in Rembrandt's drawings.

 

I am myself always looking for new tools. Was not aware of the Walnut drawing stick mentioned in another response. For several uses, this might be a good alternative to my self-cut reed and bamboo pens. 1000 thanks. Will order one today.

 

Thanks also to all the other responders. Excited. Based on your suggestions I might actually end up buying some more pens.

 

L

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Together, these work great for me:

-- Sailor Sapporo Music for basic drawing

-- Sailor Sapporo Extra Fine for detailing

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I think you should take a look of the Duke Confucius with artistic nib, which I recently reviewed in my Blog: http://giardinoit.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/record-calligraphy/

 

This is an example of writing with this fountain pen (ideograms, in this case, being a Chinese pen):

post-548-0-96683500-1329994853.jpg

Susanna
----------
Giardino Italiano, il meglio del Made in Italy - www.giardino.it - www.pens.it

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How about some Japanese pen nibs? Those are kinda unique, especially like the

ones by Sailor, which offer pretty good variation... The Naginata, Zoom, Concorde

or King Emperor nibs are very nice too...

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I think you should take a look of the Duke Confucius with artistic nib, which I recently reviewed in my Blog: http://giardinoit.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/record-calligraphy/

 

This is an example of writing with this fountain pen (ideograms, in this case, being a Chinese pen):

Leigh Reyes reviews that pen here. It looks similar to the "Fude" nib that I mentioned. Fun stuff! And very versatile.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Richard Binder's Condor nib, a nib for brush work! :thumbup:

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/Writing%20Samples/P1020494j-1reversedcolour.jpg
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+1 on the Noodler's Ahab. The flex (or semi flex, whatever you want to call it) is perhaps better suited to drawing than artistic writing. The differences in pressure needed to get different line widths are enough that the line width is easy to control.

Assume no affiliation to recommendations.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc453/NoodlersCreaper/sig0001.jpg

Alternative Noodler's Ahab Nibs

 

"Free" Custom Fountain Pen Cases

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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!

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