Hello Everyone, Nice To Meet You :)

[ArtistCDurant]

Hello everyone. I am a published coloured pencil artist from the UK and I find myself in these forums to hopefully learn more about pens. The sad thing is regarding most pens I am completely clueless about them, ask me anything about pencils, paints or art in general and I would hopefully know the answer. With pens however its something I am completely in the dark about. I used to think there were just a few varieties of pens but nowadays there are so many categories and shapes and sizes it can all be a little startling. The only comparison I can make between the pencils I use and the pencils non artists use is that there are different levels that need to be taken into account. Cheap pencils break easily, fade away over time due to lightfastness and dont have the same feel an artist grade pencil has. Ultimately artist pencils are more expensive than standard pencils and I can only assume pens are the same.

In May of this year I decided to treat myself to a new pen. It is a Waterman Carene deluxe ballpoint in marine amber and is a truly stunning pen.

 

I purchased this because when I sell my art I write handwritten notes to accompany it, and instead of using a cheap biro or a pen thats mass manufactured and has never seen any care or attention to it I think its more meaningful to write them using a special pen.

I have however always wanted a fountain pen , and I pen all honesty I purely purchased the Waterman ballpoint because I couldnt afford to purchase the fountain pen equivalent. The Ballpoint was on a great deal at better than half price on Amazon and I just went with that one. I would like to start off with what most would call an entry level fountain pen as I havent used one for over a decade ( I am 31 ) and I want to get used to using them. There are some absolutely stunning Namiki hand painted fountain pens I have seen that make my eyes light up as an artist but they are out of my price range and it would be like jumping in at the deep end buying one, can anyone recommend any nice fountain pens I can start with that are really nice to use and not vastly expensive ? Thank you , I have also submitted a picture of the drawing I am working on now

[namrehsnoom]

Welcome to this fun little corner of the internet. Personally I think the inks are the most interesting part of the equation. Pens come in all price ranges, but what you pay for has more to do with rarity & aesthetics than with the act of writing/drawing (my opinion of course). I myself started with a relatively cheap Lamy Safari, for which you can easily get nibs in different sizes ... great for experimenting.

Love the drawing!

[WalterC]

Lovely drawing! Two pens that are inexpensive but decent are Pilot MR (called the Metropolitan in the US) available on amazon.co.uk and the Italix Chaplain's tankard or Parson's Essential: http://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p1217_Italix_Chaplain's_Tankard_.html (Mrpen is a UK company). These both take ink cartridges or a converter -- a converter let's you use bottled ink and you want one that fits your pen. You will need to decide on a nib width. Pilot is Japanese and its nib widths are narrower than Western nibs. You can get Chinese pens on ebay that are very cheap (look for Jinhao or Wing Sung); quality on these varies greatly but prices can be 2 or 3 pounds.

 

For a good intro into fountain pens look at Fountain Pen 101 from Goulet Pens: https://www.gouletpens.com/pages/fountain-pen-101

 

Next, you can enter the amazing world of inks. Check this forum for ink reviews: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/160612-index-of-ink-reviews/

 

To see some of the artistic possibilities of ink look at member Nick Stewart's website: https://nickstewart.ink/techniques/

[inkstainedruth]

Greetings from Pittsburgh!

I generally suggest that new people click on the "View New Content" button when they log in (you can adjust how much/often that refreshes in the sidebar on the main page). That will get you a good overview of a range of topics. WalterC has beaten me to the punch on the Ink Reviews forum, but there is a pinned Index. Besides the other links he posted, I'd also recommend you check out the FPN Art Gallery (you'd fit right in there -- that drawing is WONDERFUL!).

I've been amazed at the kindness and generosity of the people here, with both their time and willingness to share information. Remember, there are no stupid questions -- even if someone else has just asked something similar (the search function at the top of the page tends to weed out 3 letter words and acronyms, I've found, and you need to remember to adjust the dropdown box to search the forums not just the current topic).

But you should also know that we are all shameless enablers and will happily help you spend your disposable income on pens, inks, paper, repair tools, ephemera, sealing wax (and of course seals), and pen shows. 7-1/2 years ago when I found my way here, I had never heard of Parker 51s -- now I have ELEVEN of them (the vintage pen rabbithole is a dangerous place...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[northstar]

Hello and welcome to FPN.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!

[OCArt]

Hello and welcome to this friendly corner of the universe from a fountain pen user in San Diego. There is such a wealth of information waiting for you to discover on this site. Write On!

[jar]

http://www.fototime.com/CBEB1BF63187D6C/orig.gif

 

Maki-e work comes in a very broad range of prices and styles so does not need to be outrageously expensive. Here are a few examples of fairly reasonably priced entry level Maki-e fountain pens from Pilot/Namiki, Sailor and Platinum.

 

http://www.fototime.com/F0CEADE6FD41861/medium800.jpg

[ThomasB]

Hello and welcome from Baton Rouge, Louisiana...Enjoy your time here

[Wahl]

Love that drawing, reminds me of a dog I had a few years ago !

[Tom Kellie]

~ ArtistCDurant:

 

What a splendid dog portrait!

Your talent is most welcome here.

Fountain pens and inks are a world unto themselves.

May your enjoyment of Fountain Pen Network result in fresh examples of your creativity.

Tom K.

[empliau]

Welcome to FPN! Speaking as someone who cannot produce a convincing stick figure, I find your drawing splendid and your talent magical. I also love dogs.

 

As far as fountain pens go, it would help to know what is less than vastly expensive (under 100 pounds? Under 50?). I began my fountain pen obsession with a Pelikan in 1978, and I find them reliable, with a wide range of nib widths. Also, I love them.

 

My experience is not universal - many threads here complain of the inconsistency of Pelikan nibs. Japanese pens (Sailor, Pilot, and Platinum are less expensive than Namiki and Nakaya, which have a lot of artisan handwork) have many fans of their consistency.

 

Also you need to think about what kind of nib you might want. If you are happy with your biro then you might want a fine point. Japanese fines are traditionally finer than European ones, due to the nature of Japanese script (I hear. Not an expert.) If you want some line variation, an oblique or a stub might be the ticket. Since you are an artist, you can probably work with many types of nib.

 

In other words, welcome! and we can help you better if we know more about what kind of writing you want to do.

[Henricum_Tropen]

Hello and welcome to FPN, from Cape Town, South Africa.

[mitto]

Greetings and welcome to FPN.

[Pen Nut]

Hello and welcome to you from Manchester That dog picture is brilliant !