“You’re always pushing me around… I can’t give you what you want… This isn’t working, maybe you should be with someone else…”
Sound familiar? We’ve all been there, haven’t we? When you realise your choice of art material isn’t giving you what you need. It used to be so good.
Or maybe this is a new relationship and you’ve just got to stick with it. Change and adjustment is required to make this work. Yes, I’m still talking about art materials.
You can’t expect acrylic paint to act like Indian ink, or a 2B to act like a 2H, or a scalpel to act like a rubber (ERASER, I mean!).
Over the years my choice of instrument has been the brush, to ink my pencil lines. But recently I’ve been using an art pen and, I’ll be honest with you, it’s not the same.
The brush and I had such amazing times together. With just a minor amount of pressure the brush performed a varied and beautifully thick line – whereas the pen insists on providing the same width no matter how much I press and cajole. It’s so uncompromising!
With just a minor caress the brush gave the gentlest and finest of wondrous lines – whereas the pen insists on fading away when there’s even the smallest let up of pressure applied! It’s obstinately consistent, I’ll give it that.
“That’s the line you’re getting, sunshine – no more, no less!”
But why should I be surprised? It’s unfair to expect a new relationship to be the same as the last one. You’re right, I need to value the qualities the pen does have, rather than projecting my seething perturbation on it for my own lack of artistic prowess.
If I remember correctly it wasn’t easy with the brush at first. We had to get to know each other: what it was I was after, and the parameters within which the brush could meet those needs. YES, JUST LIKE A REAL RELATIONSHIP (it’s all about me).
Hey, I’m a big believer in commitment, even when the other party constantly needs me to pick them up and lend a hand to do even the simplest of tasks!
“I’m fine, can we start again?… And no more eyeing up my thinner friends… or the thick ones either…”
We’ll make this work. Now where’s my old mate, Tipex?
Maybe try a dip pen? I prefer a Hunt 102 crow quill or a Gillott (only one letter out) 170 or 303. Very flexible, but all are prone to breaking/tines splitting after a while. You can get a couple of pages out of them though.
I’ve heard the Kuretake G nib (mangaka’s choice) is pretty darn good too, but I’ve never tried one.
I’ve got a few Hunt 102’s you can try…
Cheers, Mr B. Yes, those brush pens do look impressive. I’ve seen them at Hobby Craft, winking at me with their exotic appeal. I will take on your recommendation.
I do love me a brush pen. I tend to use a Pentel Brush pen (these ones), but I’ve also tried the Copic Multiliner SP BS, and the Faber-Castell Pitt Artists Brush pen, which was frankly rubbish (those are the ones in Hobbycraft I believe). The brush pen I’d really like is the Kuretake No. 50, which is made with real sable hair, just like a Winsor & Newton Series 7. They are, apparently, the Rolls-Royce of brush pens. And at $83 USD, they ought to be!
You need to come round one evening and try out a few of my collection…
I’ve been using fine liners for years, but every so often I try something new like a brush or kuretake pen because I want more line variation. Brushes, I can’t handle but kuretake pens are a nice intermediary. However I always find my way back to fine liners!