Tag: Art Spectrum Pigment Ink

Practice, practice, practice!

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting

I’ve recently started another sketchbook and as mentioned in the previous article on this thread, I am using a Moleskine A4 200gsm where the pages are made up with 25% Cotton.

I haven’t found one yet, but I would love to find a sketchbook where the pages are made up with 50% Cotton. Judging from my experiences so far with 100% Cotton and 25% Cotton sketchbooks, 50% would be ideal.

I’m still enjoying Line and Wash. Today is Day 1,055 of a Watercolour Sketch a Day and am still posting them each day on Instagram. It is fascinating to look back at where I’ve come from, acknowledging though, that I still have a long way to go in terms of where I want to be. I’ve also been pushing myself to do mainly images from my imagination and the occasional reference image, rather than tutorials.

I have included some of my recent Watercolour Sketches a Day below, done in the Moleskine.

Have a great day!

Written by David Johnson

21 December 2021

Dip Pen Fun!

by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

A while ago, during my Watercolour Sketch a Day/Daily Art Practice venture I discovered the joys of ‘Line and Wash’ and started off with thin Artline pens then progressed to Staedtler Pigment Liners and still enjoy using them immensely.

Parallel to this I have been enjoying using a couple of Fountain Pens to write my poems with. I do so enjoy the ‘flow of the ink’ and just then general feeling one gets when writing with them. For me, there is no better writing experience.

In my Art ’travels’ I came across Dip Pens which hark back to olden days of a pen without ink, that one had to ‘dip’ to obtain the fluid to write with.

A few months ago, I purchased a set of Manuscript Nibs that came with two holders (pictured below and a bottle of Art Spectrum Pigment Ink). Since then I’ve added a ‘Postal’ Nib and had been seeking an appropriate reservoir to hold the ink (the Art Spectrum bottle comes with an eye-dropper so as a reservoir the bottle is impractical for that purpose).

After trying an inadequate plastic option I found a small screw-type glass bottle in a discount store for the princely sum of $2.50 and have been using that with some success.

Last weekend whilst on our Berrima NSW trip I found a Parker, ‘Quink’ ink bottle in the Sticky Beaks Antique store for $25.00 with its original box. Once I clean the dried ink out of it I will use it as the main reservoir.

I actually went into the store looking to see if they had an old-fashioned ink well. The had one made of Bakelite for $220.00, however, the ink reservoirs were so small that I couldn’t see the value.

For now, I am happy to use the two bottles as reservoirs and shall continue my search for an ink well that is of reasonable price and condition.

As far as sketching/drawing with the Dip Pens, I must say that I am enjoying the experience but still have much to learn.

Bye for now.

David Johnson

27 November 2020