How to Buy Pen and Ink Drawing Supplies

Learning to draw with pen and ink may initially feel like a daunting task. Similar to pencil drawing, line quality and technique are very important. Unlike pencil drawing, ink is often unforgiving. Mistakes are difficult to mask, the ink is difficult to clean up and there are no eraser. Once you feel comfortable with the medium, the possibilities are endless and the versatility of pen and ink become limitless.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Obtain a box of drawing pencils. These are always good to have around, especially for preliminary sketching. If you decide to use pencils on the paper before applying ink, it is wise not to choose a pencil that is too hard, as they have the ability to scar the paper when even slight pressure is applied.

2. Decide what style of drawing you want to try and choose a pen that allows you to explore this style efficiently. Choose a pen that works best for you and your project. Standard dip pen holders and nibs are inexpensive and available at most artist supply stores. Buy a variety of nibs if you want to explore the capabilities and limitations of each. Markers such as the Prismacolor Art Markers are convenient and available in a variety of colors and line width. Rotrig Rapidograph Technical Pens are plastic barreled pens with refillable ink reservoirs and are available in 13 nib sizes. Micron Pigma Pens, made by Sakura, are inexpensive felt tip pens that are available in six tip sizes.

3. Explore different brands and types of ink to find out which one you like best. Regardless of which you choose, be sure it is of archival quality and that it is fade resistant, waterproof and preferably non-toxic. Dr. P.H. Martin offers a large variety of colored India Inks at a reasonable price. Also consider using Chinese ink sticks for washes.

4. Keep a variety of brushes on hand for washes. The size and type of brushed you choose depends on personal preference and the size of the piece you intend to create. While many brushes are suitable for ink washes, traditional Chinese calligraphy brushes perform quite well.

5. Choose a paper weight that is appropriate for the art work you create. This depends on the type of pen you use and if you intend on using washes. For basic line drawings, sketchbook quality paper may suffice. However, this type of paper tends to catch on the nib and clog the ink flow. Illustrator or Bristol Board are ideal papers for most pen and ink drawings. Use heavy weight, hot -pressed, stretched, water color paper for drawings that include ink washes.

[robertsloan2]

on 10/3/2007 This is a good article. I'm glad you mentioned hot press watercolor paper. Plate or hot press surfaces are a lot better for pen and ink as the tooth in cold press can leave a rougher line. Rough paper is very hard to use for pen and ink unless you use dry brush textures and work coarsely so that ragged lines don't matter as much.