this video is probably the best video that i've seen about dip pens! you really helped me to understand the different varieties & im so glad that you encouraged cheaper options because it gets discouraging seeing such high prices for some of the dip pens. this was truly a beautiful video
"Because it's fun." I don't know why I needed to hear that so badly. I love trying new tools, but I always worry that I shouldn't be using them because either I'm not very skilled or because there are easier or cheaper ways to make the same art. But I enjoy the process so much. Dip pens ARE fun! Even if I'm not making anything post-worthy. It's important to let yourself have fun with art. Afterall, isn't that the whole point?
Same! Sometimes I feel bad for always looking for new art supplies to try out. I still haven't found one that makes me fall completely in love, I'm still in the look out. I just wanna have fun and experiment but then I feel bad because I'm not skilled and also because it can get expensive depending on the medium
I think it's therapeutic for everyone to do one thing old school because the process is nice and the result is something so much nicer than going the convenient way
FINALLY!!!! A dip pen tutorial from someone who actually uses dip pens instead of someone who opens the package for the very first time and records their experiment then posts it on RUclips. Thanks for the informative video.
Right??? I try to be nice to people who are having fun with a hobby and give people the benefit of the doubt, but I you can't even find an actually helpful video anymore without first stumbling into someone who doesn't know what they're talking about in the slightest.
Hot tip - literally - there is a coating of a thin material to protect the nib out of the package. Take a lighter and gently move the nib in and out of the flame- you’ll see the coating burn away and leave the metal. The metal holds onto ink better and you get way more strokes per dip
I switched from fountain pen to a dip pen during fall. I love how organic the lines feel. I use only one nib and it is enough to create such a variety of lines. Also, the black fingertips are part of the magic! :)
@@3F34N1M4T3S More practical for sure. Obviously, if you like to draw on the go/while travelling, it's less messy. The line doesn't have the same organic feeling (at least not for me, since my lines with dip pen vary a bit in thickness) but it tends to be very clean. I have a pretty basic Lamy (Safari I think) and it's cheap and durable. I think it's a good start to test if you enjoy it.
I don't really know why but I always get a very soothing feeling when I'm watching your videos. It was really noticeable in this video in particular. Thank you for making these and being so inspiring~
Great video. My go-to steel nib is also the Blue Pumpkin and it has never failed me. The low cost of materials, and the ability to use any ink I want, including some I've made myself, are a couple of the reasons dip pens are so wonderful. One small nit to pick about the video: a fountain pen has an ink reservoir of some kind, but not necessarily a cartridge. Some have bladders, others have built in piston filling mechanisms (like TWSBIs and some others), and some even use the entire pen body as the reservoir and are filled using an eyedropper or something similar.
you yourself are a meditative experience. you spoke on terms of efficiency and speed and id say any artistic tutorial on todays youtube is in that mind set. then theres you, speaking from genuine feeling and experience, how could we ever begin to draw if we cant feel the urge to do so. art isnt the final piece or it would have been automated and bastardized many years ago. to enjoy it in the process is miles more important than what it could turn out as if it were down to a reproducible science in the same of speed, efficiency, and profit.
I think using a dip pen (I use a glass one) connects you to the art better. You become deliberate in your strokes and pay more attention to the art coming out of you. Just my thoughts.
Although they are definitely different in feel, I often use fountain pens more than dip pens simply because bringing an ink bottle and washing nibs every so often at school isn’t really a viable option :)
This was the best primer on dip pens I’ve ever seen. I’m big on fountain pens, and feel like that’s all I need for my writing/drawing needs. But your video on dip pens almost makes me want to consider getting into dip pens.
What a lovely video. By the way, for those who prefer it, you can also use an ink bottle with an eyedropper to deposit just the right amount of ink on your nib, as an alternative to just using an ink well and shaking off the excess ink or touching the glass rim of your ink well to shed the excess ink from your nib
You inspired me to go buy some nibs and ink, and I'm actualy suprised how available it is rn😊 I haven't draw for 13yrs, I feel it's time to start again 😊
You can get inks that work with rough paper. Or you can get gum Arabic to mix with inks, if you really like the inks that you have. It thickens up the ink to prevent it from bleeding outward on the rough surface. I have also used honey and maple syrup to achieve the same effect. There is still one problem though. The bumps on the surface of the paper can catch your nip when it’s moving at just the right direction and just the right angle. Then you can end up stabbing through the page if you’re using a really fine nib. But it’s all good if you’re aware of that pitfall and adjust the angle of your strokes slightly.
This is how I feel about using a fountain pen vs a regular pen. It makes every part of the creating process from the planning to execution more fun. I have some dip pen nibs in my collection but find I reach for a glass pen or fountain pen more often when creating.
Thank you very much! As an aspiring comic artist, this was really helpful. I was struggling with cleaning my dip pen, finding nibs and ink, and not being fully engaged by listening to very fast paced music, which usually helps me be more energetic. This video was really helpful for me and probably for many other people!
I learned calligraphy with a dip pen as a teenager and feeling like Bilbo Baggins is exactly the same though I had. The sound and physicality of the nib gliding across the paper while leaving pitch black lines really is a meditative experience that writing with other things just doesn't match.
Wish I had art shops like that near me. Currently just have to order art supplies online, but nothing beats browsing an art shop for interesting tools to use.
I tried dip pens a long time ago when I first started drawing comics and quickly dropped them as I just could not get into them for reasons I can't remember. Recently I've been getting back into them and there's just something so mesmorising about the feel of the nib on some bristol paper. I'm slowly settling into a few different ones and each has a different feel to them that makes the drawing process so delightfully involved that I don't get from digital. The nibs I have in rotation are Brause 361, G-Pen, Hunt 102, School nib and a Maru.
I remember the first time I had to use a dip pen in college: I told the professor that I thought that my nib was broken, because it didn't allow too much ink to flow. The professor told me "no, you're doing it good, just press a little against the paper". And so I did. The ink started flowing too much now, and I made a mess. I thought, again, that I broke the nib by pressing too much, but I went back to my previous method and it worked the same way. At the end of the class, the professor asked us about our impressions. I was ashamed because I couldn't get the pen working properly, but it turned out my classmates were having the same issues. The professor told us that, that's the way the pen works, it is wild, and you have to tame it. I get that is not for everyone, but I agree with this sir that it is very fun to use it.
Excellent! I used to draw with a mouse (quite natural with it, actually) but am thinking of picking up ink pen to return to my first love which is rendering and all those beautiful ink work in comics like Modesty Blaise. Thanks again for the very useful and concise insights.
Love the vids as usual! Fountain pens are my go to... However I have a converter in it and can dip it into ink bottles like a dip pen.. but when I'm on the go, I put in a cartridge!
omg that store shown during the first bit of this video has me drooling. I don’t think we have any brick & mortar stores that sell this kind of variety of pens/nibs in the US. So far I’ve had to shop online if I want anything other than an basic intro set of cheap speedball nibs 😢.
This is a great video about the subject. I recently went back to using my old nib pen from college after years of trying all manners of other pens for drawing. I agree that finding what works for you is more important than getting the "best" equipment.
"Because it's fun"... I love this. I got to try a glass dip pen for the first time today and loved it. I really want to get one in the future but after getting home, I started thinking about what here there was a point to getting one-- I mean, unlike other dip pens, glass ones don't have variable thickness so it's basically a manual gel pen. But then I saw this video and you summed it up perfectly-- the process of dipping and creating is fun. And that's all the reason I need.
The good thing about glass pens are that they are very inexpensive, so even if you buy one and never use, it’s only >$20… so I hope you bought one anyway!
I really don’t know why, but your words about your art being your job somehow made me feel so calm and confident. Last months i started thinking about my future and a long time i was sure that i want to become professional artist but now, when i was thinking of it i was kinda afraid and thought I didn’t want it already. I already said this to my mom and we started doing something in that direction,so i almost physically couldn’t say abt my doubts to parents. And didn’t want to. I dreamt about it for so long, and it bocomes closer and closer, so how can i give up now? What will i say to my inner past child-srlf? I really don’t know the reason i was so unsecure of everything. Am i afraid of future? Do i think I won’t be good enough? Maybe im afraid to loose passion to art? I had no idea. But your calming video made me feel so good. Now i have leftovers of that anxiety, but i hope tomorrow i will wake up without fear and with confidence in my future. Thank you.
Dayumn thats a lot of text lol. But I’m happy to finally say it to someone. To something. Internet, thanks for existing. I don’t have anyone irl to share my feelings, so social network is my saving. Even if no one will read it, i feel i left it here and it’s no longer on my shoulders.
The ritual of dip pens and the fact that your forced to be more intentional with your line work. It makes me think about where in putting my lines, the weight, consistency etc. When I see a great illustration made by dip pens, I can see the time and attention on the page
I have a fountain pen for inking sketches But for the "Fancy" scribblings I use a nib holder because you can't control the ink flow as easy as nib and holder.
I have tried micro felt, rotring, fountain and many others. I recently was traveling and all my pens were just not working on the heavy paper I brought but I busted out my 102 after not using it for a year and it just works on everything every time. I will try the Brouse but I think I'm gonna stick with dip pens for a while
i just bought both the nikko and the blue pumpkin. i dont know what it is about the blue pumpkin but its like i can feel the line as its coming out, magical. i bet the nikko has more use for fine drawing but the BP is a glory to use.
I use a Brause Steno as my main nib too. My ink is Rohrer & Klingner Ausziehtusche, because it works on almost every paper. One final tip, nibs wear down surprisingly fast, so have a control nib to compare it to.
Cool video! I came her looking for techniques, but ended up staying because I was so entertained. I love dip pens and am pretty new to them. And you are so right about how fun they are. Your vehicles are bad ass!
Back then, I thought what I bought was the pen I saw that works like this and it confused me when the thickness dont change when I put pressure then I learned that its fountain pen.😂 Now, I have a set of the dip pen, True, the sound it produce, touching the paper is loveeeelyy.
Just a tip: at 1:30, you were using the oblique nib holder in an inverted way. The correct way is with the tip of the nib pointing towards you, as opposed to away from you.
Reasons for using dip pens. control over the pen and the artwork. Line quality, you can get various results from the different nibs, something you can’t get from a ballpoint pen. Also you control the ink and what types of inks. You can use die inks or pigment inks. One has better lightfastness. With a ballpoint pen the ink will fade and even some drawing inks unless it says lightfast or yo you test it. I did a drawing of a friend’s cat with two different pens and inks. I had the picture framed and after about six months half the drawing faded. Now I make sure sure my pens, inks paints, papers etc. are all archival quality. Last thing you want is someone coming to you after several months to complain the picture faded.
As a beginer it could be useful to have a scrap paper nearby to test how much ink you have on the nib. You can change the thickness of line with more or less ink, and it can be difficult to tell how much just by removing it from the inkwell.
Warning: This hobby is addictive! Suggestion-there are different companies that sell sample inks. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started. I started with an oblique pen because I thought it looked so cool. But I think he’s right to start with a straight one. Have fun!
As analog comic , i used dip pen for quality of line and hactching. For pen holder, i recommed tachikawa or speedball because fit well ( only have). Ink just chinese ink except watercolor work use india ink. Use cotton glove for safety. Anywhere, i used dip pen right to left side nib (depend).
I came here wanting to know how the nibs hold and use ink and I left with an appreciation for something I know barely anything about. Man I wish I could draw.
and you get solid clean lines, save money on ink, save time. ball piont and marker have to redo for colorist to scan. can get finer lines. and different style.
I would love to explain what I love about the dip pen, at first I was not fond of line variation cause i thought of it as a strange and weird thing to see, cause i see art works i wasn't interested to see, but, still their art is still good but it took me a long time to realize how fascinating it is, because of course anime or manga or the more I indulge myself to look at more, I realize that what's satisfying is that you get to vary the lines you make with each pressure you put in, it makes you express every heavy and light pressure of line weight you make as if you're flowing with it, I know it's scary to exert too much pressure but I would always research more about the nib, for instance The g-nib is the most flexible and elastic nib to use it gives the most thinnest and thickest lines you desire to make The mapping nib or what's referred to from it's Japanese name the maru nib It gives off the most thinnest lines possible flexible yes but does have low elasticity, you can get a thick line but given how small it is, it does have a limit to it's thickest line to those who own a maru nib might understand that The spoon nib or what's called as from it's Japanese name again is the saji nib It gives fine regular lines though you can still line variation on it but it does have low elasticity Anyway the general thing that satisfies me most is varying the line weight and having the knowledge of the fundamentals of line weight, having this knowledge shall sure make you love to use it even more so I'll put a general explanation Line weight conveys distance, light and shadow, and depth Distance - depending on the drawing you want to make, by drawing a thin line it tells that it is in a far distance and for the thicker line it gives a close distance because the first thing to look at is the thickest line because it is the most noticeable and easy to spot, it is even used when you want your viewer to focus on a specific character or object when telling a story that way you won't feel lost, this method is what I noticed when I first saw it and learned more about it and realize more and more Light and shadow - well time to apply the same principles and we'll keep this short, the thinnest lines Expresses light or there's no line at all just to express how bright the light is or where it is coming from, and of course yes the thickest line represents the shadow And here we have depth and if you want to know what depth means even though you got your dictionary skills but I did wondered if some are not familiar with the word, and based from my understanding and a quick search, it mentioned something about expressing the intensity So depending how you draw your silhouettes it helps express what they are or their expressing the situation in the story, it goes to to show that if your line is smooth it might represent being lose and relaxed and lines more straight and more zigzag it shows some sort of intensity, because how ever you learned so far you're using a line to express what you desire to tell cause it's basically what I know so far And one thing I didn't mentioned is The expression weight which is also a line variation which is also another example of depth but somehow that's how I think of it as Because when the line is thicker it's supposed to represent how heavy or where the weight is going to and when it's thin it's supposed to represent how light it is but yeah the thing is I indulge myself too much of how expressive the lines are but I believe you get the point I know it's long rather than short but believe me I would go full in-depth explaining why and how I love varying line weight But in general, it's about indulging yourself to how satisfying you draw your lines and fascinating it is to learn more so when you start to pick up the dip pen you would none stop start to experiment and express and enjoy how far you've been using the dip pen ^^ And that's about it sorry if I made you read this longe sorry very sorry ^^' ^^
@@ark8tct hehehe I see, but, dip pen nibs is what I know so far, there could be more nibs i haven't covered in yet ^^ Oh and also i don't know who bubba is in Forrest gump, I've only seen some clips of the movie, mind sending me a link to it ^^
I use India ink and the speedball 104 holder and 102 nib they are very good for beginners or artist with a budget and India ink is less messy and dries after five minutes and its also water resistant and it's good for adding layers but if you don't like layers I don't recommend you to buy India ink or if you are just reading this comment now and already bought India ink and wanted a blending effect add it immediately and everything you finish using it wash the nib and dry it with a piece of news paper or a towel or if want a more comforted grip buy the standard speedball holder this is just my opinion I just started so dont follow everything
I love dip pens for the same reasons. Great video. Quick question: I love your ink pot. It seems like it would be difficult to put any leftover back into the container if you use the Sumi-e bottle. Do you use a funnel or does that pot come with a top? Or do you just toss leftover? Thanks!
i've recently bought on kit of Nib Holder and a combo os nibs, but i didn't had any way to test the ink texture, ended up having a lot of ink bleed due to my paper texture and my ink texture, sadge, i was so excited to buy one, since i really liked the fact of it's suavization
The bleeding thing - what I do is mix in some gum arabic with the ink and it helps with the bleeding. But I feel like if you used such a mix with a fountain pen it wouldn't be too good for it, so I always move some of the ink into a bottle cap and do it with a smaller batch. A drop can be enough, you need to play around with it. Also if you touch the paper with your hand the oil from your hand can cause the ink to bleed too. Avoid touching the surface you want to draw on with your hands, if you start at the top and need to rest your wrist pust a piece of scrap paper underneath it. Also, also, moisture can change the properties of the paper - avoid humidity when storing your paper. Hope any of this helps! : ) Also if you know more on how to avoid ink bleeding, comment and let me know!
What kind of paper do you use? I just found a bottle of Chinese ink and bought it on impulse to experiment but I feel like I need to get all the paraphernalia now- nib, holder, paper etc
@@fruitytarian Just for training we have those orange Oxford notepads here in Poland, A4 size (or maybe letter, despite the A-order being thedefault in general). The paper is pretty ok for calligraphy, they come in lined and grid. They are usually pinned together at the top. but have punchholes on the side and are perforated at the top, so you can tear out the page and put it into a binder. If you are looking for paper without lines, you can get satinated printer paper that is like 100-120 gsm, although not every one will work. Had ok experiences with AA or Clairefontaine, the second one comes in creme as well. If you want to go expensive you can get specialised calligraphy pad from Archies calligraphy, although honestly you can just get the printer paper I wrote above about and just print the lines off the internet - you can find places where you can set it up and download pdf and have it the way you want it. printablepaper.net is one example But honestly, you really don't need all the paraphenalia (even though getting them feels sooo good ; ) ) For IItalic and gothic calligraphy a reed cut with a really sharp knife works suprisingly well (just don't cut the slit in the middle of the "nib" - steel does not "drink" ink so it need it to lead it to the nib, reeds are a different animal, they will work fine or even better without the slit). For Copperplate you can go with like one holder and a good nib or even go for a brushpen such as tombow - they come in soft and hard, depending on wheather you want a wide stroke or to practice thin ones and will work on pretty much any paper. Although there is a certain pleasure in nib scratching the paper that reeds and brushpens won't give you ; ) A nice add is a chopstick stand you might use when eating to put away your chopsticks as it works well for putting away the pen as well and prevents it from rolling away or getting the table inky. You can get them in fun shapes and often cheap of places such as aliexpress. Another thing is you can buy those little glass nail finishing what-are-they, glasses? I think they are normally used to get the fake nails off, so you put your fingertips in them and wait for whatever solvent is used for the glue to make them come off? They work well as miniature inkpods and are also fairly cheap. Dappen dish I think they're called. Cheapest work fine.
@@jkar4727 thanks for taking the time to write this out. There's so much information in your comment I need to save it for future reference 🙂 It really is so much fun to collect art supplies but I'll use what I have at hand for now. I'm in the tropics so I can get bamboo to make a few bamboo nibs. I'd love to own one of those fancy glass pens, just because it looks so cool. Paper will be a problem because there are no art stores where I live, but I'll use printer paper for now.
@@fruitytarian if you can get gum arabic, mixing some in will definitely help with the bleeding : ) Also if you are using tips you do not care about alll thatmuch - so say a self-made bamboo that is just available around for free - you can try and experiment with other thickening agents, although I don't really have any ideas for gum arabic alternatives. I would advise storing the mixes separately though should you make them so if it doesn't work you won't taint your whole ink bottle and if it does, you have it already mixed : ) You can sometimes get those small plastic containers with caps, sort of jaoined ten-in-a-row, not sure if they are for crafts in general or something specific like watercolours or storing glitter, but those might work : ) Also should you fancy gold you can use gold mica powder mixed with gum arabic instead of buying expensive gold inks, - mica works nice and it's basically a lifetime supply with some of those jars ; )
@@jkar4727 wow, so many ideas! I know exactly the type of containers, I have a few for storing beads. I got a large bottle of ink so I'll be doing a lot of experiments 🤓 and I have gold mica, can't wait to get my nibs and get started!
7:24 I'm so glad I wasn't the only one!!! I was using a fountain pen in class and a girl said "aren't you supposed to use it with the other side facing up?" and I was so embarrassed!!
The Brause 361 Steno Blue Pumpkin is an outstanding, general-purpose, all-around nib for writing, calligraphy, and drawing. However, if you will be primarily drawing (rather than writing), the "G"-style nibs available from companies such as Deleter and Nikko are excellent for drawing due to their flexibility, consistency, and predictability
More than it being fun, the benefit of using a dip pen over a ballpoint is the archival quality of the ink. As well as it's waterproof qualities, which come in handy when putting washes over your line work. Finding a disposable and affordable ballpoint pen with archival waterproof ink is nigh impossible.
There is also a fountain pen that has the ability to use zebra g dip pen nibs which i find interesting the whole body and feed is made out of ebonite the pen is the Osprey Milano of course the nib requirs the same mantanace to keep usable for as long as possible as dip pens but it allow you to have the capacity of a fountain pen with a dip pen nib.
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this video is probably the best video that i've seen about dip pens! you really helped me to understand the different varieties & im so glad that you encouraged cheaper options because it gets discouraging seeing such high prices for some of the dip pens. this was truly a beautiful video
It's great. Liz Chaderton has a couple of good ones too, including one on glass pens.
"Because it's fun." I don't know why I needed to hear that so badly. I love trying new tools, but I always worry that I shouldn't be using them because either I'm not very skilled or because there are easier or cheaper ways to make the same art. But I enjoy the process so much. Dip pens ARE fun! Even if I'm not making anything post-worthy. It's important to let yourself have fun with art. Afterall, isn't that the whole point?
It's sometimes crazy how lost any of us can get within art and "art rules"
Same! Sometimes I feel bad for always looking for new art supplies to try out. I still haven't found one that makes me fall completely in love, I'm still in the look out. I just wanna have fun and experiment but then I feel bad because I'm not skilled and also because it can get expensive depending on the medium
For me, “have fun” (misspelled “gun” instead of “fun” lol) is the whole point of life.
"There's a joy to the inconvenience of it all" perfectly put, and totally agree.
I think it's therapeutic for everyone to do one thing old school because the process is nice and the result is something so much nicer than going the convenient way
FINALLY!!!! A dip pen tutorial from someone who actually uses dip pens instead of someone who opens the package for the very first time and records their experiment then posts it on RUclips. Thanks for the informative video.
Glad it was helpful!
Right??? I try to be nice to people who are having fun with a hobby and give people the benefit of the doubt, but I you can't even find an actually helpful video anymore without first stumbling into someone who doesn't know what they're talking about in the slightest.
Hot tip - literally - there is a coating of a thin material to protect the nib out of the package. Take a lighter and gently move the nib in and out of the flame- you’ll see the coating burn away and leave the metal. The metal holds onto ink better and you get way more strokes per dip
I've heard burning tips can be damaging (though still effective) another method is to dip them in window cleaner for 15 seconds, its what I do!
Scrubbing the nib with toothpaste worked well for me.
I've tried it right away and i mean. Wow. This works.
Thank you so much
Oh my god so that's why my pen wrote like shit. I thought I got scammed lol
I love these kinds of pens because they feel “alive” and create unintenial details with the varying line work. They seem so fun :)
I totally agree! Happy little accidents :)
I switched from fountain pen to a dip pen during fall. I love how organic the lines feel. I use only one nib and it is enough to create such a variety of lines. Also, the black fingertips are part of the magic! :)
How are fountain pens? I plan to use both and i am starting out with fountain pens
@@3F34N1M4T3S More practical for sure. Obviously, if you like to draw on the go/while travelling, it's less messy. The line doesn't have the same organic feeling (at least not for me, since my lines with dip pen vary a bit in thickness) but it tends to be very clean. I have a pretty basic Lamy (Safari I think) and it's cheap and durable. I think it's a good start to test if you enjoy it.
@@AB-jg3tb
Thanks! I bought a cheap fountain pen. I enjoy dip pens more but fountain pens are more practical and transportable.
After a 3 year break you made me fall in love with art again and apreciate it, thanks!
I don't really know why but I always get a very soothing feeling when I'm watching your videos. It was really noticeable in this video in particular. Thank you for making these and being so inspiring~
Great video. My go-to steel nib is also the Blue Pumpkin and it has never failed me.
The low cost of materials, and the ability to use any ink I want, including some I've made myself, are a couple of the reasons dip pens are so wonderful.
One small nit to pick about the video: a fountain pen has an ink reservoir of some kind, but not necessarily a cartridge. Some have bladders, others have built in piston filling mechanisms (like TWSBIs and some others), and some even use the entire pen body as the reservoir and are filled using an eyedropper or something similar.
you yourself are a meditative experience. you spoke on terms of efficiency and speed and id say any artistic tutorial on todays youtube is in that mind set. then theres you, speaking from genuine feeling and experience, how could we ever begin to draw if we cant feel the urge to do so. art isnt the final piece or it would have been automated and bastardized many years ago. to enjoy it in the process is miles more important than what it could turn out as if it were down to a reproducible science in the same of speed, efficiency, and profit.
I think using a dip pen (I use a glass one) connects you to the art better. You become deliberate in your strokes and pay more attention to the art coming out of you. Just my thoughts.
I absolutely love glass dip pens!
Although they are definitely different in feel, I often use fountain pens more than dip pens simply because bringing an ink bottle and washing nibs every so often at school isn’t really a viable option :)
Haha same. Fountain pens are like transportable mini dip pens to me
This was the best primer on dip pens I’ve ever seen. I’m big on fountain pens, and feel like that’s all I need for my writing/drawing needs. But your video on dip pens almost makes me want to consider getting into dip pens.
What a lovely video. By the way, for those who prefer it, you can also use an ink bottle with an eyedropper to deposit just the right amount of ink on your nib, as an alternative to just using an ink well and shaking off the excess ink or touching the glass rim of your ink well to shed the excess ink from your nib
please chroma make a video on how to use a brush pen
i really love your explanations and i might get some useful tips
You inspired me to go buy some nibs and ink, and I'm actualy suprised how available it is rn😊 I haven't draw for 13yrs, I feel it's time to start again 😊
That's awesome! Hope you have fun with them ☺️
You can get inks that work with rough paper. Or you can get gum Arabic to mix with inks, if you really like the inks that you have. It thickens up the ink to prevent it from bleeding outward on the rough surface. I have also used honey and maple syrup to achieve the same effect.
There is still one problem though. The bumps on the surface of the paper can catch your nip when it’s moving at just the right direction and just the right angle. Then you can end up stabbing through the page if you’re using a really fine nib. But it’s all good if you’re aware of that pitfall and adjust the angle of your strokes slightly.
This is how I feel about using a fountain pen vs a regular pen. It makes every part of the creating process from the planning to execution more fun. I have some dip pen nibs in my collection but find I reach for a glass pen or fountain pen more often when creating.
I agree with you 100 % I also have fine liners but the lines of dip pens are hands down way more expressive, richer and unique to you.
Thank you very much! As an aspiring comic artist, this was really helpful. I was struggling with cleaning my dip pen, finding nibs and ink, and not being fully engaged by listening to very fast paced music, which usually helps me be more energetic. This video was really helpful for me and probably for many other people!
I love the sound... For me it is the most relaxing thing.
same here, only bought a dip pen 'cause I came into some very eclectic inks and wanted to try them out. great lil tutorial intro!
Talking about the sound was a nice touch.
I learned calligraphy with a dip pen as a teenager and feeling like Bilbo Baggins is exactly the same though I had. The sound and physicality of the nib gliding across the paper while leaving pitch black lines really is a meditative experience that writing with other things just doesn't match.
At 5:01 i said the exact same thing!! All the prep and hassle that comes with it is honestly the funnest parts for me!
I bought a book on how to pen characters, but it felt intimidating. This video really helped out with starting out with good materials.
Wish I had art shops like that near me. Currently just have to order art supplies online, but nothing beats browsing an art shop for interesting tools to use.
Loved this. It’s personal, straightforward, and informative. Thanks!
Really interesting keep making vedios I'll be there to watch them
A lot more work into it but I prefer dip pens over fountain anyday. The process is so fun and immersive. The joy it gives is worth the extra work.
thank you so much! i was just gifted one and excited to use it! I can definitely use it while sketching different logo ideas for my classes/work
so cool it’s like a quill where you dip instead of the automatic fountain pens
i love it i wanna get a dip pen i just bought a blackwing and start drawing and just writing on a journal to write my life
I tried dip pens a long time ago when I first started drawing comics and quickly dropped them as I just could not get into them for reasons I can't remember. Recently I've been getting back into them and there's just something so mesmorising about the feel of the nib on some bristol paper. I'm slowly settling into a few different ones and each has a different feel to them that makes the drawing process so delightfully involved that I don't get from digital.
The nibs I have in rotation are Brause 361, G-Pen, Hunt 102, School nib and a Maru.
I remember the first time I had to use a dip pen in college: I told the professor that I thought that my nib was broken, because it didn't allow too much ink to flow. The professor told me "no, you're doing it good, just press a little against the paper". And so I did. The ink started flowing too much now, and I made a mess. I thought, again, that I broke the nib by pressing too much, but I went back to my previous method and it worked the same way. At the end of the class, the professor asked us about our impressions. I was ashamed because I couldn't get the pen working properly, but it turned out my classmates were having the same issues. The professor told us that, that's the way the pen works, it is wild, and you have to tame it. I get that is not for everyone, but I agree with this sir that it is very fun to use it.
I love the Zen of the dip pen musings here.
Excellent! I used to draw with a mouse (quite natural with it, actually) but am thinking of picking up ink pen to return to my first love which is rendering and all those beautiful ink work in comics like Modesty Blaise. Thanks again for the very useful and concise insights.
Love the vids as usual! Fountain pens are my go to... However I have a converter in it and can dip it into ink bottles like a dip pen.. but when I'm on the go, I put in a cartridge!
That’s awesome!
omg that store shown during the first bit of this video has me drooling. I don’t think we have any brick & mortar stores that sell this kind of variety of pens/nibs in the US. So far I’ve had to shop online if I want anything other than an basic intro set of cheap speedball nibs 😢.
So many colors! You should check out all the colors in fountain pens now. Noodlers, Private Reserve, Pilot, Sailor, Bung Box.
i love dip pens! they're so underrated
This is a great video about the subject. I recently went back to using my old nib pen from college after years of trying all manners of other pens for drawing. I agree that finding what works for you is more important than getting the "best" equipment.
"Because it's fun"... I love this.
I got to try a glass dip pen for the first time today and loved it. I really want to get one in the future but after getting home, I started thinking about what here there was a point to getting one-- I mean, unlike other dip pens, glass ones don't have variable thickness so it's basically a manual gel pen. But then I saw this video and you summed it up perfectly-- the process of dipping and creating is fun. And that's all the reason I need.
The good thing about glass pens are that they are very inexpensive, so even if you buy one and never use, it’s only >$20… so I hope you bought one anyway!
I really don’t know why, but your words about your art being your job somehow made me feel so calm and confident. Last months i started thinking about my future and a long time i was sure that i want to become professional artist but now, when i was thinking of it i was kinda afraid and thought I didn’t want it already. I already said this to my mom and we started doing something in that direction,so i almost physically couldn’t say abt my doubts to parents. And didn’t want to. I dreamt about it for so long, and it bocomes closer and closer, so how can i give up now? What will i say to my inner past child-srlf? I really don’t know the reason i was so unsecure of everything. Am i afraid of future? Do i think I won’t be good enough? Maybe im afraid to loose passion to art? I had no idea. But your calming video made me feel so good. Now i have leftovers of that anxiety, but i hope tomorrow i will wake up without fear and with confidence in my future. Thank you.
Dayumn thats a lot of text lol. But I’m happy to finally say it to someone. To something. Internet, thanks for existing. I don’t have anyone irl to share my feelings, so social network is my saving. Even if no one will read it, i feel i left it here and it’s no longer on my shoulders.
Thanks for introduction to dip pen. I tried those nibs out, they are great.
Yes they are!
The ritual of dip pens and the fact that your forced to be more intentional with your line work. It makes me think about where in putting my lines, the weight, consistency etc. When I see a great illustration made by dip pens, I can see the time and attention on the page
I have a fountain pen for inking sketches But for the "Fancy" scribblings I use a nib holder because you can't control the ink flow as easy as nib and holder.
I have tried micro felt, rotring, fountain and many others. I recently was traveling and all my pens were just not working on the heavy paper I brought but I busted out my 102 after not using it for a year and it just works on everything every time. I will try the Brouse but I think I'm gonna stick with dip pens for a while
Thank you, I`ve been struggling I hope this new nib will be helpful
anyone else felt so good and enchanted when he cut music and we could hear the actual pen on the paper? just me? ok
i just bought both the nikko and the blue pumpkin. i dont know what it is about the blue pumpkin but its like i can feel the line as its coming out, magical. i bet the nikko has more use for fine drawing but the BP is a glory to use.
as a person that loves both calligraphy and cartoon drawing I see every nib as a win win
This video was exactly what i was looking for🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾. Ty bro
I use a Brause Steno as my main nib too.
My ink is Rohrer & Klingner Ausziehtusche, because it works on almost every paper.
One final tip, nibs wear down surprisingly fast, so have a control nib to compare it to.
Will it work ok on bristol board?
Paulie P
I don't know what that is. If Rohrer & Klinger is cheap where you live, you should test it.
@@schwarzerritter5724 thanks 👍
Cool video! I came her looking for techniques, but ended up staying because I was so entertained. I love dip pens and am pretty new to them. And you are so right about how fun they are. Your vehicles are bad ass!
Ngl this is like the first skillshare ad that legit made me think "those look like cool courses to watch"
Can you please try out glass dip pens they're so pretty and they hold do much more ink
Back then, I thought what I bought was the pen I saw that works like this and it confused me when the thickness dont change when I put pressure then I learned that its fountain pen.😂
Now, I have a set of the dip pen, True, the sound it produce, touching the paper is loveeeelyy.
kinda just explains why i love fountain pens
Just a tip: at 1:30, you were using the oblique nib holder in an inverted way. The correct way is with the tip of the nib pointing towards you, as opposed to away from you.
How would that work?
Bros onto nothing
I also recently changed to dip pen and my style of drawing change for the better❤️
Reasons for using dip pens. control over the pen and the artwork. Line quality, you can get various results from the different nibs, something you can’t get from a ballpoint pen. Also you control the ink and what types of inks. You can use die inks or pigment inks. One has better lightfastness. With a ballpoint pen the ink will fade and even some drawing inks unless it says lightfast or yo you test it. I did a drawing of a friend’s cat with two different pens and inks. I had the picture framed and after about six months half the drawing faded. Now I make sure sure my pens, inks paints, papers etc. are all archival quality. Last thing you want is someone coming to you after several months to complain the picture faded.
Thank you for this wonderful intro to dip pens as an artist ✨
As a beginer it could be useful to have a scrap paper nearby to test how much ink you have on the nib. You can change the thickness of line with more or less ink, and it can be difficult to tell how much just by removing it from the inkwell.
Such an underrated channel.
Man I love the drawings in the background, so awesome!
Warning: This hobby is addictive! Suggestion-there are different companies that sell sample inks. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started.
I started with an oblique pen because I thought it looked so cool. But I think he’s right to start with a straight one.
Have fun!
As analog comic , i used dip pen for quality of line and hactching. For pen holder, i recommed tachikawa or speedball because fit well ( only have). Ink just chinese ink except watercolor work use india ink. Use cotton glove for safety.
Anywhere, i used dip pen right to left side nib (depend).
Thak you so much i am a fineliners user, wanted to get into dip pens this really helped a lot💗
I'm so glad!
Thanks for the info! Have you tried a glass dip pen yet and what did you think of it?
I use a dip pen for drawing on glass for reverse glass painting
I came here wanting to know how the nibs hold and use ink and I left with an appreciation for something I know barely anything about. Man I wish I could draw.
I was just thinking about getting one! Weird coincidence
It is fun. I tried using sticks too. I tried the pretty glass ones. That wasnt worth the money
and you get solid clean lines, save money on ink, save time.
ball piont and marker have to redo for colorist to scan.
can get finer lines. and different style.
I would love to explain what I love about the dip pen, at first I was not fond of line variation cause i thought of it as a strange and weird thing to see, cause i see art works i wasn't interested to see, but, still their art is still good but it took me a long time to realize how fascinating it is, because of course anime or manga or the more I indulge myself to look at more, I realize that what's satisfying is that you get to vary the lines you make with each pressure you put in, it makes you express every heavy and light pressure of line weight you make as if you're flowing with it, I know it's scary to exert too much pressure but I would always research more about the nib, for instance
The g-nib is the most flexible and elastic nib to use it gives the most thinnest and thickest lines you desire to make
The mapping nib or what's referred to from it's Japanese name the maru nib
It gives off the most thinnest lines possible flexible yes but does have low elasticity, you can get a thick line but given how small it is, it does have a limit to it's thickest line to those who own a maru nib might understand that
The spoon nib or what's called as from it's Japanese name again is the saji nib
It gives fine regular lines though you can still line variation on it but it does have low elasticity
Anyway the general thing that satisfies me most is varying the line weight and having the knowledge of the fundamentals of line weight, having this knowledge shall sure make you love to use it even more so I'll put a general explanation
Line weight conveys distance, light and shadow, and depth
Distance - depending on the drawing you want to make, by drawing a thin line it tells that it is in a far distance and for the thicker line it gives a close distance because the first thing to look at is the thickest line because it is the most noticeable and easy to spot, it is even used when you want your viewer to focus on a specific character or object when telling a story that way you won't feel lost, this method is what I noticed when I first saw it and learned more about it and realize more and more
Light and shadow - well time to apply the same principles and we'll keep this short, the thinnest lines Expresses light or there's no line at all just to express how bright the light is or where it is coming from, and of course yes the thickest line represents the shadow
And here we have depth and if you want to know what depth means even though you got your dictionary skills but I did wondered if some are not familiar with the word, and based from my understanding and a quick search, it mentioned something about expressing the intensity
So depending how you draw your silhouettes it helps express what they are or their expressing the situation in the story, it goes to to show that if your line is smooth it might represent being lose and relaxed and lines more straight and more zigzag it shows some sort of intensity, because how ever you learned so far you're using a line to express what you desire to tell cause it's basically what I know so far
And one thing I didn't mentioned is
The expression weight which is also a line variation which is also another example of depth but somehow that's how I think of it as
Because when the line is thicker it's supposed to represent how heavy or where the weight is going to and when it's thin it's supposed to represent how light it is but yeah the thing is I indulge myself too much of how expressive the lines are but I believe you get the point
I know it's long rather than short but believe me I would go full in-depth explaining why and how I love varying line weight
But in general, it's about indulging yourself to how satisfying you draw your lines and fascinating it is to learn more so when you start to pick up the dip pen you would none stop start to experiment and express and enjoy how far you've been using the dip pen ^^
And that's about it sorry if I made you read this longe sorry very sorry ^^' ^^
I think you explained yourself quite well. 🙂
@@IAmPlaysWithSquirrel thank youuuuuu ^^
@@ark8tct hehehe I see, but, dip pen nibs is what I know so far, there could be more nibs i haven't covered in yet ^^
Oh and also i don't know who bubba is in Forrest gump, I've only seen some clips of the movie, mind sending me a link to it ^^
@@ark8tct I'll try my best to figure it this out ^^
Thanks for the explanation!
I use India ink and the speedball 104 holder and 102 nib they are very good for beginners or artist with a budget and India ink is less messy and dries after five minutes and its also water resistant and it's good for adding layers but if you don't like layers I don't recommend you to buy India ink or if you are just reading this comment now and already bought India ink and wanted a blending effect add it immediately and everything you finish using it wash the nib and dry it with a piece of news paper or a towel or if want a more comforted grip buy the standard speedball holder this is just my opinion I just started so dont follow everything
You could do a asmr video 😩 because the sound is so good !
Omg what is that store you visited. We don’t have supplies that here but would love visit a store like that when going through Singapore. Cheers!
i like to draw with the nib facing up when I'm doing fine details
You can also use maru type nib that is more stiff and less flexible, so it's more reliable for details 👍
I love dip pens for the same reasons. Great video.
Quick question: I love your ink pot. It seems like it would be difficult to put any leftover back into the container if you use the Sumi-e bottle. Do you use a funnel or does that pot come with a top? Or do you just toss leftover?
Thanks!
Just got my first ones. Thanks for the video
i've recently bought on kit of Nib Holder and a combo os nibs, but i didn't had any way to test the ink texture, ended up having a lot of ink bleed due to my paper texture and my ink texture, sadge, i was so excited to buy one, since i really liked the fact of it's suavization
Very enjoyable! Everything is on order to begin my journey!
best video i’ve seen in ages! thankyou!
Pro tip: don't use a hawk quill for anything. A crow quill or G nib does anything you could do with it way better.
Love ur vibe dude
The bleeding thing - what I do is mix in some gum arabic with the ink and it helps with the bleeding. But I feel like if you used such a mix with a fountain pen it wouldn't be too good for it, so I always move some of the ink into a bottle cap and do it with a smaller batch. A drop can be enough, you need to play around with it.
Also if you touch the paper with your hand the oil from your hand can cause the ink to bleed too. Avoid touching the surface you want to draw on with your hands, if you start at the top and need to rest your wrist pust a piece of scrap paper underneath it.
Also, also, moisture can change the properties of the paper - avoid humidity when storing your paper.
Hope any of this helps! : )
Also if you know more on how to avoid ink bleeding, comment and let me know!
What kind of paper do you use? I just found a bottle of Chinese ink and bought it on impulse to experiment but I feel like I need to get all the paraphernalia now- nib, holder, paper etc
@@fruitytarian Just for training we have those orange Oxford notepads here in Poland, A4 size (or maybe letter, despite the A-order being thedefault in general). The paper is pretty ok for calligraphy, they come in lined and grid. They are usually pinned together at the top. but have punchholes on the side and are perforated at the top, so you can tear out the page and put it into a binder.
If you are looking for paper without lines, you can get satinated printer paper that is like 100-120 gsm, although not every one will work. Had ok experiences with AA or Clairefontaine, the second one comes in creme as well.
If you want to go expensive you can get specialised calligraphy pad from Archies calligraphy, although honestly you can just get the printer paper I wrote above about and just print the lines off the internet - you can find places where you can set it up and download pdf and have it the way you want it. printablepaper.net is one example
But honestly, you really don't need all the paraphenalia (even though getting them feels sooo good ; ) )
For IItalic and gothic calligraphy a reed cut with a really sharp knife works suprisingly well (just don't cut the slit in the middle of the "nib" - steel does not "drink" ink so it need it to lead it to the nib, reeds are a different animal, they will work fine or even better without the slit).
For Copperplate you can go with like one holder and a good nib or even go for a brushpen such as tombow - they come in soft and hard, depending on wheather you want a wide stroke or to practice thin ones and will work on pretty much any paper. Although there is a certain pleasure in nib scratching the paper that reeds and brushpens won't give you ; )
A nice add is a chopstick stand you might use when eating to put away your chopsticks as it works well for putting away the pen as well and prevents it from rolling away or getting the table inky. You can get them in fun shapes and often cheap of places such as aliexpress. Another thing is you can buy those little glass nail finishing what-are-they, glasses? I think they are normally used to get the fake nails off, so you put your fingertips in them and wait for whatever solvent is used for the glue to make them come off? They work well as miniature inkpods and are also fairly cheap. Dappen dish I think they're called. Cheapest work fine.
@@jkar4727 thanks for taking the time to write this out. There's so much information in your comment I need to save it for future reference 🙂 It really is so much fun to collect art supplies but I'll use what I have at hand for now. I'm in the tropics so I can get bamboo to make a few bamboo nibs. I'd love to own one of those fancy glass pens, just because it looks so cool. Paper will be a problem because there are no art stores where I live, but I'll use printer paper for now.
@@fruitytarian if you can get gum arabic, mixing some in will definitely help with the bleeding : )
Also if you are using tips you do not care about alll thatmuch - so say a self-made bamboo that is just available around for free - you can try and experiment with other thickening agents, although I don't really have any ideas for gum arabic alternatives. I would advise storing the mixes separately though should you make them so if it doesn't work you won't taint your whole ink bottle and if it does, you have it already mixed : )
You can sometimes get those small plastic containers with caps, sort of jaoined ten-in-a-row, not sure if they are for crafts in general or something specific like watercolours or storing glitter, but those might work : )
Also should you fancy gold you can use gold mica powder mixed with gum arabic instead of buying expensive gold inks, - mica works nice and it's basically a lifetime supply with some of those jars ; )
@@jkar4727 wow, so many ideas! I know exactly the type of containers, I have a few for storing beads. I got a large bottle of ink so I'll be doing a lot of experiments 🤓 and I have gold mica, can't wait to get my nibs and get started!
Awesome video. Taught me pretty much everything wanted to know about dip pens.
Glad it was helpful!
7:24 I'm so glad I wasn't the only one!!!
I was using a fountain pen in class and a girl said "aren't you supposed to use it with the other side facing up?" and I was so embarrassed!!
I didn’t realize this was a thing but once when I was sharing a Lamy Joy with a friend, she automatically tried writing with the nib upside down.
The Brause 361 Steno Blue Pumpkin is an outstanding, general-purpose, all-around nib for writing, calligraphy, and drawing. However, if you will be primarily drawing (rather than writing), the "G"-style nibs available from companies such as Deleter and Nikko are excellent for drawing due to their flexibility, consistency, and predictability
what the hell such a cool art shop
More than it being fun, the benefit of using a dip pen over a ballpoint is the archival quality of the ink. As well as it's waterproof qualities, which come in handy when putting washes over your line work. Finding a disposable and affordable ballpoint pen with archival waterproof ink is nigh impossible.
There is also a fountain pen that has the ability to use zebra g dip pen nibs which i find interesting the whole body and feed is made out of ebonite the pen is the Osprey Milano of course the nib requirs the same mantanace to keep usable for as long as possible as dip pens but it allow you to have the capacity of a fountain pen with a dip pen nib.
I HIGHLY recommend the oblique if your a leftie……smudge life 😂
Thank you for this informarive and useful video! I love your channel, i hope more people will see your great stuff
If I recall correctly, an oblique holder is for right handed calligraphy, and the straight holder is for lefties.
Amazing! Thanks so much for all the info!!