Sketching With a Folded Pen

 

At the February Westcoast Calligraphy Society meeting, we were playing with our folded pens.  The instructor kept saying "it's a drawing tool", so naturally I gave it a try.

"What's a folded pen?" you might be asking.  Well, I took a picture for you on my next attempt.

You draw with the tip and add more ink by changing the angle of the pen on the paper.  This increases the amount of the open part of the pen that is contacting the paper.  (Think of holding a taco with the open part down - the filling falls out, right?)

And then, to test the waterproof qualities of the sumi ink I was using, I added watercolour:

The verdict on the pen is 5/10.  I like it better for lettering.  

Because you have to dip the pen in ink rather than having the convenience of a cartridge, the ink matters too.  I'll only score the sumi ink 2/10.  It takes too long to dry which can result in smudging.  (You can see where I dragged my hand through the ink on the first drawing.)  It isn't truly waterproof either, so it isn't really suited for watercolour.  I don't think that I let it dry overnight, but who wants to do that when you're drawing?

Photo reference:  mozarts_ride

 

Peace on Earth

 

Kuretake Watercolor, Folded Pen

This is my homework for the Bensgothic program we enjoyed at the Westcoast Calligraphy Meeting last month.  Our assignment was to letter a Christmas saying.

Ominous

 

This Inktober prompt took an "ominous" turn for Hallowe'en.  I'll post some Inktober sketches in coming days, but I've been influenced by a Ben Shahn program this week at our monthly Westcoast Calligraphy Society meeting.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Spatters

Walnut Ink on Canvas Paper

You can get some lovely spatters with a folded pen if you use textured paper, press hard, and write fast.  I took a sheet of canvas paper and played around last week, but more practice is definitely required. 

Cola Pen

At last month's Westcoast Calligraphy Society Meeting, I learned how to make a "cola" pen.  You can buy similar folded pens, but this is dubbed a "cola" pen because it is made from an aluminum can.  I love the bold, expressive marks these folded pens make.