Getting Started with Dip Pen Drawing, part 1
Epic deep dive into an old medium
Drawing with ink is as old as….the cave man. Dipping a stick into a mixture of charcoal with animal fat, spit, or water was…..the hard way to make art.
Drawing changed over centuries to involve plucking a duck to use a feather to dip into a more refined form of ink, or sharpening a reed into a point to draw or write with. We’re lucky to be alive at a time when not only manufacturing steel nibs has been raised to a high art from its start in the 1800s - but also made incredibly inexpensive!
That leads me to covering a medium that can be quite elegant, and yet at the same time - quite inexpensive. For less than $50 you can get some really nice quality materials, and I’m about to show you how - and why.
Watch the video below - and if you could, pop over to YouTube to leave a thumbs up to feed the algorithm! If you’re reading this email just as it arrived in your inbox, join us in the live chat during the Premiere at 8am!
Supplies (affiliate links provided at no cost to you; thank you for using my links and supporting my work!) These items are recommended for beginners in dip pen drawing:
Ink: Speedball Superblack India Ink | BLICK | AMZ | JACKSONS
Paper: Pentalic Paper for Pens BLICK | AMZ alt for my UK friends Jacksons Snowdon Cartridge paper
Comic Pen Nib Holder BLICK | AMZ | JACKSONS with Speedball Hunt Pen Nib 512 BLICK https://bit.ly/4fP4ers AMZ | JETPENS and/or a Brause Cito Fein nib AMZ | JETPENS
TWO new classes!
Sparkling Seashells class: preregistration
This level 2 course will teach you how to make 5 gorgeous pieces of seashell art that sparkle! We’ll dye our own paper to make it sparkle, ink up the seashells, and I’ll show you ways to spruce up thrifted frames to show off your work or turn them into holiday gifts! You can look at the free supply list without purchasing the class. The preregistration class is on a $4 discount til the launch (hopefully) in a week!
This level 3 course will teach you how to draw 10 different shells (because I have a BUNCH!)…..and it’ll be just inking, no washes. But lots of different pens, even some dark pens with whatever pens you have that will show up - I’ll use Acrea and maybe find some decent gel pens (got any suggestions for ones that work?) You can look at the preclass supply page without purchasing the class. The preregistration class is on a $4 discount til the launch (hopefully) in a week!
Benefits of using dip pens vs other pens
Superior Line Variation
Dip Pen Nib do’s:
Use all kinds of nibs! Get a selection of stiff and flexible ones so you can try them out; I’ve provided my recommendations in the list above for a 512 nib and its big sister a Brause Cito Fein.Swatch your nibs. Do it with a bunch of lines; just a scribble isn’t enough to tell you what it can do well.
Store brands separately. That’ll help you identify nibs faster if you at least can only look through one container for the nib you want.Remove factory coating. Put new nibs in boiling hot water for 10 minutes as shown in the video.
Clean up nibs! After a session clean off nibs well - Bombay Cleaner or a little dish detergent and a toothbrush, and you should do well. At the end, I use a little isopropyl on a qtip or a swish in a dish for a last rinse, which won’t rust the nibs while stored.
Ask other dip pen enthusiasts for nib recommendations. They’re not expensive so can be a fun affordable treat!
Dip Pen Nib don’ts:
Avoid the calligraphy nibs; they are hard to use except for specialty lines. Reservoirs I don’t find too helpful, they hide ink and get gunky faster.
Dip Pen Holder do’s:
Get whatever makes you happy! Cheap or expensive; wood, metal, plastic, they all function the same.
Properly dip a pen by submerging it to a level JUST above the breathing hole.To keep the holder clean, use ink bottles with wide openings so you can easily dip without touching the sides and can see into the bottle and know the depth of the ink.
Dip Pen Holder don’ts: most nibs are ‘standard’ bases so a standard pen holder is usually great. If you get any quill bases, you’ll need a holder to acommodate them.
Don’t overdip! Just submerge a nib just past the breathing hole, and keep the holder clean.
Unmatched Ink Versatility
Ink do’s:
Opening size of the bottle matters! Bigger bottles will help you keep your pen holder clean.To dip into skinny bottles, pour some ink into a tiny cup, shotglass, or votive candle holder; after inking, use a funnel or dropper to put the ink back. (But not if you’ve added any water to it or contaminated it in any way.)
Swatch your inks not only with a swoosh of color with a brush - see what lines look like when drawn in pen.
Paper do’s:
Watercolor papers can handle “wetter” inking than many other papers; use that for expected density in the drawing.
Drawing papers and mixed media papers may have feathering troubles; test them with the techniques and amount of ink you plan to use.
To increase the thickness of a thin line, press more with the nib, use a more flexible nib, or add paint under the area to be drawn.
Types of inks and other mediums you can use with dip pens:
Dye-Based Inks (water-soluble)
Pigment Inks (waterproof)
India Inks (waterproof)
Iron Gall Inks (water resistant)
Shimmer Inks (usually water-soluble)
Sheening Inks (usually water-soluble)
Acrylic Inks (waterproof)
Other mediums like gouache or masking fluid
Effortless Color and Line Swatching
Change colors at will with dip pen drawing by simply swishing the nib in water and wiping it off, then dipping it into a new color. Easy peasy!
Change nibs at will too — you can also use a few pens and change back and forth, but it’s surely an easier and less expensive process than is fountain pen ;)
Dad jokes
About….dip pens. You knew it was coming.
Why don’t dip pens ever gossip?
Because they’re afraid they’ll spill the ink!
I tried to tell a joke about a dip pen,
but I ran out of ink before I could make my point.What did the inkwell say to the dip pen?
“You’re draining me!”Why was the dip pen feeling so stressed out?
It felt like everyone was constantly judging its point.Why do ballpoint pens look up to dip pens?
Because they think they are extra fine.Why are dip pen users always calm?
They know how to go with the flow.