yet another brush question

[jan kolk]

hey everyone!

just another inking question.
ive been using a crowquill up to now, but depending on the paper it rips some fine fibres out of the paper, and allaround crowquill(it has an exchangeable 'head') have a lot of 'reluctance' which sometimes messes up fine curves and stuff.
now i plan to switch over to brushes, as i also feel theyre faster once you got used to them.
independant from a special brand -
i suppose they have to be rather short and thin, right?

cause with my first tryout (using a brush that was probably too big) the ink got soaked into the whole brush, wich resulted in the ink not being black anymore but rather dark grey and partly transparent.
is that the normal effect with brushes?
will a shorter, tinier and maybe harder brush help solve that problem?
or probably thicker ink?

thanks in advance

[Miss V]

I use a size 2 liner watercolor brush to ink. (The bristles are just under 1/4 long.) I can get pretty thin lines (unless my brush is totally saturated with ink). I've never had problems with the ink looking grey (with the exception of large areas, sometimes). It might be the ink you're using. I use Koh-i-noor ink. I also tend to leave the ink open a lot, and it gets thicker as some of the liquid evaporates.

[jan kolk]

thanks for the hint.
ill try to get myself a short, thin brush tomorrow. do you intentionally leave the ink bottle open, to thicken the ink, making it easy to handle?
or is that more by accident? does it helo much?

[Justice41]

Here's what a Pro inker recommends.
From The Gaigin Studio Boards and Inker Karl Story

My equipment...errm...tool...eh, I mean Art Supplies!
HAR! I'm back, sticky'd this post as some inquiries at conventions have been re-routed here. I will try to troll the board more often from now on and update.
-Karl


I get many requests about what tool I use for slinging ink, well, here you go!

Brushes

Scharff Series 3000 #3 or 4 Kolinsky sable brushes
www.artbrush.com/ And tell 'em Gaijin Studios sent ya!

I will also use Raphael series 8404's if they can be found and do not suck, but I have pretty much given up on them.

Windsor Newton series 7 bushes are simply, how do you say, worthless abuses of animal fur. Don't bother.

Quills

These can be hard to find(even for me)

Gillott #850's An incredibly fine and flexible nib. Almost like using a brush. Gillott

T. Ishikawa Zebras Very fine point, very rigid/sturdy nib.

Brause Iserholn #511 Medium/fine nib with fair flexibility. Brause

Tech Pens

Rotring is the only way to go baby! These pens take ink cartidges rather than refilling them yourself. This is a concept that I wholeheartedly resisted early on in my career. I mean why should I pay for expensive refills when I can just buy a huge bottle of ink and do it myself? Well, cause cartridges are cheaper and less aggravating than buying whole new pens all the time. I have never lost a Rotring pen to a bleed or clog with normal usage. The only times I have had to replace them is due to breakage(usually that damn .25 finepoint doing a header into the carpet). These are exceptional pens and worth every penny, some of mine are about 8 years old now and still running strong.

INK!

Dr. P.H.Martin's Blackstar Matte

A blacker, denser, finer ink you will not find. I imbibe the 32oz longnecks.....now if only they would make a '40, I could really brown bag it!

There you go for now, I will update periodically. Post specific questions and I will endevour to answer them here!

-Karl



Edited by: Karl Story at: 11/3/02 8:45:34 pm

Gillot nibs Brausse nibs

Oh and Jan If your in Germany and you can pick up a few of those Gillots Send em my way. Those nibs are great. So flexible yet strong and won't destroy paper.

[jan kolk]

hey Justice 41,
a HUGE thanks to you for all the hints and names!
what do you prefer using?
i feel that brushes can be a good time-saver, when used properly.
okay, think im off now to spend some money on new equipment...

[Justice41]

I use a Brush Mostly and quills for doing smaller outlines for areas that will be spotted black. I'll use any liner thin or fat brush as long as it's real hairs or fur. Sythetics just are worthless and only good for mixing settled ink or paint. I watched Karl ink with all of those tools. Man he can ink. But that Gillot nib was so smooth and very flexible.