My Drawing Equipment

[amadarwin]

Plus sharpie black turns greenish over time. Unless they've fixed that...

[KrisDiaz]

ya sharpies tend to look crappy and the smell gives me headaches....sometimes its better to ink with a process and material that takes time rather than rush it with a easier or low quality products....

[bindlestitch]

Loston,
First off thanks for the suggestion to leave the tech's behind and go with the pits. I tried them and they perform great.
Now for another question.
What's the best way you've found to clean ink off of nibs. I can't remember if you mentioned them in this thread, so I don't know if you use them or not. But I have a problem of when I'm using a nib the ink dries on the surface and it clogs the nib and it's hard to get that dried on ink off.
Any suggestions?

[Bruce Lee]

Loston,
First off thanks for the suggestion to leave the tech's behind and go with the pits. I tried them and they perform great.
Now for another question.
What's the best way you've found to clean ink off of nibs. I can't remember if you mentioned them in this thread, so I don't know if you use them or not. But I have a problem of when I'm using a nib the ink dries on the surface and it clogs the nib and it's hard to get that dried on ink off.
Any suggestions?

I haven't used nibs in a big way since the 90s. Once I became proficient enough with an inking brush, I stopped using them in a big way. As best I recall though, using soap and water is your best way to keep nibs clean of ink. If it's too late for that, and you already have caked on ink to deal with, I suggest trying an ink cleaning solution like the sort you can buy to clean tech pens with. Those have worked for me before. You might also try to soak your nibs into a solution of soap and warm water and ammonia. That might just do the trick.

If all else fails, simply buy a few new nibs--they're not too expensive. Just remember to soak your nibs in warm soapy water when you're done using them, and rinse them out. Don't forget to dry them with a lint-free cloth to prevent them from rusting.

Nibs never lasted me too long when I inked with them. I went through a #102 nib about every page and a half of inking I did, so I used to buy nibs by the box.

Hope that helps.

Loston

[bindlestitch]

Definitely helps. I want to get better with a brush but until then I'm using some nibs.
Thanks , Loston.
Iz

[KrisDiaz]

i just wanted to say i just recently went out and bought a few things from your list(had to sneak out from house arrest...sssshhhh....dont tell anyone) i got the kneaded eraser which works great and the design pencil (h) which i like alot surprisingly...i prefer mechanical pencils...and some ink,quill and brushes so i can practice inking..either way thanks for suggesting this stuff...hopefully i get better first and can put this cool stuff to use!

[Bruce Lee]

i just wanted to say i just recently went out and bought a few things from your list(had to sneak out from house arrest...sssshhhh....dont tell anyone) i got the kneaded eraser which works great and the design pencil (h) which i like alot surprisingly...i prefer mechanical pencils...and some ink,quill and brushes so i can practice inking..either way thanks for suggesting this stuff...hopefully i get better first and can put this cool stuff to use!

Glad my list could be of some help to you, Kris.

Loston

[KrisDiaz]

i got a question about quill tip sizes....what sizes do you suggest for different things.....like which are good for detail...broad lines...stuff like that...right now i have...i think...102,107,108,512,56,and 66 i really cant tell 2 much of a difference?

[Bruce Lee]

i got a question about quill tip sizes....what sizes do you suggest for different things.....like which are good for detail...broad lines...stuff like that...right now i have...i think...102,107,108,512,56,and 66 i really cant tell 2 much of a difference?

The difference is in terms of nib flexibility, and what sort of thick to thin line you can produce. When I used nibs, I pretty much used 108s for drawing contour lines (figure outlines), and 102s for doing fine details (background characters, details around eyes, etc). Both of these points were fairly flexible, and capable of producing a line that could be thin or thick, depending on how much pressure you applied to the pen. Other nibs aren't as flexible, and are better for producing a consistent, unvarying line. I know I used 107s sometimes, but I can't remember if those were the nibs that produced such a line or not. I haven't used nibs in a big way since the mid 1990s, so my memory of such things has faded a bit.

At some point back then I concluded that I could get just about any sort of line I needed with a brush, so I abandoned the nibs for those. In the long run, brushes have been a lot less hassle than nibs. A good brush, properly maintained, will last a long, long time. I've used one brush since 1996 and it's still producing decent lines, and keeping its point! Considering I went through a single 102 nib for about every one page of inks, I think I made the right decision. I know I can get better lines with the brush, and never have to worry about constant dipping, or waiting for panels to dry, or changing points or pens to ink different objects. Brushes do have the biggest learning curve of any inking tool, but its benefits are also the greatest as well.

Hope that helps though.

Loston

[KrisDiaz]

i got a couple ?s about the Dr martins dyes/watercolors.
that you have here in ya list.the set you got pictured...how much does it usally run and do they last a decent amount of time