Accidentally smearing ink when using a dip pen

[Ace Corona]

Today in my life drawing class, we were using ink today and I was using a dip pen with a 512 nib. The cross-hatching was coming along nicely, and I was surprised at how good it was coming out, when I accidentally smeared some of it. I had inked the lower right of the page, then I started inking the top left of the page, and my hand smeared where I had just inked on the lower right.

Have those of you who are more experienced ever gotten to the point where you don't make this mistake any more? I just don't ink that often, so I'm not as conscious as someone who inks every day, but I smeared both drawings I did today, and I'm wondering if I can ever mature as an artist to the point where I don't make this mistake.

[Symson]

If nobody made inking mistakes you wouldn't see so much white paint on original art to cover them up. This happens to everybody. It just happens less the more you draw.

[sirandal]

maybe work from upper left to lower right to minimize the chance of hovering over inked areas.

[Ace Corona]

maybe work from upper left to lower right to minimize the chance of hovering over inked areas.

That's a good idea, I'll keep that in mind and try to consciously apply that technique the next time I'm inking. Thanks, bro!

[Dash Martin]

I used to have this problem. Then I started inking with a brush instead.

[Bruce Lee]

I used to have this problem. Then I started inking with a brush instead.

Ditto. You don't have to wait on brush lines to dry. Nibs lay a beed of ink on top of the paper's surface, but brushes are like mops, leaving a very thin layer of ink on the surface. Thus brush lines dry very quickly. The lines produced by nib take a while to dry, so you have to continuously jump to another area of the page while you're waiting for a previously inked area to dry. A lot of nib inkers will ink two or three pages at a time, working on a panel one one page for a bit, then switching over to a panel on another to let the previously inks to dry. With a brush, you don't have to worry about that. It's a rare occasion when I ever smear brush inked images.

[The unknown artist]

It's even worse if you're lefthanded

[Smitty]

A brush is a mop, it would rather absorb than release. A thick, fat brush stroke dries in seconds. A pen is an upside down knife with a hole in it, it can't wait to dump every drop of ink it has. A thin skinny line may take 30 minutes to dry.

With nibs, work 3 pages minimum at a time, maybe 4-5. Work till it's not safe, start another page. After you've started 3-4-5 pages, page 1 may be dry. Check it under light, zap it with a blow dryer if needed. If you ever get a blob, touch the blob with the tip of your brush and it will suck the spot dry.

[henesy]

maybe work from upper left to lower right to minimize the chance of hovering over inked areas.

i took this advice and boy it did wonder. It worked really well. thanks!!

ink

[benjonesart]

Yeah when nob inking try and start on the upper left portion of the page first but remember you can always spin the paper around ( which I do a lot even when brush inking) to make the portion you just inked the top left. Im far too right brained to follow any true coordination while inking though.