Pen question

[Adam]

Aside from these elusive hi-tec C pens or whatever, what are your recommendations for good sketching pens? Right now, i'm using a Sakura Micron 02, but the ink doesn't flow quite fast enough for my taste...just wondering what you guys prefer!

[pazshadow]

hey adam, if ur lookin for hi-tec C pens there are the g-tec pens made by pilot. yhey have diff names but are exacyly alike. u could also use FAber-Castell PITT pens, they run very fast and have exellent ink quality:)

[Adam]

cool paz, thanks a lot! I'll give those a try.

[I.was.ink]

I had the same question. Here's some that i found. thanks for that info paz.

http://store.yahoo.com/artsupplywarehouse/fabpitpen.html

And just 5 bucks, what a sweet deal! :thumbsup:

[Adam]

i found them for a little less at dickblick.com, I think I'm going to order a set, they sound really nice

http://www.dickblick.com/zz207/59/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=5061

PS - dickblick.com RULES i want to marry this website....mmmmmmm

[fletchgirl]

i like V-balls. i think they're made by uni ball.

[Johannes]

ah! pens, pens, pens! I know of some aretists that have an almost fetischistic approach to this subject... ;) Myself, I grab almost anything. I use almost any pen for sketching in graphite, currently a box of some cheaper brand "Kooh-i.noor hardmuth", works just as fine as the more expensive ones Ive tested. I also like some technical graphit pencils around, for smaller deails.
Ink on other side, I havent found any real favourite.
But preferably, Ink must be water-proof. As I usually dont sketch in ink, I have theese slower flowing filt tip pens. Ive tried japanese "zig drawing pen" - fine pen, but they dont sell it around my place anymore :(

japanese "micron" pens are good too, but they stopped selling them too, so I were forced to go over to deutsch "staedler pigment liner" all of theese are fine, but Ive felt the tip on the "Kuretake-Zig" was sturdiest.

For quick sketches, I enjoy either a crappy, but cheap filt pen called, italian "unixline reflex fine 05", but ink on theose are not waterproof and also, It aint darke enough for xeroxing it black :(
The other cheap pens I enjoy are ballpoints. Thery nice, because U can draw a finer almost "shaded" line with em. "Bic", the classic one, ballpoint pen is very fine. Also Ive got some "Ballograf" (swedish brand, oooh, saweeeet), which Is good, but "lumps up" with thick ink bloobs once in a while.
Ive met swedish artist Rolf Gohs (draws covers for swedish "The Phantom" - Fantomen), and he uses, believe it or not - a black bic pen from nearest kiosk!

Im not sure if that was any help, but... Ill be checking by to see if anyone have a real nice pen to tips about - come to think of it, I need some nice pens too! :)
Keep up the work.good

[Johannes]

Oy, looki here, I just saw on my pens I called "Micron" japanes, that they are the same "Sakura" brand U talked about. The text on the pens were barely readable - worn out! I agree with U - the flow a little slow, also, the tip could be somewhat sturdier, but ink is good quality. I dont use them for sketching, I imageine the tips would wear out very quickly!
Cya around :)

[stikler999]

what the hell is this? $5,000!!!!! damn....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2165577227&category=967

[Adam]

ummm i'll pass...yeah i tried sketching with my micron pens again last night, and for fast sketching they definitely can't keep up, but most cheap roller-ball or ball-point pens are (like you said) either too light, or not waterproof, or the ink lumps up...once I get those PITT pens in (which were less than $5!) I'll toss out my impressions of them here...paz says they flow better than the microns, so here's hoping he's right! Plus one of the 4-pack is a big brush tip, which should be pretty fun to use.

[Johannes]

Ill look forward to Ur test. hehe, Ive never seen those PITT pens here in Sweden, maybe because PITT means "Wiener" in swedish - lmao! ;)

[stikler999]

just bought a pitt pen.... $1.99 at hobby lobby. gonna try it out tonight. i'll let you know how it is. yeah hobby lobby had the best deal $1.99 and all sizes!!! gonna get me a fine point next.

EDIT: just tried it and i am in love!!! flows like water... really really nice. ok back to drawing.

[Adam]

score!! I can't wait to try mine....hurry up fedex!!!

[pazshadow]

yeah pitt pens are awesome jus cause they are indian ink. its waterproof, and the tips of the pens are very strong. good quality. u can also get them in diff colors, like a dark brown and a light brown. :chug:

[BadMange]

In searching for the Pilot Hi-Tecpoint (their "official" name) and G-Tec C4 pens, and the Pitt pens, I came across a good visual guide (and place to order them) here:
Opus Framing (http://www.opusframing.com/sales/pdf/drawing_pen_ink.pdf).

-Bad Mange

[R_M]

Nasa spent millions of $ to develop a pen that could write in 0 G, what did the Russians do?

they used a pencil

I might change this to my new signature...:D

[Johannes]

R_M - thats one of my all-time favourite stories, which I tell at parties (most people are not amused, but I have fun ;)). Anyways, I believe that there are special underwaterpens and papaers aswell, but that a graphitepen and a sturdy piece of paper will work. Havent tried it though...
Also here in sweden, inkpens and ballpointpens freeze up outdoors (in the wintertime only, thank the maker!) so graphitepens are the best way to go. :D

[franz]

Originally posted by R_M
Nasa spent millions of $ to develop a pen that could write in 0 G, what did the Russians do?

they used a pencil

I might change this to my new signature...:D

Except it's not true - there's a whole chapter on this in a book on product design I just read.. This guy named Paul Fisher developed a "space pen" back in the 60s that would be used on later space flights (US & Soviet), but he had no connections to the NASA in any way.. Prior to that both the US and soviet astronauts used pencils.

[edit] Here's a link I found: http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.htm

[R_M]

WHAT it was a tv thing?!?, I have to talk to my source and give him hell!
I stand corrected, but it was a cool story... :D