WITB: Ten Dip Pen Tips
AN EASY GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL ART TOOLS
Dip Pen Anatomy | Holders | Nibs | Popular Brands | 10 Tips
Welcome back to my official blog guide, “What’s in the Box!?”
And today we are going to approach the topic of dip pens.
Today we will be discussing “Everything You Need to Know About Dip Pens” however, I have been told that some people find the presentation - meaning everything being in one place - overwhelming. You can follow one of the links above to jump to a different blog post where the information has been divided into parts.
10 DIP PEN TIPS
YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE USING DIP PENS!
NIB FOR THE JOB
It might be important to discuss the fact that you do not necessarily need a wide selection of nibs, you simply need a nib and holder that have the qualities necessary for your needs. Most pointed nibs are very similar - the major differences being the size, flexibility, and how much ink it is capable of holding. If you struggle with applying the appropriate pressure, a firmer nib would be easier to work with, but they may not provide as thick a line as a slightly more flexible nib.
Typically artists use G nibs be it Tachikawa, Nikko, or Leonardt - which can be slightly firmer but give a nice variety of lines. Mapping or quill nibs by Tachikawa or Speedball are good for very thin and consistent lines making them appropriate for cross hatching. The Blue Pumpkin by Brause is a very commonly used nib with a medium firmness giving a nice variety of line widths and a lot of control.
For filling in large areas most artists will use a paint brush or a brush pen like the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, or you can use a calligraphy nib like the monoline or broadegde which can be found in larger sizes that cover much larger areas.
INK CARRYING CAPACITY
The amount of ink a nib holds will determine how often you will need to recharge your pen. This can usually be determined by sight as a smaller nib with smaller or fewer vents and slimmer shoulders do not have the surface area to hold a lot of ink, but some nibs can be deceiving.
For example, the Brause 66 is a very small nib but it is deep and has three vents which gives ink a lot surfaces to cling to - but it is also very flexible and a lot of ink is necessary for the wider line widths it is capable of. I mentioned the Blue Pumpkin earlier which is a much larger nib but similar in construction to the Brause 66 with three vents, in addition it has wide shoulders which makes it capable of carrying a lot of ink.
Gillott on the other hand has many small nibs, in every sense of the word, and do not cary as much ink. Other nibs like the Hunt 99 may have a larger heel but the body of the nib is much smaller than other nibs and holds as much ink as a Gillott. You can view these, and other nibs, in the Nib Gallery above.
TYPES OF INK
While dip pens are capable of using a wide variety of inks, commonly indian, acrylic, and sometimes alcohol inks, it is important that the ink you use is non-clogging. Certain inks will clog preventing the ink to flow from the vent, down the slit, and to the paper. Because of this, you want to make sure that the ink you buy is compatible with dip pen; most companies will explicitly state if their inks work well with dip pens or not. As an artist it is preferable to use waterproof ink so as you build up layers you won’t get any bleeding or lifting - unless you otherwise want to use this to your advantage. Suggested waterproof brands include: Dr PH Martins India Inks, and Magic Color Acrylic Inks.
NEW NIBS
Newly manufactured nibs are coated with a protective oil or sometimes a shellac to prevent rust and wear until they are ready to be used. It is important to remove this before using that nib or it will not perform properly. A good test is to see if the ink clings to the nib or not. If the ink is repelled, or it slides right off, there is probably a protective layer that will need to be removed.
To prepare them with oils you can easily clean them with soap and water, just give it a gentle scrub. Shellac on the other hand can be a bit trickier as its method is commonly to burn it with a match or lighter and/or can be scraped off if necessary. Heat, however, can damage the nibs so take great care with this technique.
UP KEEP
It is very important that nibs be fully removed from their holders and cleaned between uses. This is, primarily, to prevent rusting as this damages the nib and corrodes the metal. Over time, if the nib is not removed from the holder, the nib can get stuck or rust into place and can damage both the nib and handle. Additionally, not taking steps to clean and upkeep your nibs can lead to dried ink and other debris clogging your nibs preventing a clean flow.
Most inks can be washed away with just water - although you can add soap to facilitate with cleaning if water alone is not working. You can also purchase Cleaning Fluid which provides a bit more ‘elbow grease’ for particularly stubborn inks - but you can just use household cleaning agents instead.
STORAGE
Organizing and storing your nibs can go a long way in prolonging their life. Nibs are relatively fragile things, and they rely on you to keep them dry and away from anything else that has the potential to bend scrape, or otherwise destroy them. They can easily snag, bend, or break so I suggest a stiff sided tin or plastic container that is separate from your other art tools.
PAPER
Not just any paper can be used with dip pens, partly due to the nib itself and partly because of the ink.
From the point of view of the nib, some papers are made of a fibrous material that can easily snag the tines of the nib and this can tear the paper or, most often, it will cause the ink to splat on the page. The nib itself can also be damaged by these fibers by potentially bending the tines out of place. Smooth papers are suggested so as to avoid this particular problem.
On the other hand, some papers just aren’t absorbent enough for the ink used with dip pens. The ink is relatively thin, especially compared to ball point pens, thus they require a paper that won’t bleed when written or drawn on. Although some bleeding may be expected, with a heavy weighted paper it is less likely to cause unsightly bleeds.
TYPES OF METAL
Most dip pen nibs are made of stainless steel or brass, while others might be made of gold or silver. More recently brands are turning to titanium which seems to improve on the qualities of the other materials.
FLEXIBILITY
The material and the design of each individual nib will effect how stiff the nib is and how much pressure is needed to get the right line. A stiffer nib may not get as many line widths but usually you can rely on it’s constancy. This is particularly useful if you struggle to control your pressure, or if you want a more consistent line weight.
Other nibs are much more flexible but they don’t necessarily need as much pressure to achieve those different line widths. I have accidentally bent or broken tines by simply pressing too hard, so when you first use a nib, do so with a bit of caution until you are sure of it’s tenacity.LEFT HANDERS
Many nibs are fine for people who are either right or left handed, however there are a few exceptions. If we are looking at the broadedged C nibs by both Speedball and Tachikawa, these nibs have a slight slant which can assist in certain writhing styles. However, the “normal” C nibs are designed with the right handed artist in mind, so those left handed creators need to be aware of this.
Not all is lost, however, as they produce an “LC” line which is slanted in the opposite direction for all of our left handed friends out there. In addition to our slanted nibs, left handed artists don’t require an oblique pen handle for slanted scripts as left-haded artists usually write this way more naturally. So for the most part, oblique pen holders are really designed for right-handed artists.
Dip Pen Anatomy | Holders | Nibs | Popular Brands | 10 Tips