water soluble pen

[ntl]

I'm thinking about getting one. What do you recommend? Thanks.

 

[E.J.H.]

A bit vague, what do you intend to do with it? I know of a watercolor artist that uses a pen called "elegant writer", the black ink of that pen is composed of more than one dye, so when you use water on it separates in different colors.

But I think I would go the fountain pen route, you can put any ink you like in it, most fountain pen inks are water soluble, I use lamy black ink in the fountain pen I write my journal with. Also sketched some with it, and it dissolves readily in water without separation.

For linework I want to put a WC wash over, I prefer non soluble ink (for fountain pens, platina ink is very good for this purpose).

 

[ntl]

Nothing fancy--just to play with. I bought a small book (3x5) to sketch in, to do thumbnails, for instance. I thought I might like to add either water or watercolor to it. So maybe just a regular ball point pen, then.

 

[hobbyartist87]

ntl, if I were you I would go the fountain pen route. If you wanted to add watercolor to your sketches and have you ink lines remain, going the fountain pen route would allow you to use archival ink (something you don't get with ballpoints). If I were in your shoes (and one of these days I might use pens in my sketchbook), here's what I would do if I wanted to have pens that lasted a while: get a Platinum Preppy (if you want to have an EF nib) and a Platinum Prefounte (or 2 Prefountes), a pack of Platinum Carbon Black cartridges, and a pack of Platinum Black cartridges. For less than $35 dollars you then have 2 pens that will last you years.

 

[laika]

...get a Platinum Preppy (if you want to have an EF nib) and a Platinum Prefounte (or 2 Prefountes), a pack of Platinum Carbon Black cartridges, and a pack of Platinum Black cartridges. For less than $35 dollars you then have 2 pens that will last you years.

Yes to the Preppy! An excellent pen for the price. If I'm not mistaken, they are made in different sizes of nibs. I haven't tried the Platinum Carbon Black yet, but I'd like to.

 

[E.J.H.]

Yeah, my sketching pen is also a preppy. I bought platinum carbon black cartridges with it. A great ink, quick drying absolutely waterfast, and archival.
As for ballpoint pens, I have some older journals(20+ years) in which the writing has faded significantly, and that is without any exposure to light.
Now I don't have delusions of grandeur, I am not making art for the ages, but I would like my work to at least survive normal light conditions during my life time....