The artist's guide to fountain pens

This is a (almost) complete guide to Fountain Pens for Artists. Let's talk about which pen to buy, what kind of inks to use and whether a fountain pen is even right for you. The information in this guide is given from an artist's perspective so some of the recommendations here might differ from other guides.

STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT 🖋

ARTBOOK 📚

SOCIALS📷

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
1:10 Myths
2:37 How it Works
3:07 Filling your Pen
4:28 Nibs
5:52 Which Pen You Should Buy?
11:04 Inks
14:08 Paper
15:16 Should You Get A One?

[ChromaMoma]

Links in the description to (most) of the stuff talked about in the video :D

[___nttien]

babe wake up new Chroma Moma vid just dropped

[davidea.]

This was a very nice introduction to fountain pens for drawing! Since I've been drawing with a fountain pen for years, I would like to add a few considerations for those who would like to start drawing in ink and are uncertain about the f.p. and its comparison with the dip pen:
1 - yes, fountain pens are much smoother on paper while dip pens tend to "scratch" (the latter gives you more control but requires much more of a steady wrist for line consistency)
2 - because of their flexibility, dip pen nibs generally offer much more width variation with the applied pressure, so with the same nib you can cover a lot of line widths
3 - VERY BIG DIFFERENCE: with dip pens you always draw with the nib in (almost) the same direction and while "dragging" otherwise the nib will catch on the paper. With fps you can vary the way you angle the nib: with a good pen (i.e. Lamy Safari) you can obtain various line widths simply rotating the nib on the side or in reversal for a very (hair-like) thin line. You won't get the same range covered by a dip pen nib tho, so consider buying at least a couple of fps for good coverage (like extrafine and medium or fine and broad, depending on your favourite scale)
4 - fountain pens release less ink so they dry much faster (also dye based ink usually dries faster than, say, indian ink)
5 - imho: converters/adapters suck. I have tried many, but the truth is they all have little capacity and don't suck (pardon the pun) ink very well. Either buy a pen with an internal refill system (like the TWSBI Eco) or buy large sized cartridges and refill those with a syringe (you can reuse a single one many times)

[periclesstamatis]

Finally, a video that talks about fountain pens from an artists perspective! The analogy to watches is also very accurate. Thank you for this!

[argirisgiannakos]

9 times out of 10 i use Noodler's heart of darkness for drawing. No matter how fancy an ink color is, pure black on a good quality paper always makes me feel so satisfied. Black is all about showing what your drawing is about without distractions. I'd say only "bad" thing about heart of darkness is that it takes a bit longer to dry, but its something anyone can adjust to. Once in a while i think its nice trying shimmering/shading inks, especially with a broad nib and a big reservoir, like a Vac700R. But next day i'll go back to black. I like your videos and your work. I always feel like i'm watching a friend or a student back when i was in art school. Cozy is the word for the feeling. Thank you

[asianaquaintance]

Fantastic video! And if anyone was wondering about the pen line-up at 1:00, It goes left to right: Pilot Kakuno, Jinhao x450, TWSBI Eco, Lamy Safari, Pilot E95s, Jinhao 35. Just thought I'd put that here since Kenn mentioned the other's in the description.

Also the shimmer glitter is usually made of Mica, Metallics, Oxides and/or Silicates so dont worry about microplastics if you want to try out Shimmering inks!

[arveemn]

I only ever tried drawing with pencil -- but I've been trying out sketching with a blue ballpoint after being inspired by your blue sketchbook tour!

[laidman]

You are so right about the smell of the Noodler's flex pen!

[angiepancakes]

I absolutely adore your videos. They really inspire me to draw.. i was on a dry out of art, (literally produced no art for 3 months) within 2 days of finding your account i drew two full spreads and another 2 separate pieces ontop of that..

[moongl]

This was very informative from the illustrator's perspective. Thanks for going through all that detail, and as an illustrator myself, I can agree with everything you said. Pilot Kakuno is my go-to pen for sketching and writing. I cannot recommend them enough for their price, ergonomics, and performance. Simply the best pens. Great video!

[tamouse]

just want to m mention the platinum desk pen as a great low price drawing pen in the fine nib, along with platinum carbon black ink. when i bought mine years ago, it was $9 with two carbon black cartridges, which was great. The long tapering body makes it really easy to switch up grips from low to high while still being able to keep control, as with a paint brush. since that first purchase i've bought d far too many pens, but this one still holds my heart

[dameanvil]

0:00 🖋 The world of fountain pens can be intimidating for artists due to various factors like inks, nibs, and compatibility.
1:11 💭 Fountain pens are often perceived as fancy and unreliable, but modern fountain pens are diverse and generally leak-free.
2:38 📝 Fountain pens consist primarily of a nib and a feed, with the feed drawing ink onto the nib via capillary action.
3:08 🖊 To fill a fountain pen, cartridges are used for convenience, while converters allow the use of bottled ink for more options.
4:30 ✒ Fountain pen nibs come in various sizes and materials, offering different levels of flexibility and line width.
5:53 🖋 When selecting a fountain pen for drawing, consider factors like ergonomics and grip comfort, especially for extended use.
8:47 🛠 Budget-friendly fountain pens like the Pilot Cocoon and Platinum Preppy offer good performance and ergonomics for beginners.
9:58 💼 "Big Boy starter pens" like the Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, TWSBI Eco, and Kaweco Sport offer more durability and ink capacity.
11:05 🎨 Use only fountain pen inks to prevent damage to the pen, and explore various options like dye-based and pigment-based inks.
14:09 📄 Look for smooth and absorbent paper for fountain pen drawing, with brands like Rhodia and Clairefontaine being popular choices.
16:02 🖋 Fountain pens offer a unique line quality and ink variety, making them appealing for artists seeking versatility and a distinct look.

[npeters]

I've been enjoying Noodler's Zhivago, which is "partially bulletproof." So, I can do a wash over it and the black is untouched by the water, remaining sharp, but the green component can be lifted with the water, resulting in green-on-black shade work. I'm particularly partial to using this for botanical, forest, and landscape work. Alternatively, when drawing without a wash, the ink has a wonderfully deep, deep shade of green.

[valala]

This is a really interesting video! I personally don't draw but I write a lot with fountain pens. I think the points you mentioned apply to long writing sections as well. A lot of fountain pen reviews don't take into account that you might be using them for hours, that your hands might get sweaty and slip due to a badly designed grip or that the shape, size and weight of a pencil can make your hand cramp up. I really wish more reviewers would think about that as well.

Totally unrelated to that, a really cool thing about the platinum preppy (and another reason why it's so good for beginners) is that you can very easily convert it and increase it's ink capacity by a lot without having to buy a converter. All you need is an O-ring, some 100% silicon grease and an eyedropper. Just take off the barrel of the pen, put an O-ring on the threads and grease the threads a little. Now you can fill the entire barrel with ink (this is where they eyedropper is very handy, a syringe works too ofc) and close the pen with no leakage. Another cool thing about the price point of the preppy is that you can fill it up with pigment inks without having to worry about clogging up the feed or staining the plastic.

[birdybin]

The fine nib kakuno pen has been my go-to for a while now and it's honestly perfect (and it's so affordable :00). I bring it around for on the go sketches and and it has never failed me.
Since I'm a cheapskate, I refill the empty cartridge with cheap inks I got using a needle haha. I end up just mixing the colours in the cartridge to make my own which works great. Never had any problems and I get to make my own silly colours :)
(blue black and purple black are my absolute favourites :D)
The fact it's not waterproof works in my favour, because I like going over with a waterbrush to add some tones.
Overall, it's fun to use and suuuuper smooth. Not much flex, but i like the uniform lines. Might think about trying flex nibs or fude nibs in the future

Also, love your videos
very insightful and calming to listen to

[ladyamalthea]

I'm both a writer and an artist. I've recently gotten into fountain pens, haven't tried drawing yet. I'm glad to see a video about drawing with fountain pens as all the ones I’ve seen so far have been about writing. I have my dad's old Lamy Al-Star that he used to sketch with, so I think I'll give that a go next time I sit down to draw.

[chimeraaura]

i’ve been using more and more vibrant colors as i go on, but i gotta say red is a whole different level of color for a sketchbook page. just something about the color can make it tell so many stories depending on the person seeing it. So using a combination of red with blacks and neutral colors really make it pop out more, which i love!

[MummyBrown]

My Noodler’s Konrad was my first fountain pen about 10 years ago and I still love it. I use it with a flex nib and Noodler’s Heart of Darkness. It’s always in my sketch kit with my Duke Fude nib pen for interesting line variation, and the Pilot Kukano EF for detail work.

[dorkgirlalamode]

I like the feedback--that you can feel the texture of the paper, the pressure variation, even the change of direction as you write or draw. Great vid, keep up the good work.

[kindamidjoe]

I’m more of a blue ink person myself. The way it look on paper (especially off white paper) is just👌so good