An Art Supply Review: The Pen (Is Mightier Than The Sword)

Hi there dear readers! SO today I thought that I would try something new... A review of sorts. I use a lot of art supplies in my practice as an artist in the making, and one of my favourite tools of the trade is my trusty fineliner. But there are many different types of fine liners and they all have their advantages and annoyances. So here I will present to you my first Art Supply Review:

An Art Supply Review

The Pen (Is Mightier Than The Sword)

By Talia Naicker

So this is a small test page I have drawn up for this blog post to show the various kinds of pens I have tried out over the years. 

As you can see, I have tried out several different brands, and each has their own unique makeup, so it's important to try as many as you can so that you can see what actually works for the style of art you are interested in making.

FABER-CASTELL PITT ARTISTS PENS

So these are the Pitt Artist Pens, made by the trusted Faber-Castell. As you can see, I have only used the Script Size Pen, and so my experience with this particular pen is quite limited. From what I can tell, it leaves a crisp clean line and has a beautiful opaque black ink. My only downside with this particular range of pens is the limited nib sizes, as compared to other brands. These are also fairly pricey though they are a great all-round use pen for artists.

SAKURA MICROPERM

These are the Sakura Microperm Pens. I will admit I bought these pens online as they were not available from the stores in my area. These are definitely not my favourite pens for drawing or writing use, as I find they have an annoying tendency to bleed through papers I could easily use with other pens. They also leave a blurred line as opposed to the crisp lines I am looking for in my drawings. There are also only 3 sizes, which I find quite limiting. Although this pen might not suit my needs, I could easily see the benefit for a more sketchy and fluid drawing style.

STAEDTLER PIGMENT LINER

These are the Staedtler Pigment Liners. I have only tried the smallest size available, the 0.05mm, as this was the size that was particularly difficult to come across in most art stores in my local area. Judging by the use of the 0.05mm, I quite like the look and feel of this pen. I have always been a fan of the Staedtler Products for fine art use and these pens are definitely a winner. I will make a point of giving the other sizes a go at some point.

UNIPIN FINE LINERS

These are my absolute favourite pens to work with for both sketching, writing and drawing. I love these pens and have been using them for years now. I find the range of sizes just perfect to work with for just about any subject matter, especially for the type of typographic drawings I like to work with. I have a set of these in my art kit, in my handbag, in my varsity bag and a bunch of extras. I find that these are quite budget friendly compared to other pens on the market, and last for an incredibly long time even if used frequently. The 0.05mm tip is also a bit more durable than other tips and can be handled with more ease than other pens I have used.

PIGMA MICRON LINERS

I have only recently invested in these pens, but from the experimenting I've done, they seem to have as much to offer as the unipin pens. There is also the added Graphic Range and each size is available in a Sepia colour as well as a black. I think that these are a slightly more expensive alternative to the unipins but an all-rounder nonetheless

COPIC MULTILINER SET B2

These are the non-aluminium cased multiliners made by Copic. These pens are absolutely stunning and have an amazingly tiny 0.03mm tip, which is a size I have not seen offered by another brand. They are sturdy and the plastic cased ones are significantly cheaper than their aluminium counterparts. However, I found that after a month of not using them, they dried up a little bit, but quickly flowed when scribbled with gently. These pens are made for constant use.

So dear readers, I hope you will find some aspect of this review useful in some way. I know that for now, Unipins are definitely my go to art supply for drawing in ink!

Until we meet again

Talia

A Work In Progress : Reflections

So today I thought that I would share some of my work in progress of a small drawing that I started on Monday. It was just a drawing started on a whim and because I had finished my commissioned drawing a few days prior to that. So I will upload the final drawing soon, but here is a glimpse at how it was made:

So dear readers, I am off for now. I will upload a picture of the drawing as soon as it is complete. Enjoy what is left of your weekend.

Until we meet again

Talia

Sweet '16

Wow.

2015 has come and gone in the blink of an eye and here we are, fresh (well a little bit stale now) in 2016. A few days ago, I felt a feeling within me that I don't think I have quite experienced before. I could best describe it as a feeling of ambling along, you know, letting life just happen to you instead of making things happen in your life.

I guess you could say I've been feeling like this since last year, when my passion for art wasn't take as much of a part in my life as I would have liked. A lot of emotional and personal issues also made it more difficult to feel stable in my own life and a lot went downhill for me. But I remember reading a saying recently, something along the lines of when your life seems to be falling apart, in reality its all the pieces falling into place.

I'll say that since last year I have learnt a lot about myself. Mostly negatives I had chosen to ignore, but also strengths that I didn't know I had. I've learnt to balance people in my life, and that a life filled with only yourself and work is indeed a lonely life. I've also learnt that without my passion for art to guide me, I am nothing. A nobody with nothing to show. SO this year is the year I WILL make the change for myself.

I am done taking orders from lecturers at art school telling me how my art should look.

I am done trying to be something I am not.

I am my own artist and I will damn well make the art I like and want to make. Maybe if I stop caring so much about what other people want me to make, then at least I will be proud of everything I have made. And hopefully make this year a far more fruitful and encouraging year than 2015.

Goodbye Awkward 2015.
Hello Sweet '16.

Until we meet again
Talia

P.S. I have uploaded a photo of my latest work onto the Art and Other Creative Items page.