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Pen and ink question
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Message
Posted
I have been given a Rotring Artpen, by the splendid Sylvia Evans. It's a fountain-pen with a steel nib, which is fed by cartridges or direct from an ink bottle. It's great fun to use, and I was wondering if the converter (which Sylvia also gave me) could be used to feed the pen with Indian ink, or perhaps with the acrylic black ink which is often given the name 'Indian ink', but really isn't (no shellac in it; you can still get old-fashioned Indian ink, but I wouldn't try putting it through a fountain pen because it's a bit thicker than acrylic drawing ink and would clog).
I haven't used pen and ink for a while - I last illustrated a book with pen and ink drawings, but for those used a dip pen and a bottle of the hard stuff - shellac-based black ink. And I've never used a Rotring Artpen before now, either (or if I have, it would have been years ago).
I know some of you are particularly nifty with pen and ink - any ideas about this? Stop me if I'm about to use an acrylic ink and thus ruin the pen!
Posted
I’ve had a couple of these Artpens over the years and never really took to them.
I think it was the nib (I had two sizes) but neither suited my style of drawing. But as far as I recall I only used the cartridges - I do remember that they were constantly clogging up, leave them without use for a few days or so and getting them started again took an age!
Can’t help on the Indian ink front I’m afraid, my gut feeling is that acrylic ink would clog… I could be wrong.
Posted
Robert, I have a Rotring art pen which I love to use when out and about. I tried Indian ink in mine, it didn’t work, kept clogging up and took a great deal of flushing out. I’ve never tried acrylic ink, and wouldn’t because I fear it would permanently clog inside. I use rotring art pen ink or Sailor fountain pen ink, a pigment ink made for use in fountain pens should work too.
EDIT - I also use Diamine fountain pen ink in jet black and Sepia (from cult pens). Diamine also list a number of interesting colours all suitable for fountain pens.
Hope this helps.
Edited
by Alan Morris
Posted
I use the art pen on a daily basis for sketching in my journal, also use it for most of my pen and ink drawings EF nib can be used back to front for an even finer line...I have always used WH Smiths big bag of their own cheap cartridges you can keep a spare cartridge in the pen body you can get a refillable pump cartridge and use normal fountain pen ink any waterproof ink will block .hope this helps Robert..
Posted
Like Bari I use my Artpen on an almost daily basis for drawing and sketching. Please Robert DON'T use Indian ink if you want to use your pen for a long time. It will ruin it. I bought a refillable cartridge and use now Quink Ink. Before that I used the Rotring cartridges. Pitty those inks are not lightfast but they are water soluble and make a beautiful pen and wash.
Posted
Thanks to all; and I found an earlier post from Mia too, in which she'd addressed the issue. So, I'll continue to use the Artpen for drawings in my sketchbook, but if I want anything for display, will use dip pens with a bottle of Indian ink, or pigment-ink finepoint pens like Unipin, Pilot, or the one starting with 'E' which I've forgotten ... Edding, probably.
Posted
Added to my shopping list, as well as Wolff's carbon pencils - one day, I shall have assembled all the art materials I need and have plentiful supplies to hand at all times. True, I'll have to live in an aircraft hangar to accommodate them all, but if one's not prepared to make the effort, what is the point?