Bowl of Lemons, Derwent Graphik Line Painter pens on watercolour board, (20x30cm)

Ian Sidaway tried Derwent’s new Graphik Line Maker and Line Painter pens and found them a very useful addition to his arsenal of mark-making tools.

What are fibre and nylon-tipped pens?

There are many fibre- and nylon-tipped pens available, as a cursory search will bear out, and these pens are either solvent-based or solvent-free,

The pigment in solvent-free pens can usually be diluted with water, which means that marks can be softened and lightened using water; this can add another dimension to the work and makes these pens quite adaptable.

Essentially, these liner pens are tools for making linear marks, the size of the mark being restricted by the size of the nib.

Content continues after advertisements

About Graphik Line Maker

Derwent, who are well known for their coloured pencils, graphite and charcoal also, in something of a departure from ‘dry’ drawing tools, produce two types of liner pen.

The first of these is the Line Maker, which has water-based pigment, is solvent free, permanent, quick drying and available in three colours.

The black is available in six nib sizes: 0.05; 0.1; 0.2; 0.3; 0.5; and 0.8.

Sepia and graphite, which is a lovely warm grey, are available in nib sizes in 0.1; 0.3; and 0.5.

Where to buy

Graphik Line Maker pens can be purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.

About Graphik Line Painter

The other pen is the Line Painter, which also contains permanent water-based, solvent-free pigment ink or paint and has a 0.5mm nib.

It is available in 20 colours, including a range of greys, black and silver.

The range of paint colours is relatively basic; with names like Brick Road for yellow, Envy for green, and Clockwork for orange ... get it? Yet despite these fun names, these colours are capable of quite sophisticated results.

They can be purchased as individual pens in sets of five colours or in a box containing all 20 colours.

Where to buy

Derwent Graphik Line Painter pens can be purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.

What else in in the Graphik range?

Derwent also market a free-flowing water brush with a water reservoir that is ideal for carrying in the pocket along with the markers.



Two drawing books containing bleed-proof marker paper that feature a range of printed patterns to inspire your creativity accompany the range. They are available in two sizes, 14cm square and 20cm square, and both contain 80 pages.

Drawing with Graphik Line Maker


Venice Sketch 1, Derwent Graphik Line Maker pens in a Moleskine sketchbook, (14x18cm)

For this drawing of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, above, I used the 0.05 and the 0.2 black Line Maker pens.
 
With just these two different nib sizes I was able to suggest the aerial perspective needed to represent this view across the lagoon in the early morning mist.
 
The ink flowed freely and smoothly with no interruptions no matter how fast I scribbled.

 

Drawing with Graphik Line Painter


Bowl of Lemons, Derwent Graphik Line Painter pens on watercolour board, (20x30cm)
 

The coloured pens need to be pumped to break a seal so that the paint can flow to the nib in order to use them – you do this by pressing the nib once for two seconds against your support, then waiting for the ink to flow.

You can also use this technique when drawing to make a blob of ink that can then be distributed or diluted with brush and water, but the paint can only be diluted while it is still wet.

If you are using line and wash techniques you will need to work quite fast as the ink is dry in less than a minute. However, it is possible to manipulate the paint for a longer period of time if you use the watercolour technique of wetting the support first and then working onto the wet surface.

Try using combinations of coloured line and wash techniques with purely linear monochrome drawing techniques.

For Bowl of Lemons, above, I used a number of pens to build up hatched and crosshatched areas of colour that mixed optically.
 
The ink is relatively opaque and, when dry, colours can be built up layer on layer with no bleed through, which allows a full spectrum of mixes to be achieved.
 

Drawing with both Line Maker and Line Painter

 

Venice Sketch, Derwent Graphik pens in a Moleskine sketchbook, (9x28cm)

This quick sketch was made using a range of techniques. Initially the buildings were drawn using the black pen and the paint was then washed around using a reservoir brush.
 
In order to give a sense of perspective a lighter grey was used for the distant buildings.
 
A few linear marks in the sky were then washed out for the band of clouds and white blobs of ink were used to suggest the sparkle of sunlight on the water.
 

Final thoughts

Pens such as these are often thought to be of use only to designers or those making decorative patterns but Derwent’s Graphik pens are aimed at all artists of all ages and, with a little thought and practice, complex realistic images are achievable.

They make an ideal clean and compact addition to the travelling artist’s arsenal of materials, which out of practicality needs to be compact and limited.

The black Line Maker pens worked as well as any liner pen I have used, with the five nib sizes useful in giving variety and depth to your drawing. The same is true of the sepia and graphite pens.
 
Time will tell how well the nib stands up – I have previously found that finer nibs wear down long before the ink gives out.


I recently took these pens on a trip; they are easily carried in the pocket and the ones I received showed no signs of leaking. The markers showed no signs of bleeding through on the medium weight paper I used to make the drawings.

I think Derwent’s Graphik pens are a useful addition to the marker pen market and I can see them attracting a following of dedicated users. Do give them a try.

SEE THE FULL GRAPHIK RANGE HERE

 

Click here to follow a step-by-step demonstration using the Graphik range with Tony Hogan

Unlock a wider world of advice, expertise, news and exclusive offers specifically tailored to your passion for painting with our inspirational Painters Online emails today

Sometimes we may include links to online retailers, from which we might receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links do not influence editorial coverage and will only be used when covering relevant products.

Content continues after advertisement