First, I have to point out that Ollie got mail this week. And it was AWESOME (it’s the postcard above with the evil kitten on top of the demon)! I get lovely mail regularly (like the postcard above on the right) but this is the first time one of our felines got mail. He may…
Several months ago, the team that creates Formal Dept (illustrator Kate Pugsley and industrial designer Charlie McArthur) launched a Kickstarter to develop a watercolor dish and cup set. I was super excited to see the project reach it’s goal. Unfortunately, the Kickstarter launched in the middle of pandemic lockdown which affected the outcome and it…
Review by Tina Koyama In a strange moment of synchronicity, several highlighters in my home went dry at the same time, and my stash of spares was nearly empty, too. Instead of stocking up on my usual go-to brands, I thought it would be fun to try some new ones. JetPens offers numerous highlighter sampler…
A few quick notes for this week: The Ollie Comics are not about MY Ollie but are still totally worth checking out. This week is overflowing with other people’s reviews of the new Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen. Check out our review here in case you missed it. If any of the students from my DMM1…
Cross Inks are one of the classic “staple inks” that are often recommended. Over the years, the “archival” attributes of the ink have often mistakenly been assumed to also be waterproof. “Archival” simply means that the inks have been formulated to resist fading over time and have a pH level that is neutral and acid-free.…
Esterbrook, in its latest incarnation, via the watchful eyes of the team at Kenro, has released its latest fountain pen which is the most ambitious and most anticipated pen yet — the JR Pocket Pen. This pen is their first attempt to create a modern redesign of the classic “J” style Esterbrook fountain pen. It’s…
It was brought to my attention earlier this week by one of the many products who have planned sponsorships with Inktober/Jake Parker that there is a scandal brewing around the founder and creator of Inktober. Another artist and author, Alphonso Dunn, has accused Parker of plagiarizing his book Pen & Ink Drawing which was published…
