In Ink Review

Ink Review: Krishna Overcast Deep Lilac

Author Laura CameronPosted on

Review by Laura Cameron

Ana has been keeping me stocked in purples to review. Recently, she brought me a bottle of Krishna Overcast Deep Lilac (20mL, $6.00) all the way from the DC Supershow. This was actually my first experience with Krishna inks, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect!

Overcast Deep Lilac is a somewhat muted dark blue purple. In certain lights it reminds me of more cobalt or indigo than purple.

Overcast Deep Lilac is part of the Super Rich series, which is designed to provide vibrant but consistent color throughout. So if you’re looking for color-changing or super sheening, you’ll have to look outside this series. I do note that there’s some nice shading in heavier applications, though you probably won’t see too much of it if you’re using a finer nib.

Like I said, I was surprised how blue this ink really is. I really don’t have too many good inks to compare to it in my stash. The lighter parts are fairly comparable to J. Herbin Violet Pensees, which is somewhat blue as well. I also pulled out Robert Oster Summer Storm. Summer Storm is considerably grayer, but has that somewhat muted/matte tone to it.

I think in general, I prefer the redder purples (and you can tell if you take a look at my Col-o-dex!) but this is a nice purple if you’re looking for something that leans blue. It was smooth writing and dried quickly and did give a consistent color that’s easy to read. And Krishna inks are affordable and fun!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Paper Review

Notebook Review: Leuchtturm 1917 Academy Pad

Author Laura CameronPosted on 2 Comments

Review by Tina Koyama

An unusual notebook came my way in the Urban Sketchers Symposium swag bag: a Leuchtturm 1917 Academy Pad. From the outside, the A5-size notebook looks identical to other Leuchtturm notebooks (the traditional notebook is one of my favorites; I’ve used many as my journals and DIY planners), with a standard elastic band and hardcover. (Ana has reviewed the Bullet Journal version and the sketchbook.) And even when you open it and touch the paper, you might think it’s the same as usual (in fact, the paper weight and surface texture are the same as the traditional notebook).

The difference is that the 60 sheets are glue-bound and easily removeable without perforations. It’s not a notebook – it’s a pad disguised as one. I received a blank-page one for sketching, and it’s also available ruled.

Inside, the gusseted pocket is not in back as you’d expect. It’s in front, containing the usual Leuchtturm accessories: indexing labels and a writing guide sheet.

In back, I was surprised to see that the whole pad can be removed. Yes, it’s apparently refillable (though I didn’t find refills on Leuchtturm’s site). Since the pages are meant to tear out, it makes a lot of sense to offer refills so that the sturdy cover can be reused.

The glue binding allows all pages to open completely flat.

Although I’m familiar with Leuchtturm’s paper and usually use fine fountain pens and gel pens with it, I threw a bunch of other media onto it to test, including a few water-soluble ones. As expected, the sizing is not appropriate for water-soluble media (the first three tested), so washes looked pale, and the paper buckled permanently. The paper also started pilling quickly where I swiped it with water. But most other writing media and brush pens felt smooth, and nothing feathered.

The back of the sheet reveals that the Sharpie bled through (as expected), and the Derwent Paint Pen showed a few spots, too. The rest fared well, though the paper’s opacity allows most inks to ghost.

Since the pages pull out easily, I can now discard the test sheet if I want to, and the book looks new!

The Leuchtturm product information indicates that this pad would be a good choice for notetakers who want to later rearrange their pages (in a binder or folder, perhaps) or pass along the notes to someone else. I probably wouldn’t use it as a sketchbook, since I prefer to keep my sketches bound permanently, but it would be ideal for use during a portrait party. (What – you’ve never attended one? Each participant is paired up with another for a limited time until everyone has drawn everyone else. Then the portraits are all arranged on the floor in a grid – great fun! The first time I did it was during the symposium in Brazil; it was a great activity for people from many countries who didn’t always share the same language but understood sketching and laughter.)

(Leuchtturm 1917 is a long-time sponsor of the International Urban Sketchers Symposium.)

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

 

In feature, Pen Review

Pen Review: Yookers Felt-tipped pens

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 5 Comments
Pen Review: Yookers Felt-tipped pens

By Jessica Coles

Just before I left for the San Fransisco Pen Show, I was browsing through new pen products on various retailer sites (yes, I know I was about to go to a pen show, but I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t miss anything new). I came across Yookers pens on Pen Chalet’s site.

Besides having a name that forces you to smile each time you say it, the pens were fascinating. Felt-tipped pens that used fountain pen ink. Obviously I needed to find this pen at the show and I did at Yafa’s large table.

I loved gel pens and felt-tipped pens all through my childhood and I was constantly searching for more colors. There were never colors enough to satisfy me. But this pen can do all of the colors!

The Yookers felt-tipped pens are available in a surprisingly large number of choices and combinations: plastic or metal, various colors, patterns, and four different tip sizes. Here are the two that I picked up. On the right is the plastic Yookers Yooth pen (MSRP $12, $9.60 at Pen Chalet) which is also available in blue and white. The left pen is a Yookers Metis (MSRP $53, $42.40 at Pen Chalet) also available in Grey Brushed Lacquer and Black Grid on silver.

Each pen style is offered with any of the four tip widths: 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.2mm, or 1.4mm. Replacement tips are available – $8 for plastic pens and $17 for metal pens (MSRP). They are expensive relative to the pen because the replacement tips consist of the entire section. You can’t just pull out the tip and replace.

The plastic pen is approximately the size and dimensions of a Lamy Safari while the metal pen is smaller. Both versions post nicely and feel good posted or unposted. Metal pens have screw caps while the plastic pens’ caps pull to open. Metal pens include a converter while plastic bodied pens include a cartridge.

So how do these pens write?

Very well! I filled a converter with ink for each, installed the converter in the pen, and before I finished closing the ink bottle, the tips were saturated and ready to go. Neither pen ever skipped or ran dry although occasionally the ink would start to look slightly lighter. If I gave the pen a slight shake, the color returned to normal – I’m not sure if this was because I was writing quickly or if I had started writing as soon as I inked them.

So what happens if you want to change colors? If you ink up with black ink, does that lock you in for the life of the pen (or at least that tip)? I had inked the larger 1.4mm tip size with Aurora Black, thinking that would be a fair ink to test the ease of cleaning. Above is the inked tip. Below is the tip after rinsing under running water for 1 minute.

Rinsing brought the pen back to completely clean! Writing with it after the cleaning process showed that no ink was left in the tip – only water. I would recommend letting the tip dry after rinsing before using the next ink – otherwise, you will have a watered-down version for a while.

Disclaimer: Some of the items in this review were provided for free for the purpose of this review. Other items in this review were purchased by me.  For more information, visit our About page.

In Link Love

Link Love: Midwestern Tornado

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Link Love: Midwestern Tornado

I’m running a little late today because I got to participate in recording a follow-up episode of The Pen Addict this morning which recorded later than usual. I had to work it in to my regular schedule which is still a little janky since returning from the San Francisco Pen Show. All the details are in the episode. Things will settle down for a few weeks though until the Pelikan Hub which is just a few days before the Dallas Pen Show in September when I’ll spin up again like a midwestern tornado. Then I should settle in for the winter. Until then, enjoy a late summer dollop of links from around the globe.

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Paper & Notebooks:

Art & Creativity:

Photo by: Walter Chandoha

Other Interesting Things:

In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: Esterbrook Estie Cobalt Blueberry

Author Laura CameronPosted on 10 Comments
Fountain Pen Review: Esterbrook Estie Cobalt Blueberry

Review by Laura Cameron

Ever since the Esterbook Estie came out, I’ve been wanting to get one. However, the original colors didn’t scream “Buy me!” so I figured I’d wait until I saw one that did. This past summer the Cobalt Blueberry (I’ve also seen it called the Blueberry Ice) screamed loud and clear. And so one came home with me!

The Estie is a made of resin, in this case a blue and white resin, that gives it a marbled look. The Estie comes with an logo printed Jowo steel nib and is available in XF, F, M, B or 1.1 Stub. In my case I opted for a Fine nib. Finally, the Estie comes in two trim options: silver and gold. For the icy blue, I preferred the silver trim.

 

 

One of the things that intrigues me the most about the new Esties is the MV adaptor (sold separately) that allows you to use vintage nibs in your modern Estie. I haven’t tried it yet, but I hope to soon!

So far, I have to say that I’m enjoying the Estie quite a bit. It’s a bit larger than the pens I usually use, but I still find it comfortable to hold and write with. The nib writes smoothly and firmly and the ink flows well through the feed system. I am quite sure I can’t say anything more profound than Jesi on the subject of the Estie.

 

Overall, I’m really glad I added this one to the collection.

There are still a few available, and of course the next big thing is Honeycomb!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: PenBBS #153 Burning of White House 1874 Ink

Author Laura CameronPosted on 1 Comment

Review by Laura Cameron

I wasn’t able to attend the DC Pen Show, but Ana was lovely and brought me a few goodies. One of these was a bottle of PenBBS #153, Burning of White House (60 mL, $16.00).

Burning of White House is a black ink with gold dust. The name comes from the burning of the White House in the War of 1812.

When I first opened the bottle, I forgot that PenBBS does wonderfully sparkly inks and I just swatched the ink on top of the bottle. The swatches were a nice black, but I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was. Then, as I was examining the bottle, I noticed the layer of gold on the bottom. WHOOPS! I gave the bottle a good shake and swatched a second time and there it was!

If you’re into sparkle and shine, I love the PenBBS because their particles are so fine. I’ve been using my Shark pen for the past few days and it hasn’t gotten clogged at all! I give the pen a good shake before I use it and I’m ready to go.

 

 

 

 

 

I find it a bit difficult to see much of the gold when I’m writing in my “normal” fashion, but what the camera doesn’t pick up is that there is a hint of sparkle here and there. Nothing like the ink blots or swatches, but a little something special.

I hope you’ll enjoy this one!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Tools

Brush Review: Tombow Water Brush Pens

Author Laura CameronPosted on 4 Comments

Review by Tina Koyama

One of my sketch kit essentials is and always has been a water brush. If I were a watercolor painter, I probably would have upgraded to a “real” brush a long time ago. With watercolor pencils as my primary color medium, however, I think plastic-bristle water brushes are actually more effective (not to mention more convenient). Dispensing a small amount of water at a time (the bane of painters when they need a juicy wash), a water brush is easy to control when used with water-soluble pencils. Most artists hate ‘em (once in an urban sketching workshop, the instructor forbade me from using mine!), but I like ‘em.

For years my favorite has been the Kuretake (which I reviewed when it was included in the April 2017 ArtSnacks box). I spotted a new one on JetPens the other day – a set of three Tombow Water Brush Pens (3 sizes for $16.95 or $6.95 each). Although Tombow makes a wide variety of popular colored brush pens, I didn’t recall seeing a water brush with the Tombow name before, so I thought these would be worth a try.

The set of three includes a flat wash, a medium round and a small round.

When I unscrewed the reservoirs to fill them, I frowned when I saw that there’s no plug between the reservoir and the connection to the bristles. (Compare that with the Kuretake, which has a black plug.) When I’ve used other water brushes without plugs, they have tended to gush a bit too freely, so I was afraid that would be the case with the Tombows. The absent plug does make the Tombows easy to fill: Just hold the open reservoir under the tap.

 

To my surprise, the water doesn’t flow excessively from the Tombows; in fact, they are just a bit wetter than the Kuretakes I’m used to. In my usual manner, I gave the reservoir a gentle squeeze to wet the bristles and dabbed off any excess water. I ran each brush tip once through a swatch of Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle colored pencil in a Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook. The water flow and control were similar to the Kuretake.

Next I gave each brush a generous squeeze to thoroughly wet the bristles, dipped it into a watercolor cake, and made a single stroke in the Beta sketchbook. Again, I thought the flow was predictable and easy to control.

I think the two rounds are the most functional and versatile sizes for use in small and medium sketchbooks. Many water brush manufacturers seem to offer a flat option, but I’m stumped as to when it’s useful. It’s not nearly wide enough to make a traditional watercolor wash, even on small paper. (If anyone has used a flat water brush effectively, I’m interested in hearing about it.)

The Tombow water brush pens seem as good as the Kuretakes except in one important regard: The caps do not post well. When I took them out for street sketching, they kept falling off as soon as I posted them, and I ended up having to put the caps in a pocket to avoid losing them. On location, this is a deal breaker; I will lose undoubtedly those caps immediately, and a capless water brush is a useless water brush. At my desk, however, they are perfectly fine.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.