Dippity Do Draw!

I recently started drawing with a dip pen and waterproof ink and coloring my images with watercolor just in time for World Watercolor Month, hosted by Charlie O’Shields at Doodlewash.com

I enjoyed drawing these whimsical gals on ATC cards:

I learned about the dip pens from an online class from Cori Dantini, hosted by Carla Sonheim. Cori introduced me to Jetpens.com (Jet pens has great information and tutorials about a variety of pen and ink supplies).

I purchased a Kuretake Comic pen nib holder and Nikko Comic pen nib and three black inks from Jet pens.

Note: You want to make sure the pen nibs will fit the holder you purchase.

Always a good idea to create a practice sheet and test your inks to make sure they are waterproof if you need them to be!

I also purchased a Saji pen nib from Blick and a Kuretake “Zig Cartoonist” pen nib holder which is the same holder as the one from Jet Pens. The Saji nib allowed for a thicker line than the Nikko comic nib when I applied pressure to the nib.

Note: Pen nibs often come with a film over them so you will want to remove it with acetone (nail polish remover) and a Q-tip before using the nib. I learned this information from Jet pens.

Also, it is important to keep your pen nibs clean after each use. I cleaned mine with water and a soft paper towel.

I bought a pen holder for each nib but discovered this wasn’t necessary as the pen nibs are easy to remove from the pen holder.

A couple of animals showed up in my drawings:

And of course I had to draw a few “hat” birds!

I discovered that I enjoyed drawing with dip pens and permanent ink!

I could control the line with the pressure I applied to the nib. And coloring with watercolor was super fun!

I didn’t have a problem with the ink flowing into an uncontrollable puddle. I found the nibs easy to use. And they held a lot of ink.

I hope you give a dip pen and waterproof ink a try with a little watercolor fun for #WorldWatercolorMonth

Cheers! 🙂