Speedball Super Black vs. Holbein Super Opaque Black
I’m always on a quest for the perfect ink. A long time ago, Jimmie Robinson told a group of us who were at a meeting of Bay Area comics creators that he used Speedball Super ...
Pen and Ink
Working with acrylic ink – Holbein Super Opaque Black
I was really into Holbein Special Black drawing ink. It was smooth, black, and created nice thin lines. But then I was out and the local store I was buying it from didn’t have it. ...
Four nib review
I needed to order some new Brause 511 nibs, so I decided to get a few others and try them out just for fun. Here’s what I got and what I thought… The Bank of ...
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White
For a long time I just used regular correction fluid when I wanted to correct my ink lines. But I didn’t like the lack of control nor the smell. I saw someone on-line recommend white ...
Holbein Special Black
For years, Speedball Super Black has been my favorite ink. I’ve just loved the way it flows, yet it has a tendency to bleed on certain papers. So every once in awhile I try another ...
(not so) bleedproof papers
I’m always on the quest to find the perfect paper. Since I work in pen-and-ink, I want something smooth, but that doesn’t take too long to dry; something thick enough for lots of ink, but ...
G Nibs: a comparison
The G nib is probably the most fabled nib among people interested in the creation of manga. So what is a “G nib” exactly? Basically, it’s a Japanese-made pen nib that has cuts in its ...
Thoughts on Line: Edmund Sullivan’s Line: An Art Study
I didn’t read Edmund J. Sullivan’s Line: An Art Study all at once, but piece by piece over a few months. Besides just life getting in the way, I took this book slowly because it isn’t ...
How to Hold a Dip Pen
(Not like this.) When I was learning to play trumpet as a kid, I was told to never let my cheeks puff out when I blew. But take a look at almost any picture of ...
Choosing a Nib Holder
There are many different kinds of nib holders out there, especially if you start to get into antique models. But which one you use mostly comes down to personal preference (the two on the right are ...