Victor Ambrus
Morag Coloured conté crayon on paper 56.5 × 76cm (22½ × 30in)
The two drawings by Victor Ambrus show the surprising range of textures that can be achieved by using only coloured or black crayons on a cream coloured paper.
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| PEN AND INK | Pen and ink is a delightful and flexible medium which has been popular with artists since Ancient Egyptian times. The medium is capable of an enormous range of techniques and effects, but the materials required are very simple. The choice available of drawing pens and nibs is large, but falls into two distinct categories: dip pens and reservoir pens. |
Dip pens
Reed, quill and metal pens (metal nibs set into holders) are all classified as dip pens, as they are loaded by being dip ped directly into the ink. The nib retains a small amount of ink, which is held in place by its own surface tension. Dip pens produce very expressive lines which swell and taper according to the amount of pressure applied to the pen.
Reservoir pens
Reservoir pens carry ink in a special holder or cartridge and need only to be refilled from time to time, but in general their nibs are less flexible than those of dip pens.
Nibs
The nib itself is known as the ‘pen’, and the main shaft is the ‘penholder’. A great variety of nib shapes and sizes is readily available. Each nib makes a different range of marks, and the more flexible the nib, the more varied the thickness of line it makes. Since they are so inexpensive, it is worth trying several before buying.
Metal pens
Dip pens with metal nibs have long been the traditional tool of pen-and-ink artists and illustrators. Inexpensive and versatile, these pens consist of a holder and an interchangeable steel nib.
Mapping pens
Mapping pens have a very fine, straight point for detailed drawings. Because the metal nibs are flexible, you can vary the thickness of line to a considerable degree.
Crow-quill pens
Crow-quill pens (a type of mapping pen) also have a delicate point for producing detailed work, but can be less flexible than mapping pens.
Bamboo and reed pens
Bamboo and reed pens may have declined in popularity since the availability of more sophisticated pens, but many artists still use them. Their blunt, coarse and slightly irregular strokes make them ideal for bold line drawings, and their appeal often lies in the sheer pleasure that can be derived from drawing with such a ‘primitive’ instrument.
Ink for metal pens
Metal pens can be used with any type of ink – waterproof or water-soluble – because there is no mechanism to clog up. However, the nibs should be cleaned regularly under running water to prevent the ink from caking.
Making a quill pen
Use a stout, round feather, preferably goose. Trim the barbs back (1), to make the feather easier to hold. Shape the tip of the quill with a sharp knife. Make a curved, diagonal cut (2), then remove the keratin filling from the quill. Make a single cut, running up from the tip, to make a channel for ink (3).
Quill pens
Quill pens are made from the wing feathers of birds such as geese, turkeys or swans. They are often an ideal choice if you want to make fine, responsive lines. However, the nib is fragile, so they are best suited to small sketches and detailed drawings.
Technical pens
Originally designed for use by professional illustrators and designers, technical pens deliver ink down a narrow tube instead of a nib. This produces a very even line of a specific and unvarying width, regardless of the direction in which the pen is moved. The fine, fragile strokes made by technical pens are most appropriate for a controlled, graphic style of drawing. Like fountain pens, technical pens are easily portable and contain their own supply of ink. But, unlike fountain pens, the ink flow is fine and even, and lasts much longer, so you no longer have to carry bottles of ink which can break, leak or spill. The narrow tubular nibs for technical pens, available in an increasing variety of point sizes, are interchangeable within each range, and can be quickly switched.
Nib units for technical pens
For most drawings, you will need only one holder and several nib units in a range of different sizes.
Ink for technical pens
Technical pens should only be used with inks designed for them. These are usually lightfast, but are not waterproof. The ink supply is held in a reservoir and can be topped up with a dropper, or from a purpose-made filler bottle. The nibs should not be left uncovered, as the ink will dry in its channel, and they must be cleaned regularly with warm water. If the pens are not to be used for some time, they should be emptied and cleaned.
Fountain pens
Fountain pens feel much smoother to draw with than dip pens, and because they produce a steady flow of ink to the nib, they don’t need to be dipped frequently. This makes them useful for impromptu sketching. However, since fountain-pen nibs have little flexibility, it is not very easy to vary the thickness of your lines. The nib range is also quite limited.
Ink for fountain pens
To prevent them clogging, most fountain pens require non-waterproof ink, drawn into the barrel by suction through the nib. An exception to this rule is Indian ink pens, which are made specially for use with this type of ink and have a choice of two sketching nibs, graded ‘ordinary’ and ‘bold’.
Sketching pens
Also known as ‘art pens’, these combine the expressive qualities of a dip pen with the convenience of a reservoir pen. In appearance they resemble an ordinary fountain pen, but they have flexible nibs designed specially for drawing, which deliver ink smoothly to the paper via a pre-filled ink cartridge.
Filler adaptors
Coloured