An artist discusses his preferred drawing tools, focusing on achieving waterproof line work suitable for watercolor washes. He recommends TWSBI fountain pens for their reliability and resistance to clogging, paired exclusively with waterproof fountain pen inks like Platinum Carbon Ink. The video also covers the use of dip pens with various nibs (Brauser #66 is highlighted for flexibility) and inks (India ink, Liquitex acrylic ink) to create sharp lines and textural splashes. He demonstrates his techniques for refilling pens, creating ink effects, and using a water brush to generate gray tones from wet ink. As far as I can tell, this is a practical overview of a specific artist's toolkit.
An Artist's Guide to Waterproof Inks and Drawing Tools
0:41 Waterproof Inks for Fountain Pens: The primary challenge addressed is finding waterproof ink for fountain pens so that watercolor can be applied over the line work. The artist recommends Platinum Carbon Ink, Rohrer & Klingner sketching ink, and Octopus Write & Draw ink.
1:41 Recommended Fountain Pen: The artist exclusively uses TWSBI fountain pens (in Extra Fine, Medium, and Bold nibs) because, in his experience, they do not dry out or clog with these pigmented, waterproof inks. He considers the Medium nib the most versatile.
3:31 Pen Refilling: He demonstrates refilling a TWSBI pen, noting its large piston-filled ink reservoir.
6:30 Dip Pens and Nibs: For more line variation and effects, he uses dip pens. He finds steel nibs more flexible than gold ones and specifically recommends the Brauser #66 nib for its high flexibility.
7:44 Ink Splash Technique: He shows how to create ink splatters by intentionally bending a flexible dip pen nib, a key element of his style.
8:04 Inks for Dip Pens: He uses India ink, China ink (ensure it's labeled waterproof), and Liquitex acrylic ink with dip pens. He is very clear that these inks will destroy a fountain pen.
13:56 Refillable Brush Pens: He uses brush pens (Pilot, Kuretake) but discards the original ink cartridges. He refills them with a blunt-tipped syringe using the same Platinum Carbon Ink as his fountain pens for consistency.
15:54 Creating Gray Washes: The artist demonstrates how to create gray tones by applying water to the waterproof ink before it has fully dried, effectively diluting it on the page.