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Hey guy 'n' gals, I'm compiling a sort of "ultimate" guide to dip pens for you guys, here is what I have so far.  Please if you think something should be added, let me know (keep in mind though what is below is incomplete).

To be added: White Ink, tricks/effects.

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Using dip pens is fun and easy.  Most cartoonist and comic artists have used dip pens, and many still do.  Here’s an introduction to the dip pen, including (hopefully) everything you may or may not have wanted to know about them.

Why bother? There are a lot of good reasons to use dip pens.  Most nibs allow a certain amount of line width variation, so add a good deal of character to your ink work that may otherwise only be obtainable through the use of brushes.  However, decent nibs are relatively cheap compared to decent brushes, and at least in my opinion less of a hassle to use.
Dip pens can also use very strong and thick inks and paints that would clog or destroy other types of pens.  So if you haven’t at least tried inking with a nib you owe it to yourself to experiment, it’s relatively cheap to get into.

This article is meant to provide a first time user with some tips and hints that will hopefully make using a dip pen for the first time a painless experience.

Brief history: the “modern” steel pen was invented in England by a button maker during the early 1800s.  He figured out how to mass produce reliable and accurate steel pen tips at a low price, quickly ousting the feather quill pen as the writing instrument of choice.  According to contemporary rumor its inventor was (ironically) illiterate and never used his invention.
For the next century the dip pen was the writing utensil of choice.  Even after the introduction of fountain pens, the dip pen was used in banks, offices, schools, etc. well into the middle of last century.

---------------How Works a Nib-----------------

So how about it?  Below is an illustration of a nib labeling some of the important parts of the nib.   The tip of the nib is slit to form tines – the harder you press the nib the more the tines flex, bending away from each-other to form a bolder line.  Aside from allowing the pen to flex, the slit between the tines is what draws ink to the tip of the nib through capillary action.   The breathing hole allows the ink to be drawn between the tines smoothly and quickly, not all nibs have one.  On some nibs you will notice that the tines are scored or honed; this is done to improve the flexibility of the nib.  You may also notice slits cut into the sides of the nib, these are also to improve the flexibility of the nib.



You may have noticed that flexibility has been mentioned above quite a few times.  This is because the flexibility of a pen is important.  A stiff nib produces lines of uniform thickness, but a flexible nib can produces lines of varying weight.  A stiff pen would be suitable for lettering, hatching, or any other work where a uniform line is desired.  A flexible pen can be used for outlines, action lines, or any other application where varying line weight is desired.

Below are three types of common pen nibs.
Number 1 is the traditional pointed tip nib.  These come in all sorts of varieties for all sorts of applications.  They range from super flexible to moderately stiff. 

Number 2 is a crow quill nib.  This is the most popular nib for comic work and illustration.  It is smaller than traditional nibs, is formed into a tubular shape and uses a smaller holder than other nibs.  They are capable of producing lines so fine that they are irreproducible when printed.  They can also deliver very bold lines, and hold a lot of ink.

Number 3 is a “spoon” type nib.  Erroneously, sometime this name is said to refer to the overall shape of the nib.  However, if you take a very close look at the tip of one of these nibs, you’ll notice that the tip is stamped into a very shallow bowl shape.  This is done to keep the nib from catching on paper.  These pens are generally stiffer than the other two types, but also hold a lot of ink and have a very smooth action (like a ball point pen).




-----------------NIB REVIEWS-------------------

Below are samples of lines from different nibs, all of these (except for the stub) are currently produced and most can be bought at places like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.  A good art supply store will have even more varieties.




Hunt 102 Crow Quill: 
This is the “standard” artist’s pen.  I don’t like it.  It has its good points, but it also has its bad points.  This nib is capable of exceptionally fine lines, but is very flexible and can produce very bold lines if pressed hard.  It also holds a lot of ink, so you can draw very long continuous lines without having to stop and re-dip.  The down side is that it has a scratchy feel, and can catch or dig into your paper (especially on upstrokes) – it is best used with a heavy paper – Bristol preferably.

Hunt 99: This is the most flexible pen currently made today.  The initial version (labeled No. 99) is even more flexible.  All things considered this is a pretty excellent nib.  You can make a very fine line, or super thick one, and it needs only a slight variation in pressure to do this.  Downsides are it tends to catch on the paper on up and sideways strokes – so preferably it is best used on a heavy, smooth paper.  It also does not hold very much ink and must be re-dipped constantly, especially when making bold lines.

Hunt 56: Basically the same as above, only stiffer.  It cannot make as thick of a line and it takes more pressure to do so.  Good for somebody who has a hand too heavy or clumsy to work the 99.  Again, a smooth heavy paper is advisable.

Hunt 101:  This is pretty great nib.  It will produce lines as thick as those the 99 makes, but requires a bit more pressure to do so, so it is a bit easier to control than the 99.  The biggest bonus though is that it can be used on rougher, lighter paper than the 99.  It will basically only catch on the paper if you intentionally make it catch.  However like the 99 it does not hold a lot of ink and must be dipped constantly.

Hunt 22: This nib will make a very fine line, finer than the 99, 56, and 101 are capable of.  However it also is not capable of making a line as thick as the 99 or 101.  It suffers from most of the problems the above nibs have – scratchy feel, holds little ink, etc.  However it is useful for fine details.

Hunt 513: This a spoon nib.  It produces a medium line with little variation of thickness.  The upside of this nib is that it moves smoothly across all sorts of paper with little to no risk of catching, even if pressed on upstrokes.  Ideal for hatching, lettering, etc.  Perfectly useable for general drawing as well if you don’t need super expressive lines.

Hunt 512: This is a slightly finer spoon nib than the 513 – all of what I said about the 513 applies to this nib – except the 512 produces a finer line.  Both the 513 and 512 hold a good amount of ink, and are perfect nibs for somebody who has never used a dip pen before.

Subway Stub: This nib is no longer manufactured, but I’ll mention it anyway.  A stub nib has an elliptical tip – it is intended for writing, not for drawing, but it can still be useful to an artist for things like lettering, hatching, etc.  Moderately stiff, smooth action over paper.  The best part of this pen is that it has a “falcon” shape – this shape of pen was designed to hold a lot of ink – and it does you can draw forever with this thing without having to redip – in fact some of the ink will probably dry before you run out.
There are other “falcon” pens out there with regular tips – but currently none are in production (to the best of my knowledge)

Speedball B 5 ½: Nibs like this are meant to produce an unvarying line.  They are inflexible and come in a variety of different sizes.  A nib like this is perfect for bold lettering, speech bubbles, etc.  It has a clip reservoir and so holds a decent amount of ink.

I will be going through more nibs and writing summaries of their use later.  There are still many fine nibs made in England (leonardt, gillot), Europe (brause), and Japan (Nikko, Tachikawa) – but they’re hard to find in the U.S.
There are also tons of awesome nibs no longer manufactured, from companies like Esterbrook. (and a lot of bad ones too).


---------------Using them; a guide for the complete idiot.---------------
You’ll need a holder (handle), at least one nib (preferably a spoon type if you have never used a dip pen before), a bottle of ink, paper (to draw on, duh), a cup of water (to clean the nib in), and  cloth (or your shirt to dry it) in order to start.

A word about ink – the best ink to use is India Ink.  It is made using carbon black and shellac and it is a lot thicker and darker than what a ball point, felt tip, or even most fountain pens can handle.  There are a lot of brands, but whichever you get I recommend you get something waterproof.  Also – take into the consideration the bottle it comes in. Speedball’s ink comes in a bottle that is also perfectly useable as an inkwell – with a wide lid and an even wider base – you can dip your pen into it no problem.  By contrast, Higgins ink comes in a bottle with a narrow opening (making dipping your pen into it basically impossible) and you will probably have to put it into an inkwell to use it.

Anyway, once you have your nib inserted into the holder, dip the pen into the ink so that the ink comes up to the breathing hole on the nib.



As you remove the pen from the ink, slide the tip on the edge of the bottle/well so that excess ink drops back into the bottle/well.

Pretty simple.
Then just draw with the pen like you would a normal pen.  It’s easy.  When the ink runs out, dip the pen again as before and continue drawing - hint: if you watch your nib while inking, you can see the ink on its surface disappear as it is used up - after a while you will get a good idea of when to dip even before you run dry.
Try applying the pen to the paper with different pressures to change line weight.  It’s easy and you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly.

When you are done using the pen, dip the nib into your cup of water and wipe it off with a piece of cloth (or your shirt – if your shirt is black, or any other color if you want black marks on it).  Remember, these nibs are made of steel – and they will rust if you leave them wet.



----------------samples-----------------

The linework in the image below was made with one nib - no need for anymore!  Because one flexible nib will let you make thin lines or thick lines - and lines with a varying thickness!


The only other way to make such lines is with a brush - but brushes cost more and waste more ink (however they have qualities nibs do not have, and a few misguided souls do enjoy using them).

Here is a picture done with a less flexible nib - still the variety in line from one nib is enough for all uses in this piece:



----------------------------Common problems:----------------------------



Nib will not hold ink/ink drops out of pen while drawing:  This is like the most frustrating problem with nibs, and it’s also very common.  If you have this problem, it is likely because the nib has an anti rust coating in it that must be removed.  There are a couple of ways to do this.  One: wash the nib in warm soapy water.  Two: burn the nib over a lighter for a couple of seconds (but not too long, you can ruin it).  This removes the coating.
Another thing to consider may be the way you are holding the pen.  If you have tried washing the nib and you continue having this problem, you may want to try using an inclined drawing table.  If this doesn’t work – your nib may just be bunk – throw it out and get a different one.

Nib makes an ugly thick line: Most commonly a tiny bit of paper or lint has gotten caught in your nib.  Clean it.  If this does not help, then one or both of the tines may be bent, or the tip is damaged.   It happens – get a new nib.


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