Two Weeks into Inktober: Tools of the Trade
It’s already over two weeks into Inktober – that’s halfway through! The realization that I’ve reached the midpoint inspires both relief and a slight panic. As in, yesss! I’ve made it this far! and wait, have I actually done 16 drawings already? There’s only 14 left, and I’ve been lazy for the last few days!
But being 16 days in, I have a rhythm (most of the time) and have my favorite tools within easy reach. Here’s a list of my favorite Inktober tools so far:
FYI, this post contains affiliate links, so if you decide to try the same materials, I get a small commission at no extra charge to you. For more information go the bottom of my About page.
Faber-Castell Pitt Pens
Faber-Castell pens have been my favorite since high school. Honestly, I now realize that I haven’t tested a wide variety of pens, because I’ve mostly stuck with these. However, my sister has tried more pens than I have and these are still her favorite, so there’s that.
I usually opt for a set with four sizes: Small, Fine, Medium, and Brush. I’m a super detail-focused artist so I use the small and fine pens the most, but I have to take a second to brag about the brush pen. Brush pens are exactly what they sound like – a pen with flexible brush-like tip. They’re flexible and really satisfying to use.
My set of pitt pens is pretty old and all in various stages of drying out or running out of ink. I no longer have a Fine-sized pen. But I make do, for now.
Dip Pen and Ink
I use a very basic dip pen handle with a couple different nib sizes that aren’t worth linking to. I might have purchased them back in college when my professor said that they were more legitimate than the Faber-Castell pens. I’m still not very competent with a dip pen – using one still feels a little awkward – so I have no plans to go out and find a better quality pen anytime soon.
Inks
When I use a dip pen, I go to the only two inks that I have. I did look into them when I first bought them and found that they were decent student-grade inks. They are Higgins Black Magic and a Higgins white ink.
Odd Assortment of Miscellaneous Pens
Finally, I have a smattering of random pens that I occasionally use, mostly ones I picked up in Korea. These are also running dry, so by the end of Inktober I should probably get new pens or commit to my dip pen.
Sumi-e
Thanks to the class I took at the Bemis School of Art, I now have the materials for Sumi-e ink painting. On one hand, sumi-e is more like painting than drawing. On the other hand, Sumi-e is definitely ink, so expect to see a few Sumi-e pieces before Inktober is up.
Sharpie
I didn’t plan on using Sharpies…but one day I was craving a bold line and my dried out brush pens were doing the trick. Enter Sharpie permanent markers.
Best of the Week
Each week I’m highlighting my favorite Inktober drawing. This week is me running into a couch. (The ants in my dog’s beard was a close second though.) I was chasing my dog without watching where I was going. It seemed like a nice, ridiculous moment to illustrate. I had a bruise under my eye the next day.