/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

>>6216825
Asking again, what palette knives are good for oil painting? They come in all kinds of sizes and shapes and I'd like to use for more than just mixing on palette.

>>6227765
i dont paint with oils but i imagine they are all used to create different textures when applying paint directly to canvas
just watch someone on youtube who you like and buy the same ones

>>6227765
I mostly use diamond shaped ones, they're great for mixing and give you multiple angles.

anyone do chinese calligraphy? I'm trying to find a good set of brushes, ink stick, etc. I've only found a review of the cheapest amazon/aliexpress kit and it looks to be complete trash.

I was also wonder if could I use tracing paper instead of rice paper since that is a lot easier to get.

>look up rare discontinued pencils
>someone lists a batch
>some guy instantly buys them
>same guy buys them every time someone puts up a new listing, usually months apart
>one day, a guy puts up a batch
>same guy who bought the pencils from before, buys up the new listing as well
>other guy lists another batch
>same guy instantly buys them
>but every time he buys them, a new listing appears, eventually 5 listings appear at once
>the guy stops buying them
I wonder if he felt like he was getting swindled. He was buying them all up instantly for months and now this seller has a bunch of them and they're not getting sold anymore. It's not like you can buy them at a store either.

>>6228796
What pencils were they? Your story has me super curious.

which copic markers should i get for lightly sketching overlays and some simple value work. dont want to spend a disturbing amount of money on a huge set.

Also I'm just using printer paper rn but for some nicer work what should I be using for pen and marker mediums.

>>6229327
I would bet it's old Prismacolor before they started being made in Mexico.

>>6228796
Pencil collecting as a hobby has exploded in the last few years, from retired boomers and just having more exposure. You can still find them offline at pencil collection conventions, but they meet up at secret places that are not advertised well. Sometimes pencils get bought early and then the guy that bought them mark them up for twice the price he paid for.

>>6227574
buy an apple ipad already grandpa

>>6229333
Some greys in the same family in every other number, odds or evens doesn't matter, should get you a solid enough value range to cover what you're talking about.

Crescent rendr sketchbooks won't bleed through and blend decently but the lay flat advertising for the soft covers is bullshit.

>>6227574
looking for books with good approach when it comes to figure drawing and portrait with dry pastels plz

>>6229504
>pencil collection conventions
I thought you were fucking joking.

>>6229519
thanks anon!

>>6229528
https://twitter.com/kortizart/status/1560016562479702017

>>6229540
Why wouldn't there be collectors and conventions for something like pencils? The history of pencils and pencil brands is very rich, actually. Besides they also have vintage sharpeners and erasers and other cool things like pencil cases.
The scene is not as big as fountain pen collectors obviously but there is some overlap.

>>6229497
I have a box of those and I'm afraid of using them. What other brands give that creamy pastel feel?

I want to purchase relatively cheap paper that is good for graphite, mostly (and perhaps inking)
I want to buy a bulk (at least 250 sheets) so it lasts for a while. Right now I'm using cheap copy paper (bought 2500 sheets for basically nothing) but the quality is so shit and I'm getting tired of it.
Any suggestions?

>>6229540
you just know that guy is putting his viagra scrip to good use.

>>6229805
Supposedly the Karismacolor pencils from Japan which are a clone of the old Prismacolors are the best now.

Has anyone used the Pentel pocket brush, or any similar inking brush? I want to get into more serious inking and it looks cool

>>6229540
Ricky and Bonnie are cool people anon, don't know the other two.

>>6230930
It's okay but I don't really like the brush part. I'd reccomend pic related better, Kuretake's no 8. However, if you really want to get into inking, get actual brushes instead

>>6228454
A little bit, so take with a grain of salt.

Ink: I'd say, avoid ink stick for practice, bottled ink is good enough, and much more convenient (I've bought some ink sticks;barely ever used them). To get the hang of it, you'll need to practice for a while, so better not to overwhelm yourself too much.

I've saw some pictures of a father teaching is son calligraphy by using a brush and water; there are also special "magical" mat that you can use for practice, with only water.

Brushes: I've bought a Leonard goat brush once, it does the job, and wasn't expensive. Rosemary has a set of Japanese brushes: they are affordable; I was considering buying them (nice brushes for watercolors).

Lately, I've been using brushpens, not the same as a real brush, but you can still play around to develop a technique.

Paper: I've practiced on ... copy paper. Again, good enough to get you started IMO.

Technique: calm yourself, breath peacefully, make sure your hand/wrist is relaxed. Try to look online for a few different sources, and compare them.

>>6229830
Kraft paper? It's surprisingly versatile, sturdy, accept ink, has a bit of tooth for graphite while being rather smooth, and you can play with white

>>6230930
Yup. Good tool for the price; you can refill the cartridge with ink (I use rotring ink, designed for their technical pencil). It's noticeably difficult to control though.

I'd say the same thing as >>6231187: go with a good kolinksi brush. Brushpen are nice because they are portable, but inkers typically used real brushes

>>6231187
I am still a noob to physical inking so I figured a brush pen would be the easiest place to start. Or would you recommend going straight for real brushes?

>>6231261
>Kraft paper
No thank you, I want plain white paper

>>6231284
There's white kraft paper too IIRC

>>6229579
I meant pastel specific, I did enough anatomy with pencil in b&w.
I want to try something different and I dont want to loose too much time just fucking around with them with no real technique(color&shit) and not really learning much in the process

This came today.

>>6232848
Enjoy yourself anon, they look gorgeous!

>>6229830
Thicker copy paper, 200 or 250 gsm. Planning to get some myself for fucking around instead using up my preferred bristol and mix media paper I'm leaving for proper pieces.

>>6232848
They look awesome. Can I ask where you got them?

>>6233623
I got them from here - https://www.capronicollection.com/

Expensive, especially to ship overseas, but this place and https://ateliersartmuseesnationaux.fr/en

Are the only well established, really high quality places out there, and I did a lot of research.

>>6232947
Any brands you recommend?

>>6233650
Thanks

>>6233650
Damn those prices, but they look gorgeous, it's really tempting.

Later, when I'll got a bit more money, I may please myself a bit...

Any idea where these from Steve Rude studio are from?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8HF99EjLdo

Has anyone used Kent paper before? Koreans seem to use it for pencil drawings.

>>6231281
Brush pens don't behave like actual brushes. If you've seen inking done with brushes, especially in western comics, it's likely it was done with a high end brush like a Windsor and Newton series 7. I don't have "real" reccomendations when it comes to brushes but try to buy some, and see how ink works with them. David Finch has a video on inking tools on his channel, check it out for better insights.

>>6231261
>It's noticeably difficult to control though.

I wouldn't say it's difficult, or it's not when you learn that you shouldn't use as you use a pen. It's a brush after all. The brush part on the kuretake one I posted is more stable and manageable, though.

>drawing with markers
>sniff marker one time just to see what it'll do
>mfw now addicted to huffing markers

>>6234500
No perfume in the world comes close to a fresh Sharpie.

>>6234123
Yes indeed, often the difficulties come from the fact that it's highly pressure sensitive, which make it difficult to draw regular lines of an almost fixed width without wobbling

I know it's not much and probably not very good compared to all the paints, markers, and other supplies I have, but I recently got the 24 colour faber castel coloured pencil set and it feels really enjoyable to use

Is there a list of good US art supply retailers that people should know about besides getting random stuff off of Amazon?

>>6228796
Maybe he finally had enough pencils?

>>6229540
That seems fun as shit. Non-ironically.

>>6235448
Dick Blick and Jerry's have good coupons and specials and can be cheaper if you're doing bulk orders.

>>6230930
Just adding a bit more info that the other anons didn't cover here - the kuretake no. 40 does have sable bristles, but doesn't really come close to the experience of using an actual brush. Lines will be finer than the nylon model though. If you like to draw on location brush pens > brushes.

With the kuretake line of brush pens, you can replace the cartridge with a platinum converter ($10 or so) if you want to play around with fountain pen ink colors. It's just a bitch to get any red inks fully out of the brush if you're ever switching between colors.

Finally for real brushes, I'd really recommend getting cheaper sables from places like Rosemary & Co. or whatever first because it's important for you to learn which inks will eat away at the bristles over time, as well as general brush maintenance if you're completely new at it. I found this out when I destroyed one of my series 7s using dr martins watercolor inks over the course of a month.

Any suggested pencil extenders?

>>6233650
Hey buddy, have you also looked at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid? I visited it last week, they had some pretty good casts, I'll post pics in a bit. In the meantime, you can check out their store here: https://www.rabasf.shop/en/16-casting

>>6228454
https://www.blueheronarts.com/
Ive heard this place is reputable for supplies for calligraphy and painting.

bump already

>>6237838
Derwent's

>>6227574
for those who are have own flats,
how do you organize and store your large (b2/b1/b0) sized paper?

>>6244990
I'm up to around B2 at most (c.50 × c. 70): I have a big plastic sleeve made out of 5mm wide plastic, sleeve is about 4cm deep. Cost around 30€, was the cheapest/fastest option.

Otherwise, I considered making one myself, for instance with some MDF or plywood, by taking care of preping the wood before, or finding ways to isolate it from the paper.

Not perfect, but enough for my current needs: all in one place, protected from the sun/heat.

A few animation questions for trad anons

1. How did old animators make shadows on cels? I know they painted on the backs, so did they just paint the darker shadow colours on first?

2. Are there any ACME holepunches that aren't ungodly expensive? My next best option is finding a way to 3D print a round-peg peg bar, but having the real deal is probably better (there must have been a reason they all did ACME holes)

>>6245561
>finding a way to 3D print a round-peg peg bar
why are people like this? it's like a kindergardener level arts and crafts project to make.

>>6245561
1. Correct! Here's a cool video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmtuRgV4DlU

2. I must agree with >>6245700. You're heading into Rube Goldberg machine territory.

how do you guys transport paint when traveling by plane?

>>6249161
Oils in checked-in luggage, once, USA to EU

>>6245700
>>6246193
I honestly don't even know why I got in my head that "can't buy it = must 3D print it", I can already think of how I might DIY it; thanks for the wake up call anons

What are the best cheap disposable markers? Seen some good art made with Ohuhu and on Amazon they seem very popular but there's always the risk of getting some dry markers, even with Copic.
https://youtu.be/-vweGKDdv-I

How do I get at drawing with colored pencils?
I'm using Cra-Z-Art colored pencils from walmart if it matters.

How do I get good at drawing with colored pencils?
I'm using Cra-Z-Art colored pencils from walmart if it matters.

>>6250138
Paper also matters. Try if you want a rough or a smooth surface for what you want your style to be.

I don't know where to exactly put this, but how do I hang something long like in that Japanese/Chinese way? not a weeb and not an artist, just a math dude wanting to hang something I'm making for my classroom in that manner.

>>6250201
Like shikishi paper?

>>6250208
xuan paper, long, can't be fucked to measure proportions but cut into thirds, each would be a rectangle a little longer than A5.
Not sure how to hang it, that grey tacky shit would be fine but I think some kind of hanging would be better.

>>6250232
>>6250201
Should I go to /diy/ for this? I know you have a lot on your plate with AI threads and so on, and as a math/cs guy, I'm sorry, but also I think you have nothing to fear.

what should you use for a beginner gouache palette?

>>6250733
Depends on the brand, you can't go wrong with Winsor and Newton.
>Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache Paint Set, 0.4 Fl Oz (Pack of 10), 10 Colors
This is the best one, has all the colors you want from the get go and only costs 36 bucks.

>>6227574
bump

To anyone who uses them, which Blackwing pencil do you like to use? I heard Matte is the way to go for sketching

>>6250744
is that actual artists/designer quality
i know student grade is actually supposed to be a beg trap

>>6252638
if you're a beginner you don't need to worry about using top of the line paints unless you're a spoiled ngmi brat. w&n is artist quality and feels similar to what you'd get if you got finer paints, for the most part it's fine tuning from the middle upwards that you'd only feel if you actually paint enough. also don't start with huge sets of paint to give yourself a chance to learn how to mix and see how pigments in gouache affect each other, 3 primary colors of your choosing and a white is what most people start with. the colors depend on the style you want to go for.

>>6252665
i know i don't need top-of-the-line paints but i know when it comes to student-grade watercolors that its a trap. a limited palette of mid-tier artist watercolors are affordable anyways

so im not sure about gouache. that specific listing says its no good. i suppose i could get holbein's primary mixing set of 5 or Winsor's primary set of 6

>>6250733
titanium white, pyrrole red, cadmium yellow light, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna.
bigger tube of the white.

>>6252638
I've tried and use all brands of gouache and to me W&N is the best one, specially when it comes to certain pigments that aren't as lightfast because they use the worse version of the pigment, this is the case for raw sienna and yellow ochre for example.
Holbein doesn't use fillers, it's good if you want to use it as watercolors and you need to mix with white to get opacity on certain colors where the pigments are opaque.
These are all artist grade, student grade gouache is stuff like daler rowney, pebeo, caran d'ache and the like.

This is the set I suggested.

>>6251768
i've only ever used matte. easily my favorite pencil

>>6252809
yeah these are the ones i'm unsure if they're actually professional or student

Do any brands make non-photo blue lead in 2.0mm sizes anymore? I think Prismacolor discontinued the only ones I know of

>>6252914
You're right it's the wrong set, this is the right set.
Winsor & Newton Designers' Gouache Primary Color 6-Tube Paint Set, 14ml

>>6249384
Rectified my zoomer mistake

>>6252922

Pentel has them but only in 0.5 i think

>>6252961
yeah I'm unsure if to go with these or Holbein's set or M Graham's

>>6253055
Unless it's a cheap set I would pick colors from different brands and see what you like. W&N like I said is the best in "general", also has the best burnt sienna, Holbein's is too reddish. Never tried M Graham's as they don't sell over here.
There's also Talens, it's middle of the road quality, it has fillers but the opacity is really nice and is good to waste for larger areas then use the higher quality gouache for the expensive details.

finally decided to test those oil paints I was too afraid to use last thread
>>6203905

>>6253100
Good start; so if you can use less white in ths shadows next time, they look a tad chalky

>>6253014
I have 0.7mms from Pilot that are already fragile enough, I can't imagine .5mm; that's part of the reason I want the 2mms (the other being that they behave more pencil-like)

recommend table top easels or drafting tables. bargue copying with perspective distortion from drawing flat on my desk is kinda fucked

>>6253265
Not table top, but I've got a Mabef M22 which is real nice. They have (Mabef) table-tops too, but meh.

If you have a camera tripod, you can cook yourself something good with a screw and some plywood.

Oldschool way it to sit on a stool, put a board on your lap and let it rest on your desk. You could also pins things on a wall and work standing.

Be creative, fren

bought a noodler's ahab and a FPR ultra flex nib after seeing Vilppu water washing with his namiki falcon for figure drawing.

also pen is (right now) my preferred medium and I'd like something that gives me some line variation.

>>6253383
Just use dip pens. I never understood using fountain pens for art, all the flexing, soulful lines at a microscopic fraction of the cost.

>>6253787
nta, main advantage is that they are portable, so convenient for sketching

besides, I agree with you: dip pen are much more versatile, and permanence is much less of an issue

>>6253787
> too expensive
anon it was $50 for a pretty good flex setup. Not exactly dopping $200 for a falcon yet.

also i have that engineer salary lol

>>6253383
lol, that was the same reason of why I bought a fountain pen, and now I have a bunch. Also it is fun buying different color inks and testing them out.

>>6252638
I don't know about WN gouache but you're right about their oil paints. WN calls their student oils "Winton" and they're, I dunno how to describe it. Its too thick in general and you get these chunks like dried pudding skins. Apparently there's less pigment and the colors are different so don't get winton.

>>6253260
>>6253014
i know pentel has non-photo blue in 2mm for their multi-8, but no idea how good they are, and they're shorter than normal 2mm leads so they can fit in it.

>>6250138
enter a state of zen detachment so you don't go insane slowly building up color, otherwise it'll look like a toddler did it.
make yourself a grid to see how your colors actually combine. super-market tier pencils don't cover or blend like real ones, and the order you layer the colors affects how the result looks.

>>6254055
Their acrylics are dogshit, at least the Galeria version and for that price there's much better alternatives like Holbein acrylic gouache. Their professional designer gouache is the only thing they do right, after the decline in kolinsky hair not even their brushes are worth the money.

>>6250138
color pencils honestly aren't worth getting good with, but you should probably use more artist-quality color pencils
Prismacolor is the standard for a lot of people and they're pretty cheap

What paper do you use for gouache? I don't want to buy expensive shit. I want something kinda cheap like how watts/proko use newsprint.

>>6240763

>blueheronarts

used to get a coursemate to help me get some supplies from T-Mall, and I realized it's better to get from T-mall or TaoBao (if you know how, or via third-party proxy buyers) as items' price from blueheron are very much jacked up - even for beginners/hobbyists. Guess mainly due to them shipping from the US, which gets them earning profits if they themselves source their items directly from China.

>>6254286
if you want something cheap and want what they use you answered your own question

>>6254286
if you only use opaque consistencies, it's pretty indifferent to the paper you're using because the paint itself helps stabilize things and you're not relying on the paper to do anything special. even printer/plain drawing paper in the ~130 gsm range does okay for painting a character without bothering to stretch it. you can also stretch and do big transparent washes, but don't expect too much in terms of layering transparent colors on non-watercolor paper.

>>6255145
I should've been more clear. Watts/Proko use newsprint for charcoal pencil so they can get a lot of practice in without breaking the bank. I was wondering if there was an equivalent for gouache. I don't think its possible to do watercolor/gouache on newsprint.

>>6254112
it's a funny thing. the cheapo colored pencils are harder so they hold a better point, which makes them better for everything except the high effort rendering(which isn't really worth doing anyway).
i kinda slept on colored pencils until making the brilliant discovery that i could use them as pencils that are colored.

>>6256022
I hate poors so damn much bros

>>6254286
if you cant afford paper i assume your gouache will be more binder than pigment
just stick to digital

>>6256442
not him;I've had surprisingly good result with kid's gouache (<3€ for primaries+white+black);obviously, just used for sketching/making small studies

>>6256022
it's a matter of balancing pros and cons here anon, depending on how you use gouache (very watery or not), on how much you think you can tolerate buckling, and on what is cheap/expensive.

Almost any paper can take gouache, so I suggest you just experiment.

I've tried to to use more or less watery paint on Paint-on paper, Canson student grade drawing paper, Sakura sketchbooks and Strathmore's toned 400 series, every time with decent success for sketches

Anyone have any pointers on how to paint cel backgrounds, like they used to do pre-2000? What kind of supplies would I need

>>6257235
this weeb has some nice videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3jhOG2T4mQ

>>6256406
primsacolor has another line that's harder

also faber castell's oil color pencils are hard but really expensive

Bump; somehow related: >>6258305

which pencils/grades are ideal for prelim sketching? sketches I plan on doing more final work over?

>>6260844
just try with what you have, and see how it goes. there's multiple valid approaches, but they will depend on what kind of thing you're trying to do, what paper you use, how much do you erase/what eraser you use, etc.

technical problem solving is an important skill to develop for an aspiring artist; be creative

>>6253383
>>6254001
oh fuck i used it for a few minutes, i dont think i heat set it properly because it kept running out of ink but the few brief seconds that it was working was like experiencing rapture on my drawing pad.

i NEED the namiki falcon now.

>>6252922
They stopped because modern scanners do pick up non-photo blue.

I just ordered a $40 squirrel quill off Amazon (fulfiled by Jacksons Art) and they shipped me a fucking chinese #4 synthetic round in an envelope with a $40 customs declaration glued to it.

Hopefully Jackson fixes their shit or Amazon handles the refund but what the fuck is going on in their warehouse that would make such a thing even possible?

>>6263294
Honesly that's kinda based

>>6262403
Be careful, Pilot has both a Falcon pen and a Falcon nib and they are very different.

Vlippu uses a Falcon Pen which uses the "Soft" line of nibs which have only minor flex. The "Falcon" nib is full flex and available as an option in several Pilot pens (but ironically not in the Falcon).

You have to be pretty deliberate with a full flex nib since you can only flex on a downstroke, the regular Falcon with a soft nib is more intuitive to use and still gets some variation. The Falcon soft nib also bends downwards so you can flip the pen upside down and reverse write or tilt down until the entire back of the nib is being used as a brush.

>>6234569
This but freshly ground ink

>>6263294
Amazon? Jackson's after Brexit is a gamble, it was bad enough with covid confinements.

>>6263294
Why not order directly from the site? Jackson's handled me a refund with no issues. You get better luck if you get a discount code in the value of the refund rather than money back.

where can i get the most bang for my buck for watercolor paper while still being of good quality?

>>6263011
That's true, but non-photo blue is still especially easy to remove digitally from black and white scans from my experience

>>6263516
God damn I fucking love how trad filters the poors so hard

>>6263528
im just trying to frugal you bully

>>6263516
>>6263534
The best in terms of cost/quality is Bee watercolor paper. They sell 50 sheets of 100% cotton for under 20$ in a lot of places. otherwise I hear
Fabriano is good and I think Hahnemuhle is fairly affordable.

I accidentally picked up a few Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils instead of the polychromos but I think I like sketching with them more since they are softer.

>>6263516
I'd go for something like Fabriano 5, 50% paper, c. >300gsm, 56x76 cm sheets. About 4€ per sheet, half regular watercolor paper.

bump

Any recommendations for 0.7mm mechanical pencil graphite? Is there some fancy stuff out there? The stuff that I get at the store is too hard and doesn't go dark enough.

>>6267959
upgrade to a 2mm clutch holder; 2B lead

>>6267959
Kokuyo makes nice lead, and pentel has good 2B
lead that I used for a long time before switching to
June gold 4B lead,but anything grade 2B or higher should probably work for you though.

>>6267959
Pentel Ain Stein lead is pretty good. I use 2B which isn't that soft and the marks are nice and dark even though I always draw really lightly.
It's also nigh indestructible. Sometimes I drop my mechanical pencil like a retard and even the 2H never fractured inside the barrel.

>>6268101
>>6268125
>>6268126
Cheers lads thanks for the tips, gonna get myself 2B and 4B refills. Never heard of a clutch holder until now, but I like my lines thin and mainly fill in with hatching.

>>6268143
Staedler's comes with a sharpener in the bottom end of the clutch.

One advantage of the 2mm is that you have much more line variety

>>6268143
no 'regular' mechanical pencil lead is going to produce thinner lines than a properly sharpened 2mm desu, 0.5mm lead is going to feel unusably thick after you use 2mm
also just a word of warning and i apologize if i'm being condescending since i'm assuming you're just getting started: don't expect manga tier contrast from any kind of work with graphite, contrast is not its strong suit and creating strong specular shading with just pencil is a technical skill in and of its own, with its own greybeard techniques that will take a long time to use effectively or to just complete in general-- it's far from impossible but you need to know what you're doing; the strength of graphite lies more in its ability to blend and create soft, diffuse shading and gradients
>>6268877
dude stop using that trash, or literally any other sharpener that isn't specifically pic related, any opther kind of sharpener is like pulling teeth, this shit will give you a perfectly conical, one molecule-wide point in 3 seconds flat

>>6269140
Well, the bottom sharpener costs nothing, is always with the clutch, and works good enough! I'm sure yours is much better, but the other fulfills all my needs

>>6269140
sharpening every 5 seconds to keep it <0.5mm is a pretty gay user experience.

What are normal color pencil called? I know wax and oil but what is picrel made out of? I don't want watercolor pencil

>>6270104
cheaper art materials have less pigment and more binder and aren't lightfast

>>6270090
in a nutshell
this is why things like those rotating lead mech pencils exist, but they're clunky and flimsy and they rattle and the lead wiggles around and i don't like them
as someone that has both a kaweco special and a rotring 800, don't be a retard like me, a $5 koh-i-noor versatil mogs them for drawing, not to mention the fact that you actually have the option to draw really thick lines
regular mech pencils are for writing and rulers and i'm going to die on this hill

>>6270195
I want the same kind of pencil but not cheap with a wide range of colors. There has to be ones similar to these kind of pencil that are not cheap and not watercolor pencil?

>>6270228
Derwent has like a dozen different color pencils types one must be what you’re looking for

Any recommended toned sketchbooks that can handle ink, especially via pen nib? Whatta do anatomy studies with ink.

>>6270368
Strathmore toned tan 400 series. They also have a gray

Hannemulhe's Capucino, warmer/more chromatic brown, but more expensive, cannot detach pages

>>6270227

how do art stores even sell paint these days
a single tube costs $20 which might be normal if we didn't have online which cuts that price in half. you don't even need to buy in bulk

>>6270711
>cuts that price in half
What tube exactly? I like my local artshops

>>6253787
When you draw in a truck at work, dip pens are inconvenient
(Yes, I'm beg. That's why I need to practice whether I can!)

>>6257374
>>6256406
The trick is blending them with white spirits.
Get watercolor pencils and a water pen.

>>6260844
There's a reason why HB/#2 is 99.9999% of pencils. It's soft enough to work with and not so hard it will damage the paper.
Getting harder leads for lighter lines means you got to be careful not to rip or stab your paper, while with HB you only have to worry about leaving too dark a mark. Either way you have to be careful, bit one is easier to fix.

>>6263294
Amazon has some weird shit going on the last month or so.

>>6267959
Pilot neox is darker than average for the grade

>>6270727
just looking online at any art retailer for nearly anything

>>6270811
it seems like nipponese leads are just labeled one grade higher than they would be from a western manufacturer. i've got a faber castell sampler and a bunch of different pentel leads and they're all just pentel 2b -> fc 3b, etc.

I'm thinking of buying 10 HB, 10 2B, and 10 6B, so i can sharpen them once a month and never have to think about it again.
anyone tried something similar?

>>6271328
Maybe it's my imagination, but they seem harder and darker.

>>6271429
The soft ones will dull faster, you'd need a radio higher than that for your plan

>>6271429
Some people do. I don't personally, don't think it's mandatory

Looking for suggestions/ideas: I want to make an oil painting, using turps + paint as a base, then applying thicker oil paint, while leaving patches of the thinner turps + oil base, and also letting my pencil drawing show through in parts. Basically what I need to know is how can I make a graphite drawing, and cover it up in a translucent way with turps + oil, without the graphite being washed away.

Should I do graphite first and then turps + oil? Should I do turps + oil first and then draw on top of that? Anything I can do to my surface to help keep the graphite? I plan on using oil paper, but I could also do canvas and gesso it up. Thanks for the help, guys.

Do any of the G, School, Spoon, and Mapping pen nibs similar to the Gillott 170,303, and 404? I intend to go through the Rendering in Pen and Ink book by Guptill which recommends the Gillott ones. I'm not sure how much the choice of nib matters.

>>6272098
No Japanese nibs are too hard, specially against vintage Gillott, just get the modern blue ones, they'll do the job.

>>6271429
i keep a bunch of pencils sharpen and i still need to sharpen them every other week but not 10 so maybe you're onto something

decent wooden mannequin. I know it's cheating to use it to figure out where the ribcage and pelvis are for drawing from imagination, but Loomis recommends it and it seems like it would be a good learning tool initially.

as total beginner what kind of pencils, colors, pens should I get?

>>6273428
You should get soft leads, 2B and B, HB as the hardest. Pens there aren't much options these days, it depends where you live, I can only get Microns, Uni and Fudenosuke. Colors I would got with a small set of markers and brush pens, stuff like Pentel Aquash, Pentel colors, alcohol markers and ABT water-soluble ink markers.

>>6272366
Alright, ordered all three Gillott nibs to see for myself.

>>6273721
I use the 170 a lot but I would recommend the 659 instead, the 850 is good too but it doesn't last long and the tines don't align well, there's zero quality control.

>>6252961
>>6253055
W&N Designer's Gouache is an absolute joy to paint, but it is worth keeping in mind that not all colours are lightfast. They are, as the name implies, meant for designers who would likely scan the picture quite quickly and store it in a drawer somewhere afterwards.

M Graham makes excellent gouache, but my personal recommendation has to be Schmincke

>>6273428
Cheap red pens are underrated.

>>6273428
Pens: while not the greatest, the Zebra ultra fine brush pens are great for the price (~$3 leaf pesos) and are a good start for inking in terms of practicing line quality
Pencils: for construction or quick sketching, either a really hard pencil (like 6H and up) or a non-photo blue pencil are great for letting you draw through while staying out of the way when you start actually drawing/inking

anyone used gouache in jars? how does that even work? is it like watercolour cakes? can you use them opaquely?

>>6272098
Related question. Is printer paper sufficient for practice? Obviously higher quality paper like bristol would be better but studies and exercises are foing to be my primary focus.

>>6273772
Okay I'll keep those in mind.

>>6275950
I don’t know about ink specifically, but you can use natron (packing) paper, 1 euro buys you something like 10-20 square meters depending on weight, it takes charcoal like a champ

>>6274948
These ones?

>>6275950
No, printer paper will tear apart, you're better off with drawing paper above 220gms, stuff like cartridge paper is very good. Airbrush paper is alright but I don't like it, I prefer the cartridge paper, smooth by Daler or W&N.

>>6276181
well I meant the ones in literal jars, but I suppose it could be the same

>>6276194
I have tons of those Talens jars, I use the 50ml jars, they don't come near full, they cheapen out a lot, some smell funny. Other than that they're regular tube gouache but in a jar, nothing more to it, Tales are opaque and all the colors are of similar finish, the consistency is the same as tube gouache, if they harden up you just spray distilled water and shake a bit.

>>6276206
thanks, anon

Any recommendations on sketch books? Something large enough, with decent paper and easy to draw on the entire surface. I've used random paper and notebooks, drawing with markers, pencil, liners

>>6276328
See >>6256808

>>6275950
I've used printer paper for ink training; school paper too, with the little grid for writing and stuff. Pretty much anything would do

>>6276188
Guess it depends on printer paper then

>>6276188
low end paper isn't gonna cut it, but the heavier weight printer paper is really good for practice. i'm not sure how many times you'ld have to work the same spot with a nib to tear hp32, but i've yet to see it.

>100 sheets of 4-6 ply board, 22x28, $8 in 1912
>inflation calculators say this is $2.40 per sheet.
>everything that even lists a ply count is double to quadruple the price for a smaller sheet
the 20th century was a mistake

What’s your favorite art product? Or products if you have multiple. Like what specific pen are you autistically obsessed with? I’m curious. I’d love to know why as well.

>>6277075
>inflation calculators say this is $2.40 per sheet
You shouldn't always trust an inflation calculator with these types of analysis.
$8 in 1912 was about half a weeks worth of wages for the average worker (with no leave, vacation or anything).
Today in 2022, half a weeks worth of wages (median) would be roughly $500
so if we were to divide that by 100 it would be $5 per sheet.

>>6277125
HB pencil I guess. Cheap, permanent, useful, versatile; no other tool gives you that much for so little

>>6277075
inflation (((algorithm))) was changed to make the inflation 50-100 times lower than previously used algorithms

What is the most opaque white for using on inked comic art? Everytime I try a white it fades to the point where its dries as gray over the black ink. Looking for a pen with white ink but I would take white ink in a bottle to put on with a brush if it had strong opacity.

>>6278110
Good quality white gouache, 100% titanium white

>>6278173
gouache isn't that opaque, even straight from the tube and putting on a thick goopy layer(which is pretty awkward to brush on too).
i've got some wn, m.graham, and da vinci and none of them are great if you want it white irl. if you're scanning and fiddling with levels and such it's fine afterwards it's fine though.

>>6278110
pic rel just makes things white.
downside is that it's a bit glossy, about as much as overworked graphite, and the thinnest lines you can reliably put down are about .9mm

I bought a noodler's Ahab flex and have been using platinum carbon black ink. It's been about a month and I've cleaned out three times. The threads between the piston and the part the nib sides into are stripped, I think at the piston. I ordered another one.
She questions:
Did the carbon pigment ink fuck up the threads? Should I return the fucked up one in the box the new one came in? Should I contact noodler's (luxury brands) and ask them, or is it a waste of time?
I can wedge the threads on the old one and it still works, but I'm afraid it won't for much longer.
Also hearing up the ebonite thing and pinching the nib makes it not leak or railroad, but leaving it in my art box in the car seems to undo the process and make it leak again.
I don't have any non pigment ink, but I have some ordered, but it won't get here for a while.

>>6278110
White pens, posca, correctors and japanese white-out bottles, in the past people used FW white but these days it's a far cry of the quality it once had, Bleed Proof is what you want as long as you don't plan to cover with ink again as it's not waterproof.

I do not art. My wife does, I want to buy her some really nice colored pencils as a gift. Looking to spend about 300-400$ I appreciate any recommendations. Looking for a good midpoint between quality and an absurd amount of variety.

>>6279230
For the record she took 1 year of art classes and then switched majors from art to nursing. She’s been getting back into sketching stuff and I want to encourage her because we all need something other than work and kids.

>>6279233
get her some faber castells polychromos
a nitram sandpaper pad
a good box cutter knife
and strathmore colored pencil paper

>>6279230
you can go youtube, there are plenty of good colour pencils comparisons like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC2AErhcKQE
you also can spend money on really good paper, depends on the medium she uses, it's not a flashy wow present, but everyone is shutting their mouth when they run out of paper

>>6228454
As long as it dont shred, cheap brush is alright. My uncle is master tier caligrapher and he use cheapest brush/ink. Only use expensives ones for expensive commissions.
Also if you want to be a performer, you probably need to learn zen tobcalm yourself from the pressure of thousand of people watching you.

>>6279230
Faber castell polychromos or Prisma color or both. I don't suggest more expensive ones as they arrn't neccessary better, plus your wife may switch to watercolkr or oil painting in future

>>6279784
color pencil good combo with water color

>>6279751
he’s a westerner in a western country asking westerners on 4chan about chinese calligraphy because he doesn’t speak chinese, he’s not going to have to worry about a thousand people watching him do chinese calligraphy

>>6279230
Colored pencils are kinda fucked up like that. There's oil and wax versions as well as watercolor and shit. At that price point I'd get three or four sets of 24. FB polychromos, Derwent light-fast, and something water soluble, like watercolor or inktense. It really depends on her style and subject material. More often than not, big sets of colors on any medium are a rip off as you will realistically use a few products from different lines.
Hang recently went through this your idea is impractical and I ended up spending half that on better variety. Blick sells individual pencils for a reasonable price and a handful from different sets is a better deal than 128 from one.

>>6279784
Prismacolor sucks now, their shit breaks and is off center.

>>6276206
>>6276223
I use them. From where I live Talens are one of the best options solely for being one of the few brands of bottle gouache that actually provides pigment information. So at least you know what you are working with.
Now these>>6276181 Chinese ones. I would not recommend. The main reason being that they are advertised as 30ml, but it only comes with about 24ml... I don't know how or why they messed that up.

>>6230930
So I have several brush pens. Out of the ones I got the Pentel one was the most expensive and my least favorite...

>>6281728
>Chinese
>I don't know how or why they messed that up.
>Chinese
>Chinese
>t. how soly anon we misser some ofa da fluid hihihihhihih, yes yes mistakea yes yes u forgive u forgive missa so sorry

>>6279826
>>6279784
>>6279260
>>6279257
>>6279989
Thabk you, ended up with a set of 70 something polychromos, a set of 70 something water soluble Faber castell pencils because I remembered she mentioned wanting to try that once, a pack of neon color pencils, two big pads of paper and a faber castell pencil sharpener.


>>6279784
I thought about paint but right now we have twin 3 year olds and a 6 year old so being able to put all the art supplies out of reach quickly is critical and paint seems like it requires a certain amount of mandatory setup and takedown time. Maybe when the kids are older.

>>6283421
recommend a waterbrush for the water soluble pencils if she doesn't have one. probably two to have a sacrificial one so kids can ""help"", it's about as tidy as painting can get.

>>6283447
Thank you. Any particular general use one you’d recommend?

>>6278110
definitely deleter white ink n.1
if will fade a bit if you're too delicate, but it dries quickly and works smoothly

Is there anyone here who have already hand-ground watercolors? I've recently tried two:

- some cool neutral-tint, ivory-black based;
- a raw umber.

Both were ground with some arabic gum+water+a few drops of clove oil+honey+some 2 years beyond expiration date glycerin+some ox gal.

There has been some mold on the neutral tint (nothing on the umber), Iguess that I would need to increase the clove oil for this one; is there anything else that could do? I'd prefer to avoid

While they both rewet relatively fast, the raw umber crumbled in little pieces. Both are rock hard: what could I use to make them more flexible? To avoid the crumbling? I'm reluctant to break my brush on the pan.

Does the glycerin expiration date matters? (no smell/mold/weird consistency)

>>6283490
Not him but some anon advised me recently the Pentel ones;got a flat one, was nice, so I bought a round medium recently too. Would recommend.

Used them with the previously made watercolor btw.

are alcohol markers archivial? Will they fade even without contact to sunlight?

>>6282631
how new?

>>6284213
Depends on the brand, not noticeably, and all materials age over time. Do you have a specific brand or piece you’re concerned about?

>>6272098
>>6275950
Reporting back, the Gillott nibs shipped in and they are definitely 'softer' than the Japanese nibs. I'm not sure what the different in manufacturing is but the middle splits much easier so the range in size is much wider/easier to achieve with less pressure. I wish the Gillott nibs were a lot cheaper although to get in the USA wit shipping costs and all.

What's are good clay for sculpture and basic tools to get?

>>6284402
One thing to note is that the Gillott nibs fit looser into the Tachikawa-like nib holder. Most are okay although one the 303 are the most loose with one practically sliding out.

>>6284295
>Mar 12 2021 1582779237243.jpg
But at least 2 years before that I think; more than half of the file of my /ic/-saved-stuff are dated from 12 March 2021, which should fit the date I bought my external HD.

Old's the new new, cycles blabla

>>6284413
Biting the end of it the nib that goes into the holder to make the size fit better fixes it up.

>>6284419
lurk moar

>>6284433
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd2cpjF73R4

>>6284433
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFCSXr6qnv4

will I get quad? close I guess

>>6284421
you can just put a tiny strip of scotch tape on the back to thicken it up too, if you're not a fucking caveman.

>>6284299
I just want to use a few in my sketchbook. I do my concept art in it tho, so I hoped the colors would somewhat stay. I think of getting ohuhu markers?

>>6284213
markers fade no matter what.

>>6284402
>I'm not sure what the different in manufacturing
thinner steel stock and tempering method. i'm fairly sure the steel is also formulated differently.
>I wish the Gillott nibs were a lot cheaper
303's are $0.79 for one. 0.75 each for a pack of 10 (so $7.50 for 10, more discounts when you buy per gross but that's a bit much) that's not with shipping but it's certainly not what i'd call expensive by any means, if anything they're on the cheap side.
the other gillott nibs aren't too different in price.
>>6284413
>Gillott nibs fit looser into the Tachikawa-like nib holder.
get a holder with a universal ferrule.
>>6284421
i'm honestly surprised you haven't damaged the nib using that way. actually you probly have but just kept using it without realizing.

bamp

>>6284413
Once ink gunk up, they'll fit alright.

>>6286682
>that's not with shipping but it's certainly not what i'd call expensive by any means
Fair enough, was thinking of the shipping. Place I ordered from tacks on an extra $6 for it. Almost the price of a pack of 10 nibs itself! If anyone knows a place that ships free in the USA I'm curious.
>get a holder with a universal ferrule
Will keep that in mind.
>you probly have but just kept using it without realizing
Honestly have no clue so I hope I'll be able to differentiate the condition of the nib after more experience.

>>6289096
>$6 for it.
>if anyone knows a place that ships free in the USA I'm curious.
My supplier has a $6 flat rate shipping for orders over $25. I generally buy items in bulk to take advantage of flat rate shipping so i get inks, paper, and anything else i need with some exceptions.
As far as i know free shipping is only provided when you spend over a certain amount, the place i normally buy from give free shipping at $250.

>>6289722
Alright buying in bulk next time. The current haul should last me a while. We have the same supplier probably.

I've spent hundreds of dollars on art supplies since 2020, and lately all I use is a fucking HB pencil

>>6291592
You're doing it right

Can I get some pan watercolor recommendations? I don't normally use watercolors, but they're useful when I need to color large areas in and need my wrist the rest of the week. I'm not sure how much watercolors cost but I'm willing to spend a lot for good quality.

>>6263516
Ive used Baohong before and I like it. Its legit 100% cotton even though its from China. Their student grade is more than acceptable for its price, but try to get a smoother grain hot press block.

>>6270228
Use Faber Castell Goldfabers. Cheaper, good pigment and easier to sharpen than most wax-based pencils.

>>6292186
Tubes are usually a better option than pan. You can buy empty pans and progressively fill them with fresh paint. This way, you can almost always have as much fresh paint as you need (this is more useful than commonly believed)

Daniel Smith are great, but pricey. DS has no cadmiums, so I often go for other brands, depending on what I can buy locally (Schmincke usually).

W&N are OK, but you can definitely feel a difference in quality with DS (chroma is more intense with DS, like on ultramarine blue).

I've used a few other brands but I've settled around DS. I would buy Old Holland's too if local stored would sell them; bought a pan once, it's good stuff

bump

are silverwhite brushes really the best or are they a meme? I need some good synthetic, all the cheap brands I keep buying just destroy in a few months from contact with cotton paper

>>6294596
i assume you mean these brushes
if so, then yes they are among the best depending on your style and medium
are you painting with oils or acrylic?

>>6294621
I use mostly designer gouache

new AI artist here, which GPU should I get to draw the best quality images

>>6294627
That's >>/g/ for you. Go trad otherwise

>>6294624
you can buy them if you want, but i'd say it's overkill for something like gouache. they're imitation hog brushes and are designed to handle heavy body paints. depending on where you live, i recommend a store brand of synthetic brushes. (michaels, hobby lobby, blick, jacksons, etc.)

>>6294596
Get these.

Best stand for drawing on? Drawing over the table has permanently changed my back and I can't breathe properly anymore.

>>6294766
Posture discipline bro. Piano players and horse riders have that uber straight back, because they train hard to keep it straight.

Take the time to stretch and develop muscles of the back/torso, this should help. But you'll have to wait months to get the results. More generally, if you exercise on a regular basis, you shouldn't have been to affected by that, provided you exercice wisely.

>Best stand for drawing
That being said, I like my French easel. Pricey, but so far so good

>>6227574
shit supply general

>>6294807
>Piano players and horse riders have that uber straight back, because they train hard to keep it straight.
Ironically I played piano for 7 years of my life and used to horseback ride in the mountains. I developed scoliosis about when I was about 10 years old, my spine curves like a snake from side to size, not so much like hunchback.
>French easel.
Which kind or brand do you have? Do they have the ones for tables? I have an easel for painting but I would like to get a stand primarily for drawing atop a table.

I use invisiblue pencils for sketching, a Pentel pocket brush pen for inking, and a Tul pen for detail work.

>>6263520
you want an erasable colour lead. blue is probably easier on the eyes to draw over still, but keyword is erasable, not non-photo.

>>6294914
pretty sure the legs on all frenchies fold in completely so they sit flat on a table, it's part of the standard design.
not sure about the half sized ones though, they might not have a recess for the rear leg.

>>6294914
Sorry to hear;I'm always "amazed" when I see those rich girls with their perfectly straight back, you know what they've been doing.

Didn't thought you could develop issues by taking care of your back on a regular basis; do you know why you developed scoliosis?

>easel
I have a Mabef (I wanted to buy one that last, I've read some bad online reviews on modern Jullian). Pretty sure it sits flat on a table, but I'm not using it this way.

It's expensive, but if you're serious about drawing and have some cash, I guess it's a good investment. You can find good opportunities on second-hand shops too (older easels were not made in China, so some of them really are good for the price

>>6295354
My table is quite small so I'm not sure it can accommodate it. Might just have to get it to stand on the floor. I've always just used mine for plein air.
>>6295376
>why
No one knew I had scoliosis until I was 14 and got an x-ray recommended from the nurse at school. I was told to consider surgery but I declined. My mother had scoliosis so there is familial history there except she got hers fixed at a young age. I started playing piano and violin (which requires good posture to play well, even more than piano) before I developed it I believe.
>Mabef
There seems to be a lot of different types of easels, some smaller and others bigger. I am not too educated on all the varieties because I just get whatever is in stock at local stores. Thanks for the answer.

Began learning how to use dip pens. Learning, slowly but surely.

Looking for recs for plein air watercolor equipment (minus paint and brushes), ie cases, water holders, strap easels, etc, preferably products you’ve used personally and can stand behind

>actual chalks
>nobody sells them anymore
>porte-crayons
>nobody makes them anymore
>jumbo leather portfolio
>nobody makes them anymore
we've all been sabotaged.

>>6295819
check gurney’s blog and/or videos that’s literally his life now

>>6295819
>>6295912
actually, here you go, say aaaaaaaa
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2014/08/watercolor-in-wild-materials.html
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2022/07/whats-in-your-kit.html
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRba1gHgLtJDo8hfHmfgRKPRBxbg2_OU0

Alright the time has come, Hale wants me to do still lifes of shapes to learn value. I've been putting it off this entire time because it's so obviously dry ... but where do I get wooden blocks. Az sells them hella expensive for what is essentially refuse - so where do you buy your shapes.

Im not using a glass jar and I'm not a hoarder so I don't like have a cylinder like shape around my house.

>>6295928
you don’t have a deodorant or fixative or something?

What’s a good way to frame canvas boards/panels? Can I just frame them like I would a photo/print? Should the glass be removed? Also regular canvases, does anyone make their own frames? I think I may.

>work with copics on regular printer paper
>solid colours fine but all my blending looks like shit
>actually get marker paper
>blending looks good
I didn't realize how important paper was for these lil guys

>>6295928
>I'm not a hoarder so I don't like have a cylinder like shape around my house.
You don't have toilet paper? You don't have regular paper and tape?

>>6295994
I guess I can use that. I'd rather just buy some blocks and have a sphere, cube etc. I just think $20 is overpriced for a set.

>>6295805
Have you tried a flex nib fountain pen?

>>6295928
>I don't own a cylinder because I'm not a hoarder

>>6296178
Which brands do you recommend?

Do you guys worry about sustainability of art supplies? Like in terms of the environment

I use graphite pencils and paper and eventually plan on graduating to inks. How can I avoid damaging the environment

>>6296425
i'm a recluse, but i wounder.
Do You realy think that?
Huanity's fate is Death, and it's fate is written on stone.
You are the carbon footprint, don't you get it?and thoes in power are going to Kill you, so you cannot make anymore. How do you not see this?
(i'm my eyes) it's word play and funny, but i have a dark sence of humor.
Do you think a tree says "i'm sorry i'll move my branch aside for you sapling?"

>>6296425
Traditional deals with deforestation, digital deals with e-waste. Both require lots of minerals, metals, and water to manufacture the tools required to create either. Then there's transportation.

>>6296425
the best eco solution is to buy less. Use those art supplies to the bone before buying any more

>>6296441
>deforestation
what century do you think this is? wood has been sustainably produced for probably your entire life.

>>6296425
The best thing you can do for enviroment is buying quality stuff, so that you don't have to replace it often.

>>6296425
if you want you can you can practice on wax (sustainable local beeswax) tablets with a stylus. or a piece of scrap wood that you coat with animal glue and chalk/pumice that you can scrape to erase and recoat as needed. if you're a real eco warrior then just practice on the dirt.
you can forage for colored rocks and clays to make pigments so ther's less carbon footprint from export.
you can recycle paper or old clothes into new hand made paper.
you can buy local chicken eggs to make egg tempera paint instead of buying paint that has had various components from around the world (tubes, caps, labels, pigments, oils, dyes for labels, glue to stick label on)
but personally i don't care.

>>6296305
There's only one under $100. Noodler's. Everyone says hey the Ahab. It's $25.
They got two more cheap ones and a $65 one.
Beyond that you're looking at $150 pilot or buying vintage off eBay. Then there's the whole custom nib thing. I haven't gotten to that point yet.

Also, pigment based on fucks them up, you need fountain pen ink and that might not be waterproof. Good to know this ahead of time...

>>6296436
Chirp.

>>6297204
I couldn't hack the custom job and really disliked my ahab for that reason. I bought an equally cheap twsbi eco ultra fine and it's great. Flex is kinda a meme.

>>6297209
**custom nib

>>6297209
See my issue is I'm kinda beg, so it's hard to say what's the equipment and what's me. Here's me using it to draw from life. I like the line variation, but I hadn't tried brush pen yet.
It's fun, but the carbon ink clogged it.

>>6297206
Hoop hoop

>>6296425
Avoid cars, take short cold showers, buy local.

I mean to say, for an average human, art supplies will barely have any impact on the environment, compared to say owning a car.

>>6295941
Remove the glass for oils, keep it for watercolors, pastels and drawings. Framing matters; a nice frame will do wonder on an average piece.

>>6295996
Sculpting is hard, but making a clay ball or a clay cube is not so hard;plus you can paint it. You can also make a cube with some paper, on some chunks of woods (I've used chunks of wood)

>>6297357

>>6297204
I've heard good things about Blue Pumpkin nibs, though they require some prep work aka burning the oil off them. Your experience with them?

>>6298372
Well, I'm beg for what that's worth, but I wasn't impressed. They weren't any better for me than some shitty hobby lobby nibs. They didn't seem to hold a decent amount of ink for the size and I didn't get anything special out of the geometry.
Now I could just be a fucking noob and not know what makes a big good, so keep that in mind.

>>6298372
Oh and one more thing, I cleaned it with soap and hot water, not burning. It didn't help a ton.
https://youtu.be/YCWNDpVUGj8
This guy tries a bunch of different ways.

>>6297204
>There's only one under $100. Noodler's
Everyone seems to forget ackerman pens for some reason. They're around the same price point
>Then there's the whole custom nib thing
if your referring to the spencerian grind made by nib.com, it's of note that this mod is no longer performed by John Mottishaw himself (he hasn't been actively involved in the business for quite a while now i believe) but rather his two apprentices who's got a rather spotty review record.
I can't seem to think of any other custom nib providers except one in Spain possibly i think.
>you need fountain pen ink and that might not be waterproof
you can get pigment ink that's specifically for fountain pens, i myself own one of them although i don't use it often since i don't need waterproof properties and value having more color options. sailor and a few other brands provides them.
>>6297209
>Flex is kinda a meme.
i can confirm that this is true
>>6297225
>the carbon ink clogged it.
nibs can be rather picky with inks at times

>>6298472
they're not good and your experience is the same as mine was some 8 years ago.
i tell all beginners to buy a sample set of nibs (several retailers provide this) to see what they like and don't like
>burning the oil off
don't do this, i have no idea why this prep method is used since there's about 5 better ways that won't destroy your nib.

>>6299053
knowing a little more about old nibs than i did a year ago, i notice many of them in this photo look more suitable for drawing than a lot of the apparently-writing nibs i ended up with.
if i find a box i like, am i wasting money grabbing another? what are the chances of actually using up all of them in my lifetime?

>>6299083
>more suitable for drawing than a lot of the apparently-writing nibs
writing nibs and drawing nibs are basically the same thing. all nibs you see in the photo are writing nibs but most have also been advertised as drawing nibs or artist nibs.
high quality vintage nibs from an established manufacturer are not cheap nowadays and rather difficult to find.
>if i find a box i like, am i wasting money grabbing another?
well that depends on you.
one thing you should note about vintage nibs is that they're possibly different from generation to generation.
for example they are about 8 different generations of Spencerian No. 1, the last two generations command about one tenth of the price of the earlier gens because they're terrible.
another example for esterbrook nibs, it's well known within the calligraphic industry that the made in mexico nibs are poor in quality with the radio nibs line exempted and thus should be avoided.
>what are the chances of actually using up all of them in my lifetime?
i personally use esterbrook A1 for non-calligraphic use (drawing, flourishing etc.) and i liked it so much i got 4 gross boxes back then. i've used about 1 and 1/2 since then.

the time you change nibs is dependent on several things. Usage and nib sharpness are the most important.
usage is pretty obvious since the more you use it the faster it'll wear. when i was doing 4~6 hours per day i would swap a new one every half week (there's a use for old nibs in case you didn't know).
as for sharpness, think of a very sharp pencil. the sharper the nib the faster it wears down. blunt nibs don't wear fast. one of my spoon pointed nibs lasted like 4 or 6 month i think with regular use.
some people say rust but i've never had a nib succumb to rust, not even in irregular use.

>>6299138
>esterbrook A1
looks similar to the ones im considering another box of.
which are similar already to nikkon g, which i bought in bulk, so maybe i dont need more.


oh and people burning their nibs. should be a last ditch effort imo. first try saliva, or simply dipping into ink and wiping, then see if that worked.

>>6299230
>looks similar
one thing with nibs is that even if they look identical, they pretty much always feel different when you use them. the two nibs i have here are extremely different. one being stiff and semi-flex at best, and the other being the exact opposite. i had purchased the former gambling on the fact that it would have characteristics of the later since those are more expensive, i lost needless to say (iirc i'm pretty sure several people had the same mind set as me since these didn't come too cheap, the bidding got up to $150 roundabout for the gross which is relatively high for a no name box of nibs)
>dipping into ink and wiping
this only works consistently with acidic inks, specifically iron galls. anything acidic eats away the oil coating (a raw potato is a good example, if you stick your nib in and leave it for a second it'll come out perfectly prep'd each and every time). I've never has this work with any other ink.

>>6299259
i was looking for ones that did around a .2 line. my aim is comic and illustration and if i can do away with needing to buy disposable pens for the thinner lines, im happy.

>>6299307
>around a .2 line
>do away with needing to buy disposable pens for the thinner lines
you could get a pilot falcon reground to a np.

How to tell the condition of a nib when it's reached the end of its lifetime? The only signs I can think of are obvious ones like when a heavy object drops on top of one and it is permanently bent.

>>6296425
No. Whatever waste i produce in my tiny studio in my lifetime is overmatched a billionfold by what every factory produces every second.
Concerns about "sustainable consumerism" are not actually realistic -- theyre more about setting future trends and over time creating less demand for wasteful products (which will never happen as long as the poor outnumber the rich). It has never mattered what waste individual households produce.
>>6296631
this is a good answer, even tho its no solution. buy shit that lasts (still wont do anything to stop most people from buying poor products from chinese factories that dump waste into the ocean as fast as possible).

no, im not a ecodoomer, i just think the particular issue of waste is intractable.

whats the deal with "hybrid watercolor/gouache"
doesn't all gouache work like watercolor when diluted enough? and isn't watercolor with some white gouache hybrid

>>6299334
i have no idea where id begin to look for that around here.
>>6299562
when you push too hard testing how thick a line it gets and the tines decide no more and snap away.