"When Is A Fountain Pen Not?" Or "Look, Ma, No Nib!"

a simple yatate of the Edo period

The fountain pen first appeared in Japan just over a century ago (introduced, according to some accounts by a sailor on a merchant ship) and quickly grew in popularity. However, unlike written languages of European/Western origin , the Japanese written language involves more painterly mark-making; aficionados were quick to point out that not even the most flexible 14k "wet noodle" could compare with the expressive range of a well-made calligraphy brush.

a variety of yatate designs

To this day there are in Japan (and no doubt in China and the rest of eastern Asia) staunch advocates and devotees of the yatate (including famed American ex-pat watercolorist and sumi-e artist, Frederick Harris) -- a "traveler's kit" consisting of brush, carrying tube, and portable ink pot. In fact, vintage yatate from the Edo period are highly sought after collector's pieces -- both as works of art, historical artifacts, and functional writing/drawing tools.

United States yatate advocates include Cathy Johnson, who has written of the pleasure of using the Japanese travel kit on FaceBook and her blogs. http://cathyjohnsonart.blogspot.com/2009/05/miss-lara-and-yatates.html

Unfortunately, the going price of yatate have put them out of the range of many who are simply looking for a highly versatile tool for everyday use. But, as the proverb goes, necessity is indeed the mother of invention.

measuring just __ inches capped, brush fountain pens can be ideal for carrying afield

To meet the demand for a small, portable writing (and drawing) brush with the functionality of the fountain pen, Japanese brush manufacturers introduced the brush pen -- for all outward appearances a fountain pen (when capped) that could be easily clipped into a shirt or jacket pocket, but when posted a sumi-e brush with built-in ink reservoir and wonderfully responsive sable (usually called "weasel" in Japan and China) brush tip.

with the cap posted the brush fountain pen is comfortable and responsive

Due to the fine craftsmanship and quality materials that go into these brush pens, however, they too can be a bit pricey for students and those on tight budgets. (The Kaimei Sumi Brush Fountain Pen pictured above can retail for $72.95.) Enter the creative folks at Sakura Color Products Corp. -- the inventors of the oil pastel, creators of the highly successful Pigma Micron pen series, and parent company of the Hayward, CA based Sakura Color Products of America. In 1982 the company combined the barrel and inks of their widely used Pigma Micron rigid-tip pens with a rugged, flexible synthetic "brush" tip that offered the user a range of water-proof, acid-free, fade resistant inks, combined with the astounding mark-making range of a sumi-e brush -- all without the fuss or muss of carrying a bottle of liquid ink, or the time consumption involved in grinding fresh ink from an ink stick, and at a very affordable price.

In 1984 Sakura expanded their artist's material line when the company invented the world's first gel ink roller pen -- and added white (a color not available in the Pigma range) to the artist's palette.

"hairlining" with the Pigma brush pen

coloring it with a bold and brilliant swash

So, if you incorporate ink into your artwork and/or are interested in experimenting with a wider mark-making range than pen nibs or ball points offer, think about giving the well-made but moderately priced Sakura Pigma Brush Pens a test drive. To paraphrase the line from Casablanca: it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Sakura Pigma Brush Pen Giveaway! How would you like a free set of Sakura brush pens (in 8 vivid colors!) to explore and experiment with? And what if we throw in a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen, and a red Sakura pen case to tote them in? OK, subscribe to this blog (by clicking the blue "Join this site" button at right) and post a comment to this post any time between now and Friday, November 30. On Saturday, December 1 one winner will be randomly selected and notified via PM. The lucky winner will then be announced here on Sunday, December 2.

Good luck everyone!

Tricks of the Trade #1: Twin-Brush Technique

Most of us have found ourself sketching on location, with one hand dedicated to balancing a journal or drawing board and one alternating between applying color, setting down the first brush, then quickly picking up a water brush to create gradations before our color wash dries out. Labor-intensive? Yes. Exhausting? You bet. No other option? Well.... Enter the twin-brush technique.

This is a technique that I was introduced to some time back by a Chinese calligraphy master and quickly found that, with just a little practice, it quickly became second-nature -- and has become such a wonderful time-saver!

To begin with, one brush (hereafter referred to as the "water brush") is cradled horizontally between the fleshy web twixt thumb and index finger, and the crotch between index and middle finger. (Note: this brush will also be behind the vertical ink brush.)

The second ("ink") brush is held vertically in front of the horizontal water brush -- pinned between the tip of your thumb and first joint from the knuckle of the index finger. The tips of the index and middle fingers are on the far side of the vertical brush, while the tips of the ring and little fingers are on its near side. As depicted above, the combination creates a t-shaped arrangement in the hand and is very comfortable to work with.

Once an area of ink has been applied to artwork, the index finger is used to rotate the tip of the horizontal/water brush downward till it is under the tip of the middle finger.

The combined index and middle fingers continue to rotate the water brush down until it is parallel to the  vertical ink brush -- with the ink brush still in front of the water brush. The tips of the ring and little fingers move to the far side of the brushes.

The two brushes are now rotated around a vertical axis to reverse their positions, using a counterclockwise side movement of the thumb and index finger. (The water brush is now in front, the ink brush to the rear.)

Next, the tip of the middle finger is slipped beneath the rear/ink brush and are used to rotate the brush upwards to the horizontal position.

Finally, the ring and little fingers are returned to the near side of the vertical/water brush, and the tip of the thumb to the first joint of the index finger. This technique can then repeated as necessary until the sketch is completed.

I've tried to be as specific as possible in the written description, just in case the illustrations are not clear enough on their own. But, just in case the description risks making this technique sound too convoluted, I've also included the 5 second video below. (We are, after all, visual people. Aren't we?) Once you've practiced this technique a few times your hand should feel relaxed and stress-free, with the two brushes in complete harmony.

           

So, hopefully, you'll find this little "trick of the trade" of interest, and will give it a try. In future articles I'll try to offer additional "tricks" to tickle your fancy and expand your creative options. Thanks again for letting me share with you. Cheers!

PS, if you see, or read about, a particular tool or brand that interests you but is not currently available in your area, please consider visiting my new Art Supplies & Provisions Online page. (You can also find a link in the menu at the top of this blog.) There you will find tools, equipment, media, and supplies that I have tested thoroughly and am happy to recommend highly.