For today’s litho* experiments I used a Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Pen** with a new ink cartridge, and Dr. Ph. Martin’s Black Star India Ink. And because I was using ink, I did heat-set these plates.
The plate on the left was drawn with the India Ink. I used the dip pen to outline the feather and then a brush to paint on the ink. The plate on the right was drawing with the Pentel brush pen.
I started by printing the brush pen falling feather plate first. It took many prints on newsprint to build up ink on the plate, but I managed an okay print.
The first test print of the India ink feather grabbed all the ink!
I switched to the good paper and then made 4 prints. After the first print which is obviously over-inked, I switched brayers, laid down less ink and stopped running the plated back through the press a second time and got better prints.
So, the brush pen and the Dr Martin’s India ink and both viable options for making plates. I’m really excited that the lines made with the dip pen showed up. I don’t really like drawing with Sharpies, but I love love love drawing with ink. I think I might just stick with the India ink for awhile while I work on getting the inking and printing of the plates dialed in.
*Pronto Plate Lithography. Please don’t make me type that out every time.
** I should get a 2nd pen just to keep an almost empty cartridge in because that makes some amazing dry brush textures. I also didn’t know that they had gray and sepia cartridges. Want! I’ll pick up another one the next time I go to Blick Art Supplies.