As I go back through old A&J comic strips, looking for something to post, I’m more aware of whether a particular cartoon was drawn with a felt-tip pen or a traditional dip pen. This is, of course, because of my recent comments here. I have professed a preference for dip pen and India ink, and I have not changed my opinion, but I have wavered. I will admit that sometimes I have to look closely to tell, myself. And I must say, the lines drawn with a Micron 08 felt pen have more weight than lines drawn with an Esterbrook 048 pen nib. This is a plus with me, because I have always felt my line work appears somewhat anemic, partly because I don’t use a lot of blacks or shades of gray, probably. Still the pen nibs do allow a varied line, and they glide so much better. By that I mean, the feel when I draw is one of fluidity and control. To me, drawing with a dip pen feels like Sonja Henie on ice, and a felt pen feels like, well, me on ice. Of course, with a dip pen there’s always the possibility of the disastrous ink blob appearing out of nowhere which is the inking equivalent of falling through the ice. There’s a little more to say on this subject, though not much. I’ll try to say it next time. This cartoon, by the way, was drawn with a felt pen.
