The Value of Rest

2.21.21

I took the last week off of work with the intention that I would spend it working on art. I have a project coming up that I’m collaborating on and I really wanted to get a chunk of work done. It was also my birthday and kind of a slow time at work, so I thought it would be a good time to use some of the paid time off I have stored up.

I ended up spending pretty much the whole week on the couch just hanging out with my husband and housemates, eating, and watching TV. I did finish what I wanted to get done on my project, but I didn’t do much else. This afternoon, after a full week off I feel like I finally have the wind in my sails again and I’ve spent the late afternoon and evening cleaning up my desks and putting away clothes in my room, updating my etsy and website, updating my calendar, and planning for the year ahead.

My impulse is to be mad at myself. I’m feeling guilty and like I’m falling behind. I told myself I was going to relax through Wednesday and then use the back half of the week for work, but I just…didn’t.

But…it took me a full week to feel like I wanted to get work done, so maybe I just really needed to take a whole week off. I recharged physically by doing not much besides yoga and sitting on the couch, I recharged mentally and socially by hanging out with my housemates, and I had time to connect with my partner, which was lovely. I work long hours at my day job and it’s very physical work and I have been working hard in my free time on artwork and maintaining healthy routines to keep my mental health under control so that I can keep working hard. That’s…a lot. It’s okay to take a break. I still completed what I needed to, and hopefully I can go back to work tomorrow with a clear head knowing where I’m heading.

Anyway, if you’re reading this, do you need a break? A real break that’s not just taking a break from one thing to work on something else? You deserve rest.

My Top 10 Inking Supplies

2.17.2021

10. Micron PN Pen

Sakura Microns are a standard workhorse for illustrators and cartoonists for good reason, but generally they are not my favorite fineliners because I find that the nibs get worn down easily and they tend to dry out quickly (Your mileage may vary, I think I tend to be a bit heavy handed). HOWEVER, the Sakura Micron PN (plastic nib) introduced in 2017 is a favorite of mine. They are designed for writing, but they give a really smooth, skip-free line, and the plastic nib allows for more variation in line width and I find my lines seem really natural, spontaneous, and alive with this pen. Fair warning, though, if the regular microns dry up quickly, these are even worse.

9. Dr Ph Martin’s Bombay India Ink

This is my absolute favorite India Ink. I know everyone raves about Dr. Ph Martin’s Black Star ink, but it’s so thick that it always gunks up my nibs. I find Bombay to be a nice middle ground between the Black Star and other inks like Higgin’s Black Magic. It’s smooth, fast drying, black black black, and it is thick enough that the lines dry just a tiny bit raised without being too thick. It’s also very waterproof and solvent-based markers (Copics, Prismacolors), watercolor, etc. can be used on top with no issues. I would be remiss if I did not add here that it should be used with the Bombay pen cleaner because it will also ruin your nibs eventually if you don’t clean them after use.

8. Tachikawa pen holder + G Nib

There’s not a ton to say here other than that this pen is the best. It has a built in grip, it feels right in my hand, and I wish it was more readily available in the US. I’ve played around with a few different nibs but I really like the Nikko or Zebra Brand G Nibs. The G nib is a manga nib which gives a lot of line width and mark making variation. Beware, not all nib brands are created equal and some (like the Kuretake or Speedball nibs) tend to wear out very quickly.

7. Pentel Brush Pen

The big squeezy pentel brush pen is my go to drawing too. Can’t be beat for line variation and I really like the ability to control the inkflow to get a huge variety of marks. You can get tiny, one-hair lines and big inky blobs all with one tool. I always get the one with the gray barrel as it has pigment ink that is waterproof once it dries (give it 24 hours before erasing or using with water or solvent based media just to be on the safe side, as it can smudge even when you think it’s totally dry. The version with the black barrel and the colored versions are not waterproof and will bleed and smudge all over the place.

6. Pentel Presto! Jumbo Correction Pen

Just an all around solid white out pen, I use it a lot when lettering, most inks go back over it pretty well. Be patient and give it enough time to dry. No, it’s still not ready, wait a little longer...maybe a little longer still.

5. Princeton Aqua Elite Watercolor Brushes

These are a great choice if you don’t like using natural bristle brushes because they are made from animals, or if you are just too broke to buy a Winsor and Newton Series 7 (The inking gold standard) like me. These brushes are really thirsty, great for inkwash, and you can get both really thick and thin lines with an 8 round and they keep their shape well, even in the hands of a goblin like me who is not always great about brush maintenance.

4. Molotow Acrylic Marker in White

My go to for highlights and corrections on an illustration. The ink is more opaque than other white paint pens, it dries faster, and the nibs can be pulled out for cleaning. They’re also refillable.

3. Uniball Signo White Gel Pen

Best white gel pen out there. Much juicier than the gelly roll white pens, and the ink is more opaque.

2. Staedtler Fineliners

Staedtler Fineliners are consistent, juicy, the ink is very waterproof, they take forever to dry out, and they are great for drawing and writing. Seriously, no downsides.

1. Faber-Castell India Ink Markers

Have real india ink in them so if you are using them on a piece that also has brush and ink they will match the black india ink without the weird sheen that other fineliners sometimes have. Also come in a lot of brush variations as well as the “Big Brush” which is great for filling in large areas of black.

Honorable Mentions:

Other inking products I really enjoy using:

Prismacolor fineliners - not waterproof or even Prismacolor proof which is baffling, but I really like the colored fineliners for linework. Also they are really juicy and last practically forever
Prismacolor markers - colors are great, blendable, more lightfast than copics, I’m a brush tip gal but my partner is all about the chisel tips, so try ‘em both and see what you like
Dr. PH Martin’s Bleedproof White - a great option for covering mistakes and adding highlights, if it dries out just add water and mix a bit and you’re good to go.
Pentel Brush Pen Red - smudges to high heaven but I just can’t get enough of those juice red brush lines