Inktober Prep: Inking Tools Demo & Comparison!

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[@leighannenight]

I love that you're reducing your waste by switching to prushes and dip nib pens. I personally use refillable fountain pens for fine lining for the same purpose.

[@HajraMeeks]

yeah! I basically switching BACK to paint brushes and dip pens after being lazy with markers the last 3 years. Luckily I only have a dozen markers, and I used brushes to ink for so many years that it should be a low stress switch that returns to a greener method! So happy to hear you do that with fountain pens--I still far and above prefer a brush to a fountain pen, but I totally think fountain pens are super cool. Wish the whole world would get rid of disposable plastic ball point pens, gel pens, or whatever cheap pens and markers and just go back to fountain pens for all that stuff. :p

[@totallyinsaneart3345]

*I loved this fantastic video.* *I want to start inking and this made me a bit wiser about the tools.* *I live in the Philippines. Your video motivated me to find out how to make my own bamboo pen.* _Thanks to you - _*_This is a fun ride I am starting._*

[@HajraMeeks]

Awesome to hear it! Wishing you epic art adventures and Kamusta from California!

[@SharonNolfi]

I'm happy to learn you'll be teaching more classes at the SCAL! It's exciting the way your in-person art teaching has taken off. Your inking is beautiful, no matter what tool you use.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Sharon, you're such a sweetie.

[@SharonNolfi]

@@HajraMeeks Wow. Lots of great opportunities. Will you still be posting new content on Patreon?

[@HajraMeeks]

@@SharonNolfi Yes, I'll be posting vids and art posts to Patreon (and the shorter preview vids to YT), as I've still got some time for Patreon. :)

[@sketchingjohn1852]

Thanks Hajra! I love old school brush and nib inking as well. Though like you, I've used markers for speed. Sometimes I even just scan the pencils for speed and a different effect.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're welcome, John! Yes, you are a kindred spirit, I've done the same! The pencil pieces that I use no ink lines on become just my full watercolor or gouache pieces, and the ones I do ink are my ink-and-wash ones.

[@danemeow8]

You are brilliant Hajra! Always doing amazing and useful things. I have been getting into more inking things lately that need more variation than my PN (plastic nib like yours in video) sakura micro pen can achieve, even though it is better for variation than other normal metal tip or ballpoint pens. So I think I will treat myself today and go get a super fine brush to ink with as well as grab one of the bamboo dip pens ive been eyeing at Jerry's because if you ;) i have metal nib dip pens and i quite like the style and feel they give but they drag alot and get clogged and i dont keep the tips very well in my messy art bags, so ive thought for awhile that a bamboo one would be a great alternative. Thank you Hajra, much love and admiration for you!

[@HajraMeeks]

Yay! I think you'll love both the brush and reed pen (which again I shaved down with an exacto to get a finer point of 0.5 mm). The brush will take a bit more practice, but I find it very natural to use personally. So glad you found my tools and ideas helpful, and so happy to hear from you, sweetie! xoxo, h

[@TimothyJohnLukeSmithPSA]

Hi Hajra, wonderful video and I love what you do with inks...so talented!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Timothy, very kind of you, and glad you enjoyed my video!

[@TimothyJohnLukeSmithPSA]

@@HajraMeeks So cool, I do inks as well, would you ever be interested a collab video in the future?

[@HajraMeeks]

@@TimothyJohnLukeSmithPSA that would be fun! But, I really can't find the time for collabs nowadays that I've gotten back to teaching in-person classes, even the AAC vids are tough to slot in. :p but if you do ink vids in Inktober, I'd be happy to give your channel a shout out and tell folks to check out your ink project if I post an ink vid during that time myself. always love to hear from fellow artists and YT creators, h

[@TimothyJohnLukeSmithPSA]

@@HajraMeeks Thank you Hajra, being busy with your art is a very cool thing. I love your channel and I will be commenting for sure. Lets give one another shout outs in October, that will be fun. So pleased to meet you.

[@HajraMeeks]

Yeah, for sure, looking forward to our Inktober shoutouts and lovely to meet you as well! :D

[@real3ater]

It will be my first time. Can't wait!

[@HajraMeeks]

Hope you have fun! :D

[@ad6449]

Another wonderful video, Hajra, that really supports learning. Thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, friend--you should be getting emails soon that will share the private, longer vid version with you (along with a dozen or so other priv vid links). Just a thanks for being one of my best patrons in the past.

[@ad6449]

So happy we were able to journey together for that time, Hajra. It meant they world to me! Got the links and am really happy as I was wishing I could re-view some of them as I'm deeper into my inking journey. Thanks for it all and best wishes!

[@HajraMeeks]

@@ad6449 You're so welcome, my friend. You were one of the nicest and truest people I met online, and the smiles you started with your comments were countless--you always made my day. Thanks so much for the unexpected tip on Paypal; just another sign that you are a top notch person.

[@ad6449]

And you are a top-notch teacher! May our paths cross in person one day; would love to take one of those in-person courses with you.

[@ahreftasha]

Oh my gosh I love this drawing I hope to see it in full color come October! Halloween is my favorite holiday. When is your birthday exactly I would love to send you a card!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Tasha! yeah, the color one I'll share on Instagram and YT and Patreon in October, though SCAL's website will share my photos of my class promo/prep version before then. Halloween is totally one of my favorite holidays, too!

[@MuhammadRiaz-ed1sv]

MaashAllah.. Very talented you are.. May you get more of success and happiness

[@HajraMeeks]

Jazak-Allah khair, brother, very kind of you! Wishing you a Ramadan Kareem and all good things to you and your family, inshallah.

[@DKG72]

I use Windsor Newton ink...but I'm going to try the Dr. Martin's inks now.

[@HajraMeeks]

Both are good brands! The Dr. Ph Martins seem to be the most popular though for some reason.

[@DKG72]

@@HajraMeeks cool. I gotta give it a try.

[@brainysmarticus]

Hello, at the end of the video you're cleaning up with what I assume to be an alcohol wipe. When using it do you have to rinse your brush immediately after because it may damage the brush or is it safe to lay it around ? By the way, there is fountain pen like brushes (just like the pocket brush from Pentel) but with a smaller size brush from kuretake. I haven't tried them yet though.

[@HajraMeeks]

Such a small amount of alcohol evaporates pretty quickly, so safe to leave as is, but I still give the brush a quick rinse in the water cup again before putting it away.

[@elflordsjourneys]

Always look forward to inktober and what everyone creates.😀

[@HajraMeeks]

it's definitely a lot of inky fun! I never participate in Inktober formally--I never follow any of the prompts or do an ink piece daily. I just like to do a few ink pieces (1-4 total the whole month) as it's just a fun reminder that inky adventures await those who enjoy them. :D

[@elflordsjourneys]

I think I would do the same😀

[@gildersleevee]

Hello, I use dip pens and I have two or three Refillable fountain pens that I use when I want to ink my drawings before I add my water colors to them. I love the fact that buying ink in bottles is very frugal as it feels as though there must be miles and miles of ink lines possible with just one small bottle of ink. Also the colors are fun and the ink bottles never dry out if they are used infrequently unlike markers can. I was blown away by the bamboo dip pen, I Have to try one of those. Do you recommend a natural hair brush or synthetic brush for inking ? I have never tried brushes also what size was the brush you used on this art project, It seemed to be a perfect size and looked to hold a surprisingly large supply of ink for such a small brush. Love your lessons and enjoy your teaching style.

[@HajraMeeks]

Yes, it does indeed feel like there's miles of line in one ink bottle! The bamboo dip pen has been a lot of fun, especially since I pared it down to a smaller custom tip with an exacto knife. I think that the brush type for inking depends on the individual's needs and style, so there isn't one definitive answer, but personally I much prefer a synthetic brush for inking as nylon hair is firmer and less wobbly than a natural hair without being too stiff (like a bristle brush). So, nylon brushes are less fatiguing for ink lines for me and have a more dependable stroke and also carry less water (which results is fewer ink blob accidents). The brush I used here was a small 0000 round nylon brush and it held a decent amount of ink. For a larger ink load while maintaining a fine line, I also use a #1 or #2 da vinci nylon round travel brush as needed. Thanks so much for your engaged questions and your positive energy and input! :)

[@MDCampbell]

Boy, do I feel like a clumsy line, sometimes! lol! That would be a great band name, right? "Tonight, The Clumsy Lines will be opening for The White Stripes!" okay, maybe not. As for the Zig marker, I stopped using them as after a few uses, I found the output got sketchy and either the tip wore down, or the flow of ink got wonky. I also tried the Zebra Fude dual tip brush pen, recommended by Jake Parker, which I found to be horrible and not waterproof or lightfast. Very disappointed. That said, I'm grateful that you chose to show a specific way of using the Zig marker, in a way that I don't think I'd have considered. You look very comfortable, too, using the bamboo stylus, a tool I used many years ago, but ended up abandoning because dip pens were more predictable and controllable. Loving the results you put down in the demo! Back in the mid 1970s, we only had one kind of drawing marker: the Flair™ by either Bic or PaperMate, I forget. I loathed them, but they were all we had! lol! Then, I discovered the Ball Point Pen. Now, there's a medium I think you're probably good at... if not, you would be! The feel and tooth of a good ball point pen - and I mean a nice one, like a Waterman or Cross - is remarkable and very gratifying! lol! Anyhow, sorry for the long comment. Always a treat, Hajra! Thank you for sharing and being awesome. :)

[@HajraMeeks]

What a band name that would make...XD I've had my Black Zig Writers for 3+ years, and only this year did it start to get dry (thus spurring me to get a 2nd Zig and a few other black markers that I shared here). I must have gotten a good batch of juicy Zigs, sorry to hear it wasn't the same for you. But, hopefully I'll be returning to most of my inking with liquid ink once these several markers run dry, so I won't have to worry about finding more good markers. I've heard similar negative experiences about the Zebra Fude as your own. :p I do have a few PaperMate flairs--I ended up buying a pack like 3 years back for Inktober fun, and when I got them in the mail I realized they were the same markers lots of my elementary school teachers used for grading, so they felt really nostalgic. But yeah, the Flair is not a lightfast marker for sure. :p And you are soooo right about ball point pens--in middle school and early high school I felt like there was nothing that couldn't be drawn and shaded well with a buttery ball point pen--it's really one of those really subtle, delicate inking tools that's more amazing because it's so cheap! Don't worry about long comments (I say as I write another novella in response...XD)--I love hearing from my artist friends, you're very dear to me, so don't apologize, it's a real treat to hear from you, too, bro!

[@MDCampbell]

@@HajraMeeks right back atcha! xo

[@moonram2569]

Hi Hajra, how thin is the line that u get with the bamboo reed pen ? How does it compare with the Lamy ? Apart from a brush and dip steel nib, is there any tool that gave u a very thin line and how thin is it ? Sorry, again too many questions for u :) :)

[@HajraMeeks]

I answer all these questions in my longer Patreon video, Moon! XD Anyway, I won't leave you hanging: I got the bamboo reed pen pretty thin, down to 0.5mm for now, can go finer if I wanted, I would just need to shave the tip down further with my exacto knife. The paintbrush will always give the finest and most diverse lines, best tool out there, just harder to master. The whittled down reed pen has emerged as my 2nd fav for now (as unlike metal dip nibs or fountain pens, it doesn't clog on wc paper and can be shaved down to a custom point.) I won't be buying more metal dib nibs or fountain pens as they just don't do as well in a few ways--it's back to paintbrush inking (with some reed pen inking as needed) for me!

[@moonram2569]

@@HajraMeeks Oh thanks for the info. Looking forward to more inky videos 😊 Do u have tips for traveling with ink, including while flying. Disappointed that u dont like fountain pens - boo hoo.

[@moonram2569]

Hi Hajra, question for u : what is the difference in terms of outcome, between your method of using watercolor crayons vs all-prima method of applying crayon directly on paper ? Thanks.

[@HajraMeeks]

Well, both methods would be alla prima in a simple painting done in one sitting, the wet application of my method even more so. So, that's not the best label for it, just mentioning that so no one else is confused. But, to actually answer the question you posed--I think applying watercolor crayon dry onto the paper just gives more texture and a oil pastel or wax pastel appearance to the art (even if you wet it later, some texture remains). Applying the crayons wet and dissolved in a palette like I do, on the other hand, has no crayon texture and results in more of a gouache painting look or a watercolor look if the application is thinner.

[@moonram2569]

@@HajraMeeks Oh I c. And how many layers of color can be applied depends on the paper ?

[@HajraMeeks]

@@moonram2569 no, not really. I've found regardless of paper the same layers can be done as it's more like gouache. Glazing will allow for several sheer layers, while thicker application for fewer.

[@moonram2569]

@@HajraMeeks ok. Thanks so much for clarifying. Watercolor crayons ( neocolor ii that I am learning to work with ) is not that very different from inktense. Inktense when applied directly on paper does have texture vs when applied diluted in thin layers. And yes, alla- prima is achieved both ways - applied directly on paper or wet - in- wet - thanks for clarifying that as well. Was watching one of your older videos on watercolor crayons and boom I had questions 😀😀😀 Thanks for your time.

[@HajraMeeks]

@@moonram2569 no worries, always happy to chat art with you, Moon! :D

[@nonotv4255]

Content is probably good but... The single tone voice for 14mn, I couldn't handle it sorry.

[@gildersleevee]

@@HajraMeeks Well said Hajra, had you not so eloquently replied to Nono TV .. I would have had to, and I do not think I would have been so kind with my comment. Some people's kids. Sheesh.

[@HajraMeeks]

@@gildersleevee Yeah, "some people's kids" is right! XD XD Very sweet of you to be supportive.