T&T Thursday!

Nib Tuning 101

By Alex Zonis

Sketch by Alex Zonis

So you got yourself a fountain pen – congratulations! You took it out for sketch or several, and it is nice … but … There is a little something that is not quite… Perhaps the nib is catching a little when doing a big gesture… Or perhaps you wish it were a little juicier.  The experience is not terrible, but could be better.

There are a couple of simple things you can do to help your pen along. Just a little adjusting, or as we say in Pen World – a little nib tuning.

Here’s what you need:

• Micro-mesh 12000 grit                              https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Mesh-Micro-Mesh-12-000/dp/B001F7LVNC

• Brass sheets for flossing 0.002” https://www.gouletpens.com/products/goulet-brass-sheets?variant=11884650463275

Have a little ink in your fountain pen, because you will be tuning and testing, tuning and testing.

To smooth the nib:

• Put a small drop of water on the micro-mesh, place the nib into the drople

• Draw a few figure-eights, infinity signs, small circles clockwise and counter-clock. Only make a few, then test the nib on your regular sketching paper.

Better? 

If it feels great, stop there and enjoy your pen. If a bit more smoothing is needed, do a couple more figure-eights and circles, and test again.

• Be careful to not over-smooth, over-smoothing will make drawing/writing difficult. Fountain pen works on the principle of Controlled Leak. If we over-smooth and there isn’t enough friction left between the nib and paper, the tines will not open up, and the ink will not flow. So proceed very slowly and test after every couple of smoothing motions.        

• Be sure to rotate the pen in your fingers as you are drawing your smoothing figures on the micro-mesh. This is done to make sure that the filing motion does not create a flat surface at the business end of the nib. You want a dome there.

To increase ink flow:

• Insert the brass sheet vertically between the nib tines. 

• Do a few flossing motions – up and down, forward and back.

• Remove the brass sheet and test the flow. 

Better? Stop there.

Not quite? Do a few more flossing motions and test again. Go slow and test often. What you are doing is opening up the tines a tiny bit so that more ink can flow through.

Be careful to not over-floss. Remember Controlled Leak principle. Opening up tines too far (or splaying) will mess up the capillary action needed for Controlled Leak. If this happens, you may need to send the pen to a pen hospital for the nib to be repaired or replace the nib altogether.

These steps are very simple. They will take you less time than reading these instructions here. The main thing to remember is to test often, after every couple of motions. After you filed away a few microns of metal, it is not possible to put it back!

Please do not practice on gold nibs, rare nibs or pens still on warranty. Get a few inexpensive pens, like Jinhao 992, and practice. When tuned right, these little $2 Jinhao’s will draw as well as pens 20 times the price.

A special thanks to Atlas Stationers who hosted this demonstration by Alex for Urban Sketchers Chicago's August 21st meetup!

T&T Thursday!

 

Don't Look!

By Barbara Weeks

Too Much Espresso

Well, don't look at your paper; do look intently at you subject and draw it!

Blind-Contour Drawing

By definition a blind-contour drawing is drawing the outline of your subject without looking at your paper. I'm using the term contour  loosely. In this T&T I'm suggesting you use a combination of contour and continuous-line drawing.

How?

• Choose your subject and decide where you're going to start.

• Put your pencil, pen, or marker on the paper at your starting point and begin.

• Do not look at your paper until you are finished. (I know it's hard, but don't cheat!)

• Believe your pen is touching the edge of your subject and begin to move along the form with your eye on your subject and your pen on the paper. Imagine your pen feeling the line, the curves, each noon and cranny.

• Draw without lifting your pen off the paper.

Yikes! Blind Contour Selfie!

                                            

Hints:

• Think in terms of line, shape, direction, sharp, rounded, etc. rather than objects.

• Draw at a consistent pace.

• When you reach a point where two lines intersect or two forms meet you don't have to stay on the outer edge, (think continuous line not contour) but keep your pen on the paper.

When you're back where you started take a look at your drawing. You'll probably see some distortions, way off proportions, but some areas may be remarkably accurate. You may also see energy, sensitivity, and an expressive line that aren't present in other drawings. Whatever you see, there are real benefits to blind contour exercises.

One hanger, four times

Benefits:

• Improves your eye-hand coordination.

• Encourages you to draw what you see, not what you know.

• It helps you understand your subject.

• You become more involved in the process rather than product.

• Continuous-line, blind-contour drawings are a great way to warm up for a drawing session.

• For urban sketchers it's good experience for when we're drawing in the dark, in our pockets, or under the table!

• It's fun!

Try it and post your sketches to on Facebook !  #T&T

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Come Sketch with Us!

 

                                    Bannner sketch by Richard Kasemsarn

Let's Sketch

Atlas Stationers

Saturday, August 21

12 PM - 3 PM

Hosted by

Mary Jo Ernst, Alex Zonis and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Save the date! Atlas Stationers is hosting Urban Sketchers Chicago on Aug 21st ,with  special hours for our group. This 4th generation business has the largest selection of fountain pens, inks and journals/ sketchbooks. If you have ever wanted to try out fountain pens and ink then this is your chance. They have an ink testing station and will also ink up any pen you would like to try. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. 

Details

Atlas is located at 227 W Lake near the corner of Wells. 

Our fearless leader, Alex Zonis will be doing a demo showing the basics of how to tune your pen nibs to get a smoother line.
There are also incredible views to sketch. The Riverwalk is 3 blocks walkaway, the view looking down Franklin st to the west is an iconic downtown skyline perspective and they are under one of the 4 track curves for the CTA Loop. Atlas will be offering the use of their restroom to our group. 

There is a parking garage right at 205 N Post Place that does not break the bank. The the CTA and bus stops are just steps away from the location. 
For more information click here: Atlas Stationers

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For Your Drawing Pleasure!

August Sketching Prompts

• August 1  –  Eating outside                              

• August 8  – What's blooming?

• August 15  – Dog days of summer

• August 22  – Signs, marquees, billboards

• August 29  – Drawn to music

Have fun!

Prompts and sketch by Alex Zonis

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T&T Thursday!

Last T&T Thursday Alex shared her journey to drawing excellence. Knowing how it can be done shows us the way. Knowing the benefits shows us the why!

No Excuses!

By Barbara Weeks

Did you know that until the late 1920s - early 1930s drawing was part of the regular school curriculum? While not one of the 3 Rs, it was considered an important tool for developing concepts, sharpening thought, and sharing ideas. 

What Happened? 

One of the major factors was the development of photography made drawing seem like an unnecessary skill. In more recent years, computer advancements in the visual communication field made drawing appear to be unimportant even unnecessary but things are changing. 

Why Draw?

Whether it’s called drawing, sketching, or doodling, today, we’re rediscovering there are real benefits to drawing. If you're an experienced artist looking to reboot or a newbie looking for kindred spirits, this is for you.

Benefits of Drawing

• Improves eye-hand coordination
• Improves memory
• Improves communication skills
• Relieves stress (Have you seen all the coloring books for grown-ups that are in the stores?)
• Increases creativity
• Increases observational skills
• Increases attention to detail
• Records ideas
• Increases positive emotions (Why do you think restaurants give crayons an paper to children?)
• The more you draw the better your drawing skill
• It's fun

And this is just a partial list!

Drawing relieves stress, preserves a memory, and conveys ideas.

Want to Draw More but Need a Nudge? 

We know the benefits of drawing; it only makes sense to draw more. It’s funny that two of the causes for drawing less are now big helps to start drawing more – the computer and the internet. 

There’s an internet group out there made just for you and your sketching needs. FaceBook offers an almost endless list of groups that unite like-minded sketchers for encouragement, inspiration, to share information and sketches. There are drawing quests issued on Facebook and Instagram to challenge you to draw more. Post your work, add the proper # and join in the fun. 

Enjoy and share sketching online communities – Sketchbook Work, Urban Sketching, #EDM2015

On location sketching:

• Urban Sketchers    Click here for Regional Chapters  
• Urban Sketchers-Chicago
• Plein Air Artists Group
• SketchCrawl
• Urban Watercolorist Group

Sketchbook work:

• Artist’s Journal Workshop
• Inside Your Sketchbook
• Doodlers Anonymous
• In the Artist’s Studio: Daily Practices and Procedures

Hashtags:

The challenges vary and crop up seasonally. Search these hashtags for ideas:

• #inktober
• #everydayinmay
• #uskchicago
• #doodlersanonymous
• #usk

Working for years as a graphic designer, I reached a point when I felt handcuffed by the computer and missed the creative boost of sketching by hand. That’s when I discovered Urban Sketchers (thank you Gabi Campanario!) and Everyday Matters (thank you, Danny Gregory). They were the beginning. There was no turning back! I found I didn’t need  an excuse to draw, I had reasons to draw. 

How about you, why do you draw? Do you have a favorite group?

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Let's Sketch

Chase Plaza

Sunday, July 18

12 PM - 3 PM

Hosted by

Mark Jones and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Details

This month's meet up will be at Chase Plaza in downtown Chicago. There are wonderful sketching opportunities at this location including the Chase building, the plaza and the fountain, and the Chagall mural, 'Four Seasons'.

We'll meet at the stairs on the Monroe side. 

T&T Thursday!

Paka 2021

 

Thoughts on Talent

By Alex Zonis

Many times, as I am sitting sketching in a park or a cafe, someone would stop by, look over my shoulder, and then say with a wistful air "I wish I had your talent… I'd like to draw too…"

I usually hesitate to tell them, but I will tell you: I have no talent.

What I have is an incessant desire to make images. I have persistence and tenacity. I gave up on instant gratification and the need to look good right away. I bought in on an idea of 10,000 hours. But talent… no, definitely not. But let's examine the situation with more attention.

For decades I did not draw or paint or make art, because I was convinced that I had no "talent". Fairly late in life I came up with a rebellious idea that I don't actually need this thing "talent" to draw or paint. Ha! What a liberation it was! I took a pencil and did an exercise from a drawing book, the year was 2009:

I did more exercises from books, and interestingly enough my drawings got better.

Then I came across a book by Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers: The Story of Success" and read about 10,000 hours concept. 

The idea is that you need about 10,000 hours of practice to get good at whatever you want to get good at. I did the math: working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, gives 2,000 hours of practice in one year. In 2010 I'd barely scratched the surface… I realized that I needed 5 years of dedicated practice. I also realized that I don't need "talent", I need skill. That was doable, and I got to work.

These are some examples. 

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

I have done my 5 years - 10,000 hours and much more! I have moved from being afraid of putting a pencil to paper to being a professional artist and a painting instructor. 

Here's one more thing to keep in mind. In the beginning of your 10,000 hours quantity is more important than quality. 

There once was an experiment in a pottery class of an art school. For one semester a class was divided in 2 halves. Students in the first group were asked to make one single pot each during the time of that semester, but it should be the best pot they ever made. The grade would be given based on the quality of that single pot. The second group was asked to make as many pots as they possibly can, quality and beauty not important. These students would get their grades based on the number of pots they made, the more the better. As you probably guessed, by the end of the semester pots produced by the "quantity" group  were better and more beautiful than single pots made by the "quality" group. 

This example comes from a book "Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" by David Bayles and Ted Orland. You can get this book from Amazon for under $4.00 used. It is a little book - 120 pages, small format - with a lot of wisdom. This will be the best art book you ever bought.

A practical and observable shift in quality of work occurs through practice and work. "Talent" is not even a part of this equation.

During my years of practice and self-study I arrived to several conclusions that I want to share with you:

• If you can write a grocery list - you can draw too. You have all visual and motor skills that you need.
• There is no such thing as talent. Talent is a man-made construct that is not really helpful.
• Drawing can be taught. Why do you think there are so many art schools and art teachers. Find the right one. Teaching yourself works too.
• Practice and time on task is all there is. Don't just trust me, try for yourself. Then come back in 6 months and thank me :).

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