Diva's Weekly Challenge #78 - Auraknot

The first photo is for submission to the Diva's Weekly Challenge.  The challenge is to use the new tangle pattern Auraknot.  I spent time this week trying to get to know this pattern, and attempting several different drawings.  This pattern inspires me to draw in color, thus there are several attached here.  Perhaps due to the fact that it's summer, several drawings took on either a flowery or beachy feel.  I am still getting the hang of this one, and tend to make a lot of mistakes with it.  I think this pattern is easy to over-do, and, ultimately, it seems as though less is more with this one.    

Spirit Smile.  I am calling this tile "Spirit Smile", because for whatever reason, it makes me think of a person's spirit bursting out of them with joy.  When I started drawing this tile, I didn't have anything in mind, but while drawing I simply wanted to keep adding auraknots.  As an aside, I used to draw flowers with this same type of petal shape when I was in high school.  Interesting that I wanted to keep using it with this pattern.   

A lone flower in a secret garden.   (Esterbrook Transitional 9461 with J. Herbin Perle Noir and Platinum Preppy with Noodler's Saguaro Wine.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

This pattern makes me want to add Mooka.  All the time. (Pilot Iroshizuku Kosumosu and Lamy Vista EF.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

Starfish.  I felt that it was lacking something, so I went back and added the grounding effect that you typically see in Betweed.  (Lady Sheaffer Skripsert EF with Sheaffer Turquoise.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

Hydra.  While this isn't exactly a serpent with many heads, it is a bit of a water beast.  :D  I changed the way I drew Mooka here and wanted to add in the layered effect that you see inside the auraknot.  (Lady Sheaffer Skripsert EF with Sheaffer Turquoise.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

Iroshizuku Tsutsuji (Azalea / Japanese Townflower / Deep PInk)

I'm back with another pink ink.  I guess I really like pink.  Which is interesting, because in real life, I don't really do much pink.  There is a lot of black, navy, turquoise (or Robin's Egg for those of you who care about that type of thing), and golden-green such as sage, for example.  I also prefer darker wood furnishings.  Generally, I'm pretty neutral and conservative.  But, with inks, I can't get enough pink.  I don't know.  I can't explain it.  =)

I must extend a heartfelt thanks to my pen friend, Shaylen, for sending me a generous sample of this luscious stuff.  Thank you, Shaylen!  

I had the pleasure of playing with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsutsuji this weekend, and I've been using it at work for the last week for note taking and editing (just to shake things up a bit!!!).  As an aside, the paper at work is really poor quality whether note tablet or copy paper.  I have found that I have needed to "dial back" the ink flow on all of my pens to prevent feathering and the like.  Same here.  I used both a LAMY Al-Star and LAMY Vista.  I typically don't have trouble with my Lamy pens or Pilot inks on cheaper paper, but I guess there is an exception if the paper happens to be exceptionally cheap.  

So, once I dialed back the flow on my pens, it was smooth sailing even on the sub-par, cheap paper.  When weekend time came, I needed to dial the flow back up on the LAMY Vista, because it was sporting an Extra Fine nib, and I wasn't getting enough inkflow when I tried to draw tangles with it.  

So, now that we have the technical formalities out of the way...phew!  This is a really fun ink, and if you like the Pilot Iroshizuku line, and you like pink, or you just want something a little different to spice up your ink drawer, why not take this for a whirl?  It's summer time, and this is a "summer-y" color.

I find that although the Iroshizuku inks are expensive ($28.00 - $35.00 USD per bottle), you at least get a value for your money.  Some folks balk at the price.  But, since I have begun using inks, I have to say...you really do get what you pay for.  I don't mind paying a premium, if what I will receive is quality.  

Pilot Iroshizuku Inks come in a 50 ml per bottle, which is a decent volume.  Pilot Iroshizuku inks tend to be known for being exceptionally well lubricated with "just right" flow properties making writing and other creative activities a pleasurable experience.  Tsutsuji follows suit.

Tsutsuji, specifically, is a very saturated pink.  I've read reviews where the authors have indicated that this is the "pinkest" ink they have ever used, and that it's so bright that it's eye searing.  I would not go that far.  Certainly, while it is bright, it is not offensively so.  It does jump off the page, but I don't find it screaming at me.  It is a bit brighter coming from an Extra Fine nib, as shown in the photos below.  However, my LAMY Al-Star Fine nib is a bit of a wetter writer, and the line it laid down with Tsutsuji is simply dark and luscious.  Because it is more saturated, there is a bit less shading with Tsutsuji.  Shading is not non-existent, but you will not find the type of dramatic shading that you would see with Yu-Yake.  Yu-Yake (or Sunset) is Iroshizuku's orange-y/yellow (or is it yellow-y/orange?) that gives such amazing shading that the words on the page appear to be on fire.  At least to me.  With Tsutsuji, there is much more subtle shading, but it is shading nonetheless.  I think choice of pen makes a big difference with the satisfaction you find with this ink, and I've provided a side-by side comparison so that you can get an idea. 

Wider, wetter nib = deeper pink, more saturation, a little more shading.  Finer, dryer nib = brighter pink, lighter pink, still shading, but less pronounced. (Please excuse the shadow/ showthrough on the reverse side of my notebook page.  lol.)

I liked this ink so much, that I decided that I wanted to draw some tangles with it this weekend.  So, I drew a few things.  I found Tsutsuji to definitely be a "summery" color so I tried to draw a couple of "summery" things.  The photos I've included here were drawn with a LAMY Vista EF. 

This is the tangle pattern "Sanibelle".  You can see a nice range of color with this doodle.  The range of pink that Tsutsuji has to offer is evident, and shows that it's shading can be dramatic after 2 or more passes.  I really like the range of pink here.  It can be bright and it can be dark.  I think that helps to give this drawing a more animated appearance.

This is the tangle pattern "Squid".  Again, you can see the range of pink from bright to dark.  This drawing was also done with a LAMY EF; the ink gets darker after more passes.  The arms were generally one pass, thus lighter and brighter.  The circles drawn on the inside were often drawn over more than once to give them more emphasis, so they appear darker and shading is more evident.

Additionally, Tsutsuji did not clog and rinsed out of my pen relatively easily.  

Tsutsuji is probably best used for such activities as editing and drawing.  I have received personal correspondence where the writer used Tsutsuji and it was very pleasant, but I might limit its use to personal correspondence as opposed to business, and perhaps a notecard instead of an entire letter.  If you are a creative person, I think Tsutsuji is a nice-to-have because of its saturation and gentle shading properties.  The ink is not too difficult to manipulate when drawing, and doesn't "pool" like greater shading inks.

I liked Tsutsuji so much, that I have become much more willing to dip my toes a little deeper into the Iroshizuku waters and try Yama-budo (Wild Grapes, also referred to as Crimson Glory Vine).  Yama-budo seems like a purple (which I tend to dislike), and a bright purple (which I tend to dislike even more), but now that I take a second look at it appears to "read" magenta, which sorta straddles pink territory and I'm motivated to check it out.  Having experienced the bright and luscious Tsutsuji, I have acquired a "bright ink" addiction, and need more.  So, I will be trying to acquire a sample for myself in the near future.

Inks are fun!  Treat yourself to some samples of "fun" ink this week.  Set a limit of $10.00 or $20.00 and choose a few things that you wouldn't normally pick for yourself.  I often find that I am very surprised, and enjoy the trip down "the road less traveled".

Two Sunsets on a Clear Day in May

I decided to spice things up for handwriting practice today and inked up my calligraphy pens with sunset-themed fountain pen inks.  Caran d'Ache Sunset recently became a surprise favorite of mine over the winter, and since I was so enchanted with it, I decided to try Iroshizuku Yu-Yake (which means "sunset" in Japanese).  They are both quite different, but a pleasure to use.  Caran d'Ache is a deep red-ish, pink whereas Iroshi is a yellow-orange, with deep orange shading.  Where the Caran d'Ache is slightly on the dry side, the Iroshi is neither too dry, nor too wet.  

In terms of personal preference, I enjoy the Caran d'Ache more because perhaps I am simply more inclined towards reds and pinks, as opposed to orange shades of ink.  However, the shading with Iroshi Yu-Yake is really gorgeous, and really "one-ups" the Caran d'Ache in that respect.  There is just this beautiful interplay of yellow and orange within the same letter that it makes the entire word appear to be on fire.  

One of the qualities I enjoy most about the Caran d'Ache is that evokes memories of one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen.  Last fall, I was traveling regularly and had to wake up very early in the morning (3:00 am) to catch an early flight to Atlanta which connected in Philadelphia.  When I arrived in Philly, it was still dark.  It happened to be a Monday morning, and there were hundreds of people at the gate waiting for this flight; it was wall to wall people.  Standing room only.  Business people, college students, vacationers.  I was lucky to get a seat and even better, it was facing the tarmac, but I happened to be engaged in conversation with the person next to me.  She stopped talking mid-sentence and pointed to the glass windows and said, "Look at that sunrise!"  I turned and the sky was flooded with deep pink and dark grey.  Sitting in front of those large airport windows, it was as if we had a front row seat in front of this large expanse of sky.  It was amazingly beautiful, and we just sat there looking at it for quite some time.  I don't think I have ever seen a sunrise that breathtaking before or since.  What I remember most distinctly aside from the beauty of that morning, was that there were so many people at that gate who were entirely disinterested, or playing with their iPad, or iPhone apps, or talking business on the cell phone, or talking business with the person at their side.  It was as if this young woman and I were the only people in the world who saw it, and it was both strange and wonderful at the same time.  I felt transported from the chaos for just a few moments, and yet I was still sitting right there.  The shade of Caran d'Ache Sunset is amazingly similar to that pink sunrise that I saw that morning, and, as a result, I do have a fond affection for it.

Caran d'Ache Sunset on Clairefontaine Graf-it.

Iroshizuku Yu-Yake on Clairefontaine Graf-it.

I had fun with handwriting practice today, but my handwriting really needs some work.  Today's exercise was "horizontals and v-shapes".  I really need to get into the discipline of playing with my calligraphy pens once a day.  I always enjoy handwriting practice, because it's very relaxing but I have long struggled with perfecting "s", "t", "q" and "x".  I really need to exercise a bit more effort in this regard. 

Iroshizuku Yu-Yake / Lamy Joy 1.5/ HP#24

Caran d'Ache Sunset / Sheaffer Calligraphy pen Broad 1.8mm/ HP#24

On Rhodia.

On Rhodia.

05/20/12: edited to add samples on Rhodia.

LAMY Joy 1.1 and 1.5: A Comparison

I received these Lamy Joy italic fountain pens from Lily at JetPens, who was gracious enough to send them to me for review on my amateur little blog here.  I have had a lot of fun with these pens, as I have been curious about them for some time, now.  Until this point, I have been using LAMY italic nibs in my regular LAMY Safari fountain pens.

LAMY Joy is typically used for calligraphy, or sketching (if using an extra-fine nib), and it is shaped differently from the iconic LAMY Safari because the barrel of the pen is slightly longer and tapered, which contributes to ease of use when engaging in more creative activities.  Below, the LAMY Joy is featured on the left with black body and red clip; LAMY Safari featured on right with red body and black clip.  Note that the caps look similar, but the barrel on the Safari is round-ish and somewhat blunt, whereas the Joy features a narrowed tapering.

Otherwise, the overall properties of the LAMY Joy are quite similar to the LAMY Safari fountain pen which many of us have grown to love.  It has the shaped grip section for easier handling, it is a cartridge/converter fill, features an ink view window, and is capable of swapping nibs with Safari, and several other LAMY fountain pens such as Vista, Studio, Pur, and others.

This review focuses specifically on the LAMY italic nibs.  I decided to do a side by side comparison of the 1.1 and 1.5 italic nibs using Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun (greyish/blue/black) and Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same (a pinkish/brownish/grey).  I had a lot of fun completing this review, and learned quite a bit along the way.

I am by no means an expert calligrapher, or expert on any matters pertaining to fountain pens or calligraphy.  However, this year, I decided to improve my handwriting which led me to the world of italics and calligraphy.  As mentioned in other posts, I have been using Fred Eager's "The Italic Way to Beautiful Handwriting" and he teaches improvement in handwriting through the teaching of italic and calligraphic principles.  I have by no means been terribly disciplined, as he encourages practice every day, which I have not been doing religiously.  That being said, I do practice and have seen improvement by following the exercises.  In fact, the other day, someone told me that my handwriting actually looked "stylish".  I took that as a compliment.  Thank you, Fred Eager.  =)

So, getting down to the review: I decided to engage in my regular handwriting exercises but using both pens instead of the 1.5 italic, which is generally recommended.  As a beginner, I found that the 1.5 was much easier to use than the 1.1 for the purposes of completing the exercises.  The 1.1 is much finer, and actually required more exacting skill to use.  I had to focus a little bit harder to achieve the same effect.  However, when it comes to general handwriting, the 1.1 is far better and easier, and just plain more fun.

I also found that the 1.1 almost did not look like an italic per se when compared to the 1.5, and I did not see as much shading in the 1.1 either.  On the flip side, the 1.1 is much smoother and of slightly better quality than the 1.5.  I say this, and feel confident in doing so, because I have heard this remark echoed in other reviews and posts on the Fountain Pen Network, and elsewhere.  In the end, both are a "joy" to use, and I would not hesitate to use either when practicing my handwriting, or in personal correspondence, or journaling.

Here are a couple of samples so that you can see some of the differences for yourself:

The paper used here is Strathmore Calligraphy 400 series.

Here is another sample on Rhodia.

Again, on Strathmore Calligraphy 400 Series.

Handwriting practice with LAMY Joy 1.5, Iroshizuku Kiri-Same, and HP#24 paper.  HP#24 showed slight feathering with Kiri-Same, but was otherwise a pleasure to use.  Much more shading and line variation is apparent with the 1.5 italic nib.

A closer look: LAMY Joy 1.5 with Iroshizuku Kiri-Same.

Handwriting practice with LAMY Joy 1.1, Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun, and HP#24 paper.  No feathering here.  Shading and line variation is apparent, but not as dramatic as the 1.5.  

(Side note: please kindly overlook the fact that I misspelled "cacophony".  Much appreciated.)

A closer look: LAMY Joy 1.1 with Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun.

As far as the inks are concerned, both Kiri-Same and Fuyu-Syogun were a pleasure to use, and display the shading and behavior properties that Iroshizuku inks are known and loved for.  They are both gorgeous colors and shade beautifully, but when used here, it was simply more apparent with the larger nib size.  

In conclusion, I highly recommend LAMY Joy.  I much prefer it for handwriting practice and calligraphy because the tapered barrel does give a bit more "grace" to the writer, shall we say.  It's easier to use, allowing the writer to achieve more exacting precision with this type of writing.  Overall, I was more pleased with the shading seen with the 1.5 nib, however I enjoyed the 1.1 a bit more since it was smoother and simply glided on the paper.  I will be using both nibs again, but will likely incorporate the 1.5 into my handwriting practice and the 1.1 into my journaling and personal correspondence.  

Thanks again to Lily at Jet Pens for for being so gracious and sending these pens!  The inks used were from my own stash, but can be purchased at JetPens also.  

Cheers!

-kp

Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo (Moonlight) / Diamine Twilight / Rohrer and Klingner Verdigris

*9/15/2012:  Note to reader: please also refer to my review Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo: Revisited.

This week I decided to try a new ink in my TWSBI, so I chose Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo (Moonlight) since it's darkish, blue-black nature would be appropriate for office and otherwise. I used this ink daily, throughout the week, and was happy with its overall performance, but, in the end, I'm not entirely crazy about the color.

In particular, I have been most curious about this dark green/blue/black "family" of inks, and decided to include some swabs of Diamine Twilight and Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris. All three inks are new to me, and Tsuki-yo is the only one of the three that I've used extensively up until this point. I had imagined these three to appear so similar as to be almost indistinguishable. But that's not the case at all. I was surprised at the results of the swab test: compared to Twilight and Verdigris, Tsuki-yo almost comes across like a dark turquoise. To my eye, at least.

Tsuki-yo performed admirably for me this week, including on cheap Staples legal pads that we use at work. However, I won't be rushing to buy a bottle of this one since I much prefer a darker blue-black.

Interestingly, the R&K Verdigris went down on the paper a very greenish, blue-black but dried a dark blue with a slight violet undertone to it. Of the three, Twilight strikes my fancy because it reflects a nice balance of dark blue-black with only a slight hint of green, and also has a bit of sheen to it. Ironically, while Diamine Twilight is named after the evening sky, it really reminds me of ocean waters.

Handwriting Practice

One of my first handwriting exercises from January of this year:

Kaweco Sport Classic M/ J. Herbin Perle Noir

Today's practice:

LAMY Safari M/ Caran d'Ache Sunset

LAMY Safari M/ Caran d'Ache Sunset

LAMY Safari M/ J. Herbin Rouge Opera

TWSBI 540 B/ Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo

A few months ago, I decided to improve my handwriting because it had seriously de-volved after years of computer use and very little pen to paper. I purchased Fred Eager's The Italic Way to Beautiful Handwriting for the task. The book contains a series of exercises that entail the user's tracing the letters and words followed by writing it themselves in order to develop proper technique in letter and word formation. The author recommends daily practice, which I was very diligent about for the first few weeks and then I tapered off due to work and other stuff.

I decided to sit down in an attempt to get back into the swing of things today and worked on the "spacing" exercise. I have actually worked on this very exercise quite a bit. I still have difficulty with letter formation and spacing, in particular, and want to reach a certain comfort level with my competence before I move on. In the discussion just before the exercise, Eager says that "the eye determines the space" and that "the eye sees the patterns of white space made by the letters and is only satisfied by an even distribution of space or color throughout the writing". When I am practicing my handwriting, I want my eye to feel satisfied with what it sees. If it's not satisfied, or I can't seem to create the necessary spacing for that word, I try to repeat the word until I am satisfied with it.

I've included a few photos of today's practice, including one of my very first exercises for comparison purposes. Today's practice is not bad actually, considering that I have not sat down to practice for a few weeks. After just a few minutes, I remembered how much I enjoy handwriting practice because it tends to be a very soothing and relaxing exercise for me. I feel calm and centered, and typically walk away from the exercise with a sense of completion. For whatever reason, I had difficulty with the word "sessions" today, and as you can see I repeated it several times until I felt comfortable with it.

Also, the author recommends that the student compile writing samples every week or so by simply writing 2-3 pages of regular and continuous handwriting in order to evaluate progress. I felt like writing today, so I did a writing sample, too, which you can see in the very last photo. I think that on the whole, there is still a bit of sloppiness to my regular handwriting, but I am starting to see a little bit of personality come through as well, and I'm very happy to see that. That's what I am aiming for.

I think I may be ready to officially move on to the next exercise where Eager transitions the student to using an italic pen for the remainder of the book.

Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun

This ink is very new to me. I recently tried a sample and fell in love with it instantly. It is a greyish, blue-black with excellent flow properties and lovely shading. I used a 1.1 italic here, and unfortunately you can see my pen beginning to "blob" a little as I wrote the words "blue-black". Oh well. I highly recommend this one. Enjoy!

Happy Trails-

kp

Pilot Iroshizuku Kosumosu (Cosmos Flower)

I won this bottle of ink from an FP Geeks giveaway.

I have to admit that I am impressed by the stature of the bottle itself, and with the quality textured paper that the ink label is printed upon. It's a very striking bottle indeed. Although Kosumosu is named after the Cosmos Flower, this light pink shade is reminiscent of cherry blossoms that bloom here in the Northeast U.S. during springtime. Cherry blossoms are one of my favorite spring things. Kosumosu displays beautiful shading in a darker pink. There is also a fleck of orange that comes through and it is not unattractive. I say this, because I really don't like orange, but I quite like it here. It is not overpowering. I tried to capture this by taking a photo of the ink on the inside of the cap, and on a paper towel.

I inked my Pink LAMY Safari which was waiting patiently on stand-by for Kosumosu to arrive. My first test drive was with a 1.5 italic. Thus far, this is the only pen I've used Kosumosu in, so I cannot speak to its performance in other pens. I did adjust this nib to write on the wetter side. I very much like the shading. It also played well in my Leuctturm1917 dot notebook, which can sometimes get fussy with pens or inks that are too wet.

Everyone always comments on the nice behavior, and excellent lubrication of the Iroshizuku line. I'm still relatively new to fountain pens, and I'm still trying various inks from various manufacturers and such. Prior to this bottle, I had only tried 2 ml samples of Asa-Gao, Ku-Jaku, and Kon-peki; all displayed nice behavior with excellent lubrication. Thus, I have only a few inks in the line that I could possibly compare this to, but that being said, I think it holds the line in terms of the behavior standard that Iroshizuku is known for. It is definitely smooth and enjoyable.

Drying time with this wet writing 1.5 italic and Leuchtturm1917 paper is approximately 13 seconds. I've tried Kosumosu on both white and ivory papers. I prefer the ivory; it gives it a little extra something. Although, the orange tint does come through a little bit more on white paper (see sixth photo down from the top which was written on Clairefontaine Graf-It). I enjoy using Kosumosu in my journal. I wanted something cheery as we enter the New England winter months. Because of its whimsical nature, it's unlikely that I will use Kosumosu at work. Here are some more photos for your viewing pleasure. If you wouldn't mind, please forgive my terrible handwriting.

[Those "things" you see on the page are a weak attempt at drawing cherry blossoms.]

Cheers and Happy Trails and all that.

-kp