I recently visited the Manga exhibition at the British Museum, to see if Manga could embrace fountain pen ink. This is a very quick study using a Noodler’s creeper pen on Bockingford with Sailor Ink Studio 123, but I reckon there’s potential. What do you think?
From a purist point of view, I’m particularly pleased, because for some years now, I have been trying to find a natural and seamless progression for fountain pen inks to not just be used for handwriting but also as a credible painting and illustration medium too. To be able to emulate those far eastern art traditions where writing and imagery become a single harmonious art form – bonded together by the single medium. In a way, I’m taking the traditional India ink line and wash genre, which has been used in journal keeping for centuries, but instead of keeping it monochrome or using watercolour paints to add colour, I’m attempting to revolutionise the genre through utilising the serendipity and chromatic behaviours of coloured fountain pen inks which also keeps the genre pure. There’s still a way to go but I’m now confident that the goal is achievable.
For those of you based in Europe, the British Museum (click the link) London is hosting a huge Manga exhibition. Illustration is enjoying a significant interest at the moment and I went to the event last week to explore the possibilities of how I can go about introducing fountain pen ink into this amazing genre. I don’t believe that digital illustration and Apple Pro have the art markets completely sewn up just yet. Fountain pen inks and their unique behaviours should help keep the analogue traditions fresh and alive for a while yet. And I’m hoping that Inktober 2019 will be amazing.
If you’d like to know more using fountain pen ink in art, why not check out my tutorials course? Click for details.
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FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART 