InkTober, Days 14 – 20

 

10/14 - 10/20/23 Uniball gel pen in Uglybook sketchbook (Earthsworld reference photos)

The third week of InkTober turned out to be more fun than the previous week, when I didn’t get into sketching noses with brush pens as much as I thought I would. Inspired by the jaw-dropping work of Kristin Nohe Juchs, I decided to try Uniball Signo DX gel pens – an entirely new medium for me, at least for drawing. In addition, I used Kristin’s favorite 0.38mm point size, which I would never use even for writing, so everything about it was new to me.

Right off the bat, I instantly felt that gel pen is nothing like Bic ballpoint. A hallmark of Japanese gel pens is that the ink flows smoothly and consistently, which makes them a joy to write with. But that smooth consistency is the opposite of Bic ink, which is oily, somewhat sticky and has a tendency to blob – properties that also make the ink layer beautifully (well, maybe not the blobbiness). The gel pen’s tip is not at all pressure-sensitive compared to the Bic, which operates more like a pencil in that regard.

Getting solid ink coverage from the Uniball Signo requires lots and lots of hatching rather than layering. It looks gorgeous in Kristin’s hand and not as much in mine, but I did enjoy learning over the course of the week to use that consistency in my favor. I may not like them quite as much as Bics, but I’d certainly draw with Signos again.

I’m happy with the page spread’s design, too. A good InkTober week! How’s yours going?