Holy Island (Rotring ArtPen, sketchbook)
I was last on Holy Island (Lindisfarne) in November 1996. It was a cold wet and windy day and the visit was only fleeting, but I managed to get this sketch done,despite the ArtPen beginning it's journey into clogging scratchiness, a journey from which it never recovered. Frustrating, disappointing and so far, despite advice from all quarters of the Interweb, non-reversible.
I'm off to Holy Island again tomorrow, this time stopping overnight and I had hoped that the weather - such a delight over the last week - would serve me better and perhaps let me get some more sketching done. Of course, as luck would have it, the weather has changed again for the worse, so I may find myself desperately searching for shelter on what is, as I recall, a rather barren island.
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10 comments:
Thank you for posting these drawings.
This one is a study in the value of ellipses (among other things, such as cunning value work).
Has that pen been submitted to a sonic cleaner? I used to have one around here, but now probably in deep storage.
No it hasn't, Casey, and neither have the other two ArtPens which went the same way. I confess I've never heard of a sonic cleaner, except when the dentist used one on me and made my jaw ache for days afterwards.
I have to say @ twenty years ago I bought some nice, refillable ink pens in technical sizes, and I bought a sonic cleaner, which is a tub like device that plugs in. Spiffy.
I guess nowadays one just throws pens away, huh?
Anyway, I have no idea where all that stuff is and when I do grab a pen, it is a disposable tech. pen. Call me a punter.
And I now use a Pilot disposable fountain pen, Casey, but I did so enjoy drawing with my ArtPens. If I can ever unclog the damn things, I'll be a happy bunny.
What ink did you put in your artpens Harry?
I've only ever used Rotring ArtPen cartridges.
I don't use use the cartridges myself, I prefer a waterproof ink and I think they're not (if I remember correctly). So in that case a good soak in soapy water, then dismantling the nib unit (it pulls apart fairly easily) and scrubbing with an old toothbrush, especially round the fins, ought to be enough.
cheers
Terry
Thanks, Terry. It's worth a try, given that the pens are useless to me at the moment, and general soaking with various liquids hasn't helped.
They usually come apart fairly easily. I unscrew the bottom bit and take out the cartridge - obviously - then grab the casing in my left hand and the nib in a piece of kitchen towel with the right. Then wiggle and pull at the same time. Generally the nib comes out first - its amazingly short - then its easy to pull out the plastic feed bit. This photo on Flickr shows what you end up with.
Thanks, Terry, the photo is very helpful. As soon as I can set aside some time, I'll give this a go.
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