January 2023 blog: Dip pen and tips for beginners

Drawing with a dip pen and tips for beginners

People have been drawing with dip pens, or nib pens, for around 200 years, and they are still the tool of choice for many artists today.

Indeed, drawing with a dip pen is an absolute pleasure, and the aesthetically pleasing result can’t be achieved by the use of any other method.

By its very nature, using a dip pen causes us to slow down a little, since we have to stop for a few seconds from time to time to dip the nib in ink. This is a subtle but significant difference in the drawing process. Another trait of dip pens is that the lines vary with the pressure applied to the nib and the resulting changes in ink flow. These variations make both the working process and the result a lot more interesting, especially when you consider the ever-present possibility of “an accident” - a tiny spill or splatter, which we then have to find a creative solution for.

Writing or drawing with a dip pen is also very relaxing. Even the sound of the nib as it moves across the paper is pleasant, and the entire experience is deeply satisfying.

And so, while I appreciate and enjoy drawing with multiliner and technical pens, a good brush pen, and of course my brushes, I find that I keep coming back to my dip pens for most of my pen & ink work when I’m not drawing on the go.

What is a dip pen?

A dip pen, or a nib pen, is made of two parts: the handle, or nib holder, and the nib.

The nib holder is usually made of wood, plastic or metal, and comes in a wide range of sizes, quality levels, and prices. There are straight handles and oblique ones, which are mostly used in traditional calligraphy but can be used for drawing as well. The choice of handle is mainly a matter of convenience and personal preference.

Nibs are made of a variety of metals. Some nibs are more flexible than others, and the level of flexibility determines the variations in line thickness you can achieve when gently applying pressure on the nib, pushing it against the paper. The tips also vary greatly in shape and size. There are numerous different nibs made for various purposes, such as traditional calligraphy, lettering, and drawing.

When pairing a nib holder (handle) and a nib, the main thing to consider is the size of the nib. Nibs come primarily in two sizes: regular nibs, which are usually shaped like half a circle, around 9mm (~0.375in) in diameter; and mapping nibs, also called Maru nibs, which are shaped like a full circle around 3mm (~0.125in) in diameter. They may differ slightly in diameter, but on the whole they will fit a nib holder in one of these two sizes.

There are also nib holders available that can hold both types of nibs. The images below show the different sized nibs and nib holders.

What you need to start drawing with a dip pen

1. Paper - Use paper that is suitable for pen & ink drawing to avoid ink bleeding or a fine nib tearing through the paper. You don’t have to get a whole block of paper; you can buy single sheets in any art store. This way, you can try out a few brands to find out which you like best and it won’t cost you too much.

2. Ink - When it comes to ink, a little goes a long way. All you need to start out is a small bottle. There are lots of colors available, and you can choose between water-proof or soluble ink, translucent ink, or even ink with
glitter in it. Prices vary, naturally. If you opt for black ink, here are four I like (all four are waterproof):

Dr. Ph. Martin’s - Bombay Black - India Ink
Dr. Ph. Martin’s - Black Star - India Ink (Hicarb)
Higgins - Black Magic
Kuretake - ZIG cartoonist - Super Black Ink 60

3. A handle (nib holder) - Other than making sure the nib holder and nibs you choose match in size, you can’t really go wrong here.

4. A nib / nibs – Start by asking yourself if you’re planning to take on traditional or modern calligraphy, try out lettering, or mostly doodle and draw? Then go on from there.

5. A glass of clean water –You’ll need this for cleaning your nibs after use and when switching between different inks.

6. A clean piece of cloth to keep your nibs dry and gently wipe them clean of ink residue.

There are so many options! How to choose what to buy?

Often, when we’re looking for new art supplies, we want to get as many tools and materials as possible for our budget. This makes perfect sense. There are many starter kits available, which usually include a few nibs, one or two handles, and sometimes a bottle of ink. They’re relatively inexpensive, and many people choose them when they’re first experimenting with the use of a dip pen.

Nevertheless, I would like recommend that you take the opposite approach: get fewer items, but don’t compromise on quality. The fact that you’re a beginner doesn’t mean you won’t be able to appreciate the difference between good quality tools and materials and those of poorer quality. With higher quality art supplies you’ll get better results and avoid frustration. They’ll also give you a better sense of the experience, and help you decide whether or not you want to continue working with a dip pen. Here is my personal version of a starter kit, which should cost around $29 in the US or €23 in the EU. If you go for a sample sheet instead of a whole block, you can save around $12 or €7.

Paper - Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Paper Pad, Smooth, Tape Bound, 11x14 inches, 20 Sheets (100lb/270g) - For finished artwork - Pen and Ink

Ink - Dr. Ph. Martin’s - Bombay India Ink, 1.0 OZ, Black

Handle - Tachikawa Comic Pen Nib Holder for Various Pen Nib - Model 25 - fits both normal and mapping size nibs.

Nib - Brause 361 Steno Blue pumpkin

11 Nibs worth trying

I’ve used many nibs and tried out even more, and I’d like to share with you a list of 11 I can recommend. Naturally, I use some of them more often than others (and there are additional ones I use too), but I wanted to include a wide enough variety to compliment different drawing styles. All of them are available in most art supply stores or can easily be shipped to most locations. I have included nibs that I believe will suit most artists, whether beginners or professionals. If you are new to dip pens, don’t let the list scare you. Try one, see if you like it, then try another one. The nib itself isn’t complicated, so just let yourself play with them and see how they feel.

How to take care of your nibs?

Before using a new nib: Nibs are made of metal. Sometimes they are dipped in or coated with special oil by the manufacturer to keep them from getting rusty while in storage. This coating might interfere with the ink flow, so it needs to be removed before using the nib for the first time.

Some people suggest holding a new nib over a fire to remove the coating, while others suggest brushing it with soap, baking soda, or toothpaste. I have even found somewhat odd ideas, such as sticking a new nib into a raw potato and leaving it there for a few minutes to remove the coating. There’s really no need for any of this. Burning or scrubbing the nib may remove the coating, but it can also damage it. Simply wipe a new nib thoroughly a few times with a clean cloth and it’s good to go.

Regular maintenance: Be sure to clean your nib each time you finish using it by dipping it in water and wiping it dry with a clean, dry cloth. Then store it in a dry place. If you take care of it, a nib can last a long time before you need to replace it.

Test your tools and materials

In order to get the most out of our art supplies, we need to get to know them up close by trying each of them out. This will help us understand why we get the results we see in our drawing.

Did we get a certain result because of the paper we chose, or was it the nib or the ink we used? Below is a chart that may help you. It shows an example of how I test tools and materials systematically. I tested the four types of black ink I recommend above, four types of paper, and the eleven nibs on my list.

This kind of test can give you an idea of what you can expect from your supplies, and which work well together. I find it to be useful in terms of efficiency as it helps in choosing the right tool or material for a specific task. Testing becomes increasingly important the more art supplies we accumulate over time.

* You may notice I tested Brause 66 EF twice by mistake. It’s a favorite, by the way.

I hope this blog helped take the guesswork out of getting started using a dip pen. If you’re already an experienced pen & ink artist, I hope you found a new nib to add to your collection, decided to try out dip pens on stone paper, or that I’ve added value to your process in some other way.

I would like to thank you all, beginners and professionals alike, for reading this blog. I wish you all happy drawing.

Back to Blog

View Portfolio