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******* With names like Expresso, Millennium, and Tombow,
these pens practically do the drawing for you ******* |
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In endless pursuit of the
perfect drawing instrument, DLa continuously explores the broad spectrum of creative utensils. In this media
review, three remarkable ink pens step into the spotlight and strut their stuff. First up, the *Sanford
Expresso Porous Point ®. After many hours of sketching & drawing with a non-refillable,
medium-point (0.5mm), black-ink Expresso, the pen's polymer tip continues to deliver precise,
rich lines. Further, on several occasions, the cap was left off of the pen, yet the tool did
retained its functionality. Most impressive. Still, the Expresso delivers strong, vivid ink
at a relatively fast rate, which works excellent on heavier-bonded paper choices.
Also, the semi-flexible polymer tip affords significant line diversity.
Overall, this pen has long been one of my favorites to chill with --
its use provides a uniquely stylized and eclectic style of artistic expression.
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( Expresso, continued from left column )
*Figure "A" displays a variety of line styles and ink
effects achieved while experimenting with the Expresso. To get your hands on one,
visit *here.
For less than two biznucks, it's a win-win.
Next we check out the Zig Millennium® pen. Similar to Pigma pens, Zigs are available in nine pure-pigment colors, each offered in five point sizes, ranging from 0.005mm to 0.08mm. Zigs are felt-tipped, waterproof, acid-free, fadeproof, and non-bleeding. And, because of their patented Zig Memory System ®, Zig pens are excellent for highly stylized illustrative work, such as is needed for comix, or wherever precise control over variable line intensity is desired. True, the tips of these pens conform well to each user's unique style, and seem to maintain such customization throughout the life of the pen. ( continued middle column ) |
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*Figure "B" reveals a few tricks pulled off
with a Zig. Even the burly 0.5mm unit enables decent levels of detail. Lines are consistent, variable, and
smooth. The ink flow is somewhat slow, so go with smooth paper and quick lines. On the downside, erasing
underlying pencil-work tends to fade significantly the ink's color ( even more so than is the case with
Pigmas ). All-in-all, however, the Zig Millennium is a solid alternative to the less-stable, yet still
omnipresent, Pigma. To hook it up Zig-style,
go *here.
About two bucks a pop, in volume.
( continued left column, below )Finally, the Tombow ABT N31 Dual Brush ® pen. The versatile Tombow has both a flexible brush tip and tight fine-point nylon tip, one at either end of the device. The two tips share the same ink reservoir, providing true color matching. |
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Tombow ink is odorless and water-based, enabling subtle color washes.
And, while the brush serves to fashion exquisite shapes, the opposing nylon tip is firm, forging consistently
tight linework. These pens are well-suited for your larger, fuller, and more colorful werks of art. Tombows
are available in Bright, Pastel, Neutral, and Earth color spectrums, in sizes of big & small ( 12 & 6 ).
The makers of Tombow also offer a larger set of 72 assorted colors, featuring six 'warm' greys and nine 'cool'
greys. Nimbus and Perishable snatched a few of these jobs in Ellensburg, Washington, and continue to enjoy
their delightful versatility while sketching & drawing. So, for your dual-dollar dual-brush fix, hit
this link *here.
See *Figure "C" for Tombow thrillz. ******* |
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