Dip pens are what I am addicted to now, and feeling more and more comfortable with them as I progress. But even your basic artline pen or bank teller biro is great to use – biros especially, because you can press down hard with them! And the smell…
Anyway, I know some people find working with pens very intimidating, because once you make a mark you can’t rub it out [See: “THERE’S NO ERASER IN THE WORD DRAWING” about the evils of rubbing out]. However, with all the experience I have, it’s the best medium to use. Especially if you want to improve your skills. Using a medium that is indelible trains you to make every line count. As guilty as I feel now, when I was a kid I went through mountains of exercise books. If I stuffed up one line then I would start a new page again, and again and again, until I got it right. My teachers must have wondered where all the spare books went from the storeroom, hee, hee. But as a result, you become a lot more confident with your drawing and you just cant go back to pencil. Just say no to graphite!
THERE’S NO “ERASER” IN THE WORD DRAWING
The best use for an eraser, I find, is to prop up a wobbly table. If you’re sketching for fun, set your eraser free! Let it run with all the other wild erasers. If you make a mistake, you make a mistake – some of the most interesting drawings have their mistakes there for all to see. And they dont detract from the finished piece. Even all the old masters kept there’s in, and who’s going to trash Leonardo or Michelangelo for it??