• Art Supply Posse

    51: Inkcited – Fountain pen ink art with Nick Stewart

    An episode featuring artist Nick Stewart. It’s all about making art using the unique properties of fountain pen inks. Shading, sheening, chromatography, and bleach. Also, how we plan to get involved in Inktober 2018.

    Nick Stewart is a professional artist and graphic designer whose work you will find on things from album covers for well-known musicians to household products on supermarket shelves. However, we are focusing on Nick’s personal project to develop art using fountain pen inks and bleach.

    We recommend browsing Nick’s project website before listening to the interview. The questions and answers will make more sense when you are familiar with Nick’s artwork and blog.

    Using fountain pen inks as an art supply is a relatively recent development, initially pushed by the urban sketching community. This has led to the development of new waterproof inks by fountain pen ink manufacturers. Until recent years mostly shellac and acrylic based inks were used by artists.

    Nick’s experiments with chromatography and bleach however take fountain pen ink art to exciting new places and open up new possibilities, even for artists already working with ink.

    Nick also reveals some interesting experiences he has had teaching excluded children — children removed from normal schooling due to behavioural and other issues. Despite all warnings, the students were really engaged and produced lovely results. Nick discusses why, and how the most unlikely students respond to art in this way.

    ##Topics

    • Why ink rather than paint?
    • Unpredictability as part of the charm
    • Abstract lettering and calligraphy
    • Background in graphic design
    • Less is more
    • Teaching
    • Why art can catch the most unlikely people
    • Tools and materials
    • Safe handling of bleach
    • Experimenting

    ##Links

    Nick’s website for his fountain pen ink art

    Nick’s “Randall” fountain pen ink

    Pen World magazine article PDF August 2018 edition

    Nick’s four colour (CMYK) fountain pen ink set

    Nick’s fountain pen ink art workshops

    Nick’s mission statement on his ink and bleach project

    ###Nick’s social media and other links

    Nick’s professional lettering services

    Nick’s Facebook page

    ​​​​Nick’s Instagram @quinkandbleach

    ​​​​Nick’s Twitter @nickistew

    ​​​​The Fountain Pen Network

    Fountain Pen Geeks Forum

    ###Art Supply Posse and Artsupia Links

    Art Supply Posse Website

    Art Supply Posse is produced by Marcus Clearspring and Kim Cofield

     

    50: Happy As Larry

    ​​Kim interviews Jen Saunders, owner of “Larry Post”, both a physical and online retailer specializing in small tools for writing and sketching. Their mission is to encourage and make it easy for people to go outside and draw. Larry Post is located near the picturesque Manly Beach, only a short ferry ride from Sydney, Australia.

    ​​One thing that sets Larry Post apart from other art supply stores is their variety of tools. They carry both traditional art supplies and a wide range of fountain pens, since drawing outside opens the door to urban sketching.

    ​​Kim and Jen discuss how Jen’s former profession as an optometrist led to Larry Post’s mission, together with different aspects of creativity.

    ​​There is also a fun example of a fountain pen helping a high school student with poor handwriting, and his teacher being so impressed by the improvement that she gets several pens to lend other students.

    ​​Jen is a really inspiring person and we hope this interview leaves you just as inspired to create as it did us!

    Note: Jen’s recording mic was a bit too “hot” and distorted a bit, but it’s a jam-packed interview of goodness, and worth a listen.

    ​​00:31: Episode Intro

    02:46: Interview Begin

    03:49: Eyesight Development and Being Outdoors

    07:24: Unique Product Selection

    11:34: Embossing Notebooks And Sketchbooks

    13:02: Mixing of Analogue and Digital Tools

    17:29: Different Age Groups

    20:34: Loaner Pens and Paper Samples

    21:34: In-shop Education and Demystifying fountain pens

    25:46: Jen’s Favourite Creative Outlets

    27:06: How to Start Being Creative

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    Larry Post Website

    ​​Larry Post Instagram

    ​​​​Larry Post on Facebook

    ​​​​Art Supply Posse Website

    Art Supply Posse is produced by Marcus Clearspring and Kim Cofield