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Tuesday 6 January 2015

Daler-Rowney Pitt Pens for artists

I recently added some Daler-Rowney Pitt Pens to the store after purchasing them from an art store that was closing its doors.  I had never worked with these before and was very curious to see what could be achieved.  Of course, I was not spoiled for choice, but was left with the brunt of the stock, the leftovers.  My colour choice was therefore limited and I could not specify points.  I simply took everything that was left and made the owner an offer he could not resist.  Today I finally got around to exploring the possibilities.
First, a word about the pens. This is the information I obtained from the pens itself and this is also what got me so super excited:
"Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens:
  • Indian Ink;
  • Waterproof;
  • Highly Lightfast.
Buy 10 or more at R35 each.  Specify your preferences in colours and styles in the notes option upon checkout."
The first thing to do is to gather the needed materials.  I got myself one of each of the pens in stock, a drawing pad and a second-hand book on fashion design for inspiration.  (This book is also available from the store.  All links to the products will follow at the end of the article.) Having a diploma in Haute Couture, I tend to lean towards these drawings even years after leaving the industry.


The next logical step, was to test the pens to see the colours, line thickness, smoothness on the paper, etc.  I set about doing just that at the top of my page so I could have the references ready once I started drawing.  This is a really good strategy if you are new to a medium.  Once you have familiarized yourself with the medium, this exercise becomes obsolete.


Knowing what to expect from the pens, I the set about finding some inspiration from my chosen book. My choice fell upon a design by Ruben Alterio.


Now, a confession.  i fully intended to take step by step photographs, but immediately became so completely hooked on the pens that I clean forgot about the camera.  It was some intense drawing for about 10 minutes or so, deciding which colours to swap out and what points to use etc.  The process was 100% FUN! It was only when I sat back to assess the finished product and my eye fell on the camera that I was reminded of what I was supposed to have done. Too late. Here is a side by side comparison:


And this is the end result.


Now, if I can give you good advice: buy these pens NOW, while there is still stock available at these incredible sale prices.  This is a medium I should have discovered ages ago!

To see the pens in store, simply click on the link below:
http://aprettytalent.com/products/faber-castell-pitt-artist-pens
To see the book on fashion design, follow this link:
http://aprettytalent.com/products/fashion-illustration

1 comment:

  1. I am really excited to find this blog post. I have been curious about Pitt pens after seeing them in a lot of Youtube mixed media tutorials and your blog is so helpful! Thanks for all the descriptions and details. I enjoyed hearing your process too. There is so much to learn! :)

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