Inks
Inks
I primarily ink my maps in black and white. I only use black India Ink and use either speedball brand for my dip pens and rapidograph brand for my technical pens. Past that, my knowledge on inks is limited. I almost always use something that is waterproof and when working with an open ink bottle, always keep it fixed to the table with some tape or other restraining device. Spilling ink all over what you are working on is no fun at all.
I actually bought a small deal of Crayola Model Magic which I molded into little holders for my ink bottles. The texture was perfect because even on my drafting table at an angle it doesn’t slide. I however, always stick tape underneath to ensure that it will not slide or move. I also molded a stand to keep my dip nibs in as well as one for holding pens and pen-holders.
My experience with colored inks is somewhat limited. Most every colored ink I’ve used for dip pens aren’t waterproof. I’m sure there are inks out there are. I know that there are colored inks for the rapidiograph pens that are waterproof. But as it depends on what kind of effect you want to end up with, such as ink washing.
Paper
Paper comes in so many shapes and sizes. An absorbent paper with a firm polished texture provides the best surface for pen and ink. Your pen should glide over the paper without snagging or stuttering.
For finished works I like a Bristol board, because it’s smooth and allows you to draw in any direction without stubbing a rough place. It stays flat and doesn’t have a tendency to buckle unless vast amount of ink is applied.
For practice work and rough drafts, I use any old piece of paper I have handy. A sketch book is a good thing to have around as well. For most of my large maps I use a 24” x 18” sketch pad, Penciling in a rough draft, then doing a final rough before moving on to a my Bristol (and more expensive) board. As long as you keep a black and white final copy, most copy and print businesses can turn it into a digital PDF file or other popular formats (JPG, PSD, etc.) for a nominal fee.
When working with your final copy, it’s a good idea to keep either a set of light cotton gloves with the thumb, fore and middle fingers cut out, leaving the ring and pinky finger intact so that you do not leave oily or dirty stains from the natural oils your skin produces. It also helps prevent smudging and smearing if one is careful. You can use a lint free cloth wrapped around the edge of the hand to help if you don’t like cotton gloves. I like to use latex, powder free gloves; they fit skin tight so that it doesn’t feel like you’re out of contact with the work you are doing.
I hope that you found this article at least mildly useful. The art of Pen & Ink is a wide and versatile one that not even a whole book could cover all of it. The advice I give is mainly directed towards cartography and mapping; even then it only covers the technical aspect. Covering the artistic aspect of shapes, shading and thatching and the finer details of overland, buildings and cities is far too great of a subject to broach here. But to those who wish to take up this gratifying and fun media, I can only say practice, practice, practice, and practice.
I plan on continuing this by following up with techniques, tips and pointers on how to draw (specifically B&W) maps. This would be the tutorial part of the guide. So keep an eye open.
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