Rocks and Trees

Joshua Tree National Park always makes me think of Dr. Seuss. When I was young, I thought the alien looking trees in some of his books were imaginary. Until I moved out to California and saw Joshua Trees.

03/09/2020 A big Joshua tree in the middle of a Joshua tree forest.

I planned to camp there this week, then this atmospheric river showed up. A desert full of rocks and washes is no place to tent camp in heavy rain! My friend, Jeannine, and I decided even two days would be better than rescheduling and having something else interfere.

Sunday, March 08, 2020. Sun and rocks behind a dead Juniper tree.

The weather Sunday and Monday was just about perfect: sunny, calm, with temperatures in the 60s during the day and 40s at night. The clouds were thickening all day Monday and by 4 pm it looked like a was storm moving in. I got back to Poway about 8 pm Monday night and by 9 pm it was raining. Great timing!

April 2015
Chynna (my Aussie dog) in Joshua Tree National Park.

Joshua Tree NP is a land of rocks and "trees". Joshua trees are actually arboreal (tree-like) yucca plants. I first went there in 1997 with my sister. Since then, apparently, it has become a hipster destination. The last time I camped there in 2015, I drove up in the middle of the week expecting to be able to get a first-come campsite early in the day. I drove to each campground, but there was not one open site. I ended up finding a site after dark in the Indian Cove campground outside the park boundaries.

Indian Cove campground.
Our campsite next to the rocks.
White-throated swifts were flying arond the rocks behind us.

This time, I decided to reserve a site several weeks ahead. The only campground with sites available during the week that had 3 days open was again, Indian Cove. But it is a beautiful campground with sites surrounded by the same rocks that Joshua Tree is known for.

Some animals we saw on the trails or in the campsite.
Clockwise, Antelope squirrel, common raven,
Sonoran gopher snake, Western Side-blotched lizard,
Pinacate beetle, Desert Cottontail.

The campground is actually within the park boundaries, but doesn't connect directly by road with the rest of the park. So we had a 15 minute drive each day to get back inside the park. It was worth it. The campground was very quiet and serene. Sunday night was the night of a super moon, so there was no Milky Way to be seen, but the brightness of the moon made up for it. I longed to be able to take the time to sketch, but being there such a short time I only did a quick sketch of the campsite and filled in a few of the animals we saw after I got home.

3/09/20 Wall Street Mill Trailhead. 

Most of what we saw at JTNP consisted of rocks and trees, but very impressive looking rocks and trees! We did go on one hike to see some historical landmarks. It was only about 1.2 miles from where we parked to the gold mill, but that apparently was enough to discourage most of the tourists. All the parking lots were full and I had to time it right to get a space as someone drove away, but we hiked back to the mill pretty much by ourselves.

We saw some old cars that I remember from 1997, but I seem to remember them having hoods and roofs back then. However, I haven't found my photos from that era to confirm my memories.

Wall Street Mill was active during the 1930s and 40s. It was used to crush and mill ore to extract the gold. There are several brief, but interesting, stories explained about the history of the site at plaques in the area.

View looking up hill from the end of the Wall Street Mill.
Gold was extracted from rock ore at this site.

It was a great, although short, trip. I arrived home tired and sleep deprived but itching to get back to the desert for another camping trip soon. Next time, probably Anza-Borrego desert.

What's Cookin?

I have been obsessed with sketching and that has been just about all I mention in my blog (well, except for the obligatory grandchildren mentions). But I have a life. Really I do! So I thought I would post a few of the other things I am doing this month.

Knitted fingerless mitts, left is flat knit pair from two years ago.
Right is circular knit pair that were just finished. 

First, my knitting. I started knitting two years ago in December by making the fingerless mitts on the left. As you can tell, I wear them a lot because I love the jewel-like tones of the Lion brand "Landscapes" yarn. But I am annoyed by the seam needed for the flat knit pattern. So I tried again with the same pattern and yarn, but using circular methods. Clearly, my gauge has tightened with experience. And I am apparently thumb challenged because both pairs have one thumb longer than the other. The new pair is too small for me, but too long for my 7 year old granddaughter. Maybe a small women's size?

Poway has a Farmer's Market every Saturday morning. I don't usually get there because I am involved in other activities on Saturday, but occasionally I stop for things I can't get elsewhere. Like Giant Kohlrabi. Unfortunately, the last several weeks there have been no kohlrabi at the only booth that grows them. But I have picked up a few other things. I sketched it last Saturday, trying to focus on the amusing sign, but it doesn't look clear. An urban sketcher I am not, at least not yet. The sign indicates NO dogs, NO ducks, and NO elephants! As you can see, the dog owners are unfazed. but I didn't see any elephants!

#Inktober2019, Poway Farmer's Market 10/26/19
"NO dogs, NO ducks, NO elephants"

Last week at the farmer's market, I splurged on a growler of designer Kombucha, a fermented beverage made from black and/or green tea with added flavors. Kombucha is one of my tea/fermentation passions, but my SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) is not producing the kind of flavor and carbonation that I love in my 'buch. So it is time to grow a new one from fresh kombucha. The last time I tried from my favorite store brand the culture did not grow strongly and was less than satisfactory, so I decided to try again with "chef-made" kombucha. The seller (clearly not the producer) claimed that no carbonation was added to the keg (not sure I believe that) and I loved the fizz and flavor. To grow a new SCOBY, I scald a jar, add one to two cups of fresh kombucha, cover with an air permeable top, leave at room temperature for about one week. On the left is a picture of the new SCOBY after 6 days. It grew very well (the red color is from the berry tea they used in the fermentation). After a week, I added it to my gallon kombucha jug in a half gallon brew of green, black, and mint tea and 1/2 cup sugar. On the right is a picture of the SCOBY on the brew after 3 days. It is growing strongly.

Kitchen, October 2019. In front is a jar growing the new
 Kombucha SCOBY.

Kombucha brew with new SCOBY
after 3 days at room temperature.

I was going to crop out the background of the SCOBY starter jar, then realized it is a good cross-section of my kitchen pursuits.

In the picture with the new SCOBY you can see my sprouting container with a mix of alfalfa, clover, radish, fenugreek and lentils on the far left. This time of year, with warmer temperatures in my kitchen, it takes about 5 days to grow to the size I prefer.

In the middle left behind the jar is an heirloom pumpkin that I bought when they went on sale last year. More on that in a minute.

Hanging on the wall is my homegrown Stevia plant drying for the winter. I don't eat sugar and don't like the flavor and processing of store bought stevia so I tried growing my own. I add a couple of leaves to teas and smoothies. I like the flavor of fresh leaves better than dried, which add a taste that reminds me of dried alfalfa, but stevia is a warm weather plant so I don't expect it to grow in the winter. But then again, this is my first year so I might be surprised.

in the middle right is my pottery onion pot, made during my clay-throwing period. On the far right is my InstantPot, a deeply appreciated gift from my daughter-in-law. My favorite uses are Indian cookery and cooking dried beans without having to plan ahead to pre-soak. Love it!!

Unknown variety of heirloom squash, raw and baked.

This time of year I stock up on winter squash. Usually Butternut because it is most available. In November, the pumpkins and unusually colored squashes get marked down. I'm not a fan of the flavor of pumpkin and I prefer to make pies from butternut squash. My favorite squash is Buttercup, but although common in Michigan, I rarely find them out west. Last year about this time, a basket of large heirloom squashes was marked down to $0.99 each, so I bought two. One quickly rotted and the other has been sitting on the counter being decorative for a year. With butternut, the insides would be dried, sometimes moldy, with sprouting seeds and stringy flesh long before a year was up. I almost threw out this squash, but decided to check it. It is as moist, smooth and full of flavor as a fresh squash. I am amazed! I can't find a picture of an heirloom squash that looks the same. Maybe a Jarrowdale cross, as they are known for keeping a long time.

After baking slices of squash smeared with olive oil, salt, and spices I made soup with it. There is no sweetness to this squash, but a rich and complex flavor much better than pumpkin (which is actually a squash). The remaining half will make great pie after roasting and pureeing. I experimented with sweet potato banana pie to see if I could make it sugar free. It turned out okay except for the banana flavor. This time I will try adding some stevia leaves and dates to the puree.

#Inktober2019 10/29 Wilted Dahlias.

It was hot, dry, and windy when I went to the farmer's market last weekend. So I got a good deal on some wilted dahlias, which are still sitting on my counter. I missed two days of Inktober sketches but the flowers were my inspiration today. Inktober is almost over. I loved it!

#Inktober2019, week two close-out

Here are the sketches to close out week 2 of the #Inktober2019 challenge. My goal is to focus on shading, sometimes as hatching, sometimes with broader lines.

#Inktober2019 number 9 Black and white inks.

Toned paper makes for interesting contrast with black, gray or white inks. The goodie box that came this week included two books with colored drawing paper. I can't bring myself to use the oh-so-precious Field Notes Sweet Tooth book with luscious red paper yet, reasoning that I have to get better at drawing before sullying its pages. But, I did use the blue papered notebook. The idea with toned paper is to use the color of the paper for one of the shading values, the mid-range in this case. The sketch is a blue glazed tea cup. Pens used were a Pentel pocket brush pen and a Sailor Fountain pen (blue) with a fude nib and the black cartridge ink that came with the pen. The white highlights were from a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.

#Inktober2019 number 10 grapes

I wanted more color for the grapes. The shading was done with waterbrushes using diluted Namiki blue ink and diluted Joy Sepia ink. The pens were a Kuretake #13 brush pen with Malachite green, a Pilot Metropolitan Fine nib with a mix of blue and purple ink, and two Wing Sung 6359 EF nibs with Vert Empire green and Chocolate brown inks.

#Inktober2019 number 11 The laughing pencil case

Day 11. I went back to shading with hatching. I mostly sketch for the #inktober challenge just before bed, using what is quick and handy. My new pen case, a gift from my sister, and the new Monteverde DC Supershow Teal ink from Goulet pens (on their discount shelf) seemed like a great match. The pen was a Wing Sung 6359, EF nib.

#Inktober2019 number 12. 2 minute poses

One of my sketching goals is to be able to quickly draw people in action. They don't have to be recognizable to anyone who knows them, in fact I think it's safer to publish pictures that are unrecognizable, but I do want to show the emotions and gestures. So I am reading several books on sketching people. Here is my nightly practice from poses rotated on a timed basis via a great website. The pen was a Jinhao x750 with fude nib. The Jinhao is thicker than the Sailor fude pen, and heavier as it is made of metal (probably brass?). I like the line capability, but all my Jinhao pens seem to dry up more quickly than my better pens. They are cheap and pretty, but I only use my less expensive inks in them.

Psychedelic Hamsters

I'm a child of the 60s. Not the drugs and free-love 60s, but the back-to-the-land, make your own, simple living 60s. I gravitate toward tie-dye, the more colors the better. So when I read about Koh-I-Noor Tri-Tone pencils, I had to try them. Loved them!! The colors really pop on black paper too.

Fanciful Rooster: Koh-I-Noor Tri-Tone Pencils
Canson Black Sketching paper

But wait! There's more! Why stop with 3 colors when you can have four? Or seven! Enter the seven color pencil made in Japan. I have seen these for sale on Amazon for a price that was out of my budget. Then, while surfing on eBay, I found a set of four for a dollar a piece. They are bright and creamy and have beautiful colors. Thus the psychedelic hamsters.

Sydney hamster in her psychedelic dreams.
Niji-Iro seven in one pencil
Blick Mixed-Media paper

Comparison sketch of three rainbow pencils, three layers on each ball at darkest value.
Left: Koh-I-Noor Tri-Tones; Center: Niji-Iro pencil; Right: Brilliance 4-in-1 pencil.

When I went back to eBay to buy up the rest (how long will 4 pencils last, after all?), the seller and the listing are no longer available. So I tried a couple of other offers. I have received a 4 color pencil made in China that was a big disappointment. Here is a quick comparison sketch:

Description of pencils:
Koh-I-Noor Tri-Tone pencils: Made in Czech Republic. $12.50 for 12 in a metal box (from eBay). One of the pencils is a colorless blender pencil. Each of the remaining pencils is a different combination of three colors that are randomly intermixed in the lead so that a continuous line gradually changes colors even if the pencil is not rotated. Colors are bright and creamy. The colors are banded at the end of the lacquered, natural wood colored pencil and given a poetic name like "Sunset", "Tiger", "Rainforest". Some of the combinations have striking color contrasts and some are more subtle color changes.

Niji-Iro pencils: Made in Japan. I paid $1.50 each (including shipping) from eBay, but the only comparable pencil (not labeled Niji-Iro) I see now are priced at $27.50 for 12 ($2.33 each), and they are three sided pencils. The pencils I have are round, standard sized pencils made of smooth unfinished natural wood. Otherwise the leads are arranged the same as the Amazon offering with seven colors in a pinwheel pattern. To get the best color variation, the pencil should be rotated as you write. The pigments are bright and the colors lay down rich and creamy. They came in two plastic sleeves, two pencils to a sleeve.

Brilliance 4 in 1 pencils: Made in China. $0.75 each, including shipping, from eBay. These are larger diameter than standard pencils, and the four colors are intermixed throughout the lead. The leads are waxy and hard and produce a faint line. I could not get a bright color even when layering. Not recommended. The pencils arrived in a paper envelope.

#Inktober2019 Yixing teapot sketched with
Diamine Inks: Chocolate Brown and Red Dragon.

Here is #Inktober2019 sketch of the day. I could, theoretically, sketch only pieces from my ceramic collection and have one for every day this month. But I need to use my green inks next!

And here is a picture of Sydney hamster doing her dead hamster trick.

Sydney hamster playing dead
 in protest over the heat.

When the temperature gets up above 83 degrees in the house, she presses her mouth and feet against the glass and goes all still. I had already turned on the A/C last week when she went into her drama mode. It's a good thing we have had a week of fall weather. I feel silly to use A/C just for two hamsters!

#Inktober2019

Inktober is a challenge initiated by Jake Parker. Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. Sketches are shared on-line in some way with the #Inktober. There is a list of daily sketch prompts which many sketchers use to determine what to sketch for each day. Other sketchers develop their own personal challenge theme. I have so many challenges in sketching that a personal goal seems more appropriate than using the provided prompts. I love the rich and juicy fountain pen inks in my collection. So I want to feature a different ink in each sketch. I don't have 31 different inks (at least, I don't think I do...) but I may include some brush pen sketches. What do I most want to develop this month? Shading and values. Shading is often accomplished when using ink by line hatching techniques. I made a couple sketches as a warm up to the month. I experimented in one with using two ink colors, intending the blue ink to represent the deepest shading value. It didn't really turn out as planned. So I swiped the blue with a water brush to shade it. Still not quite right.

Top- pen: WingSung 6359 (EF nib)
with Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses ink
Bottom- pens: Platinum Plaisir (03 fine nib)
with De Atramentis Document ink
Sheaffer Vintage Tuckaway (fine Triumph nib)
with Visconti Blue ink shaded with a water brush.

To better understand how to sketch with ink, I read the book "Portfolio: Beginning Pen and Ink" by Desarae Lee. I learned a lot about hatching and values (different levels of shading), but still need much practice! Two take-aways from this first sketch:

1- hatching takes a lot of time! About 3 hours for this one sketch. 

2- hatching looks best with an extra fine nib. The Lamy Left Hand nib is fine, but a German fine is a wider line than the extra fine, or a Japanese made fine nib. 

Monteverde Cherry Danish Ink is a new release that I just received from Goulet Pens. I think it is called cherry danish because when it is wet it is a much brighter red, like cherries. When dry it is more subdued in color.

#Inktober2019, October 1
Pen: Lamy Al-Star (left hand nib)
with Monteverde Cherry Danish

The mouse teapot is a purchase from my first trip to a Teavana store. It is just so cute and it fits into my small collection of yixing clay teapots. As has happened with so many retailers, Teavana was purchased by a larger company and then had all the brick and mortar stores closed. 

It will be interesting to see how I improve with a month's worth of practice. 

Cheap Journal Compare

Top left are Exceed journals; top right are Letterbox journals; bottom is my current journal, Artist's Loft.

Hi, my name is Anne and I am a journal junkie. It has been about two weeks since I have purchased an unneeded journal just because it was pretty and a good price. I have a small shelf of pretty, unused journals that I found in clearance bins. I have given several journals to friends as gifts when I find out that they like to journal. So I'm writing a little info on the current, past, and future journals that I actually use. I made some sketches in each of four of the above journals for a comparison. Noodler's Lexington Gray ink laid down with a juicy fude nib has lots of bleed-through (where the ink actually soaks through to the back of the paper and sometimes to the sheet behind), so I made a sketch in each journal as a comparison of how the paper handles fountain pen ink.

Costco carries a three pack of Letterbox journals for $12.99 at selected times during the year. These are the journals I used for my first two years of bullet journaling. They have 80 sheets (160 pages) of cream colored, lined paper. I have a note that the weight is 80gsm, I'm not sure where I got that figure, but it is consistent with my experience with these books.

Things I like:

+Fountain pen friendly - Rarely bleed-through, and very little show-through (the writing is discernible as a shadow on the back side, but the ink does not soak through) with all my pens except the Sharpies.

+Paper color is not quite yellow, but not stark white. Colors show up well.

+10 inch by 7 inch hard cover that is sturdy enough to withstand eight months of daily use and traveling. The three packs are available with various bright covers, or dark shades. The books open flat.

+One ribbon book mark and a sturdy back pocket.

+Did I mention the price? $4.34 each. Unbeatable.

Reasons I have moved on:

-a little larger than is convenient to carry.

-dark lines are a distraction behind the sketches I like to include. I have checked the Spicebox website (where the price is considerably more than Costco) and there are no plain or dotted page options in these journals.

Letterbox journal sketch with Jinhao x750, fude nib.
Ink is Noodler's Lexington Gray. Hand 19.

Letterbox journal, back side of Hand 19.
 Some bleed-through visible.

Michael's craft store carries a line of Artist's Loft journals.

Things I like:

+Hard covers that open flat in several bright colors. The binding has held up well to daily carry for 3 months. Includes two ribbon bookmarks but no back pocket.

+true A5 size (8 x 6 inches)

+white paper available with dotted format. Said to be 80 gsm weight, but it does not perform as if the paper is that heavy.

+Only $5, a great price!

Reasons I am moving on:

-Not friendly to all fountain pens. Show-through and bleed-through with some inks.

-buckles and bleeds with even light washes.

-Platinum Carbon Black ink feathers and that is one of my main inks for bullet entries.

Artist's Loft journal paper.
Jinhao with fude nib
Noodler's Lexington Gray ink.
 Hand 17

Artist's Loft paper, back of
Hand 17. Heavy bleed-through. The ink
actually soaked into the second page.

Walmart stocks Exceed journals in two paper weights, soft and hard covers, and three sizes. In 2018 I bought a large format (7.5 x 9.75 inches), dotted (came also in lined format), softcover journal with one ribbon bookmark and a back pocket for $8.64. The paper is cream colored, 78 gsm with no coating. I use it as my pen and ink notebook. I see show-through and sometimes bleed-through with many fountain pens and inks, so I wouldn't consider it for most journaling or sketching. I generally only use one side of the page when I am using fountain pens, or I live with the show-through behind what I write on the back side of a page. Still, the paper handles fountain pens better than the Artist's Loft journal, with no feathering of Carbon Black ink.

Exceed 78gsm paper, Jinhao with fude nib.
Noodler's Lexington Gray ink. Hand 20

Exceed 78gsm, back of page
Hand 20 showing bleed-through.

In 2019, the paper was changed in Exceed journals. There are now three sizes available with 100gsm, coated paper. I have the new A5 journals which come with 120 sheets (240 pages), two ribbon bookmarks, hard covers, multiple cover colors and a back pocket. They do not lie quite as flat as the lighter paper version, but it is acceptable to me (although I do have to sometimes hold the page down as I sketch). The two smaller sizes cost less than $9, the larger size (soft cover) is around $13. The paper does not have bleed-through, and little show-through with the inks I use. Light, water washes result in a little buckling, but still no bleed-through. 

Exceed 100gsm paper; Jinhao with fude nib;
Noodler's Lexington Gray; Hand 18
No bleed-through or show-through on back

Exceed 100gsm paper; Platinum Carbon Desk Pen;
Platinum Carbon Black Ink; Wing Sung 6359 pen with
Diamine Chocolate Brown Ink; Faber-Castell watercolour pencils
with water wash.

Exceed 100gsm paper. Back side of Butterfly entry. No bleed-through and very slight show-through
 of green leave wash on left.
Minimal buckling of paper.

In summary- for my usage preferences: 
Text journaling: Letterbox journals- good paper; acceptable for fountain pens; bargain price. 

Sketch journaling: Exceed 100gsm, A5 size, great paper; fountain pen friendly; accepts light water wash with minor buckling; reasonably priced.

Unacceptable for journaling (according to my usage): Artist's Loft journal; show-through with all my pens and inks except Pigma Microns; bleed-through and feathering with fountain pens; using a water wash makes for heavy bleed-through and buckling.

I...LOVE...the...FOG and I cannot lie...

I lived two thirds of my life in central Michigan. According to some statistics I have heard, Michigan's percentage of cloudy days is on a par with Seattle. So water is in my DNA. When I wake up and see a white blur out my bedroom window, my heart sings. I live sandwiched between hilly open space trails on the south and a permanent creek on the north. Photos can't capture the depth and luminescence of foggy days so it seems like a great opportunity to sketch the scene. Last week, I woke up to just such a milky day, but the fog was so thick I couldn't see anything past the houses across the street. An hour later, I could at least discern the greenery on the hills. I tried to sketch it in my thin papered journal with ink and wash, but the essence of the fogginess didn't come through.

07/11/19 Foggy morning looking south. Herbin Vert Empire Ink, Krishna MYC custom red ink, De Atramentis Silver Grey ink with water wash on Artist's Loft journal paper.

This morning I woke again to that wonderful cottony sight and sound. I hurried around trying to get my new watercolor set and inks together to do the back yard before the fog burned off. I still haven't got it. Some of the green inks washed blue! I will figure out how to get the effect of fog on paper, but maybe not this year. We don't have that many foggy mornings. The fog burns off by 7:30am and is an indication of a hotter day to follow.

07/15/19 Foggy morning in back yard. Various inks and watercolor on 140lb Canson XL.

Will the REAL Lamy Al-Star please stand up?

The LAMY Al-Star mixed in with it's illegitimate siblings. 

If you don't understand the title reference for this post (and that matters to you), Google "What's My Line" game show.

Fifty percent of my readers requested a blog post comparing my journals, fountain pen sketches and prices (thanks Sis!). I already had in mind a post about my LAMY Al-Star and its illegitimate family. The rest will be for future posts.

The LAMY Safari/Al-Star pens are German made pens designed for those who are starting into fountain pen obsession usage. The Safari is the lower priced plastic version, the Al-Star is the aluminum version. I am not as attracted to plastic. It's not as shiny and smooth as aluminum. At least, not to me. The nibs are easy to swap out with other LAMY nibs. The nibs come in EF (extra-fine) to Broad widths as well as stubs for calligraphy and a left-hand tuned nib! They have a triangular section (where most people grip the pen) that people generally either love or hate. It felt awkward to me at first, but now I do love it. I rotate pens toward me, and the grip helps to keep the nib aligned at a smooth optimum for my writing style.

There are many posts (such as this one) from people who love this pen for writing and for sketching. So, of course (shiny collectible things, remember?), I wanted one. However, my pen budget runs in the range of less than $10 each. That is quite limiting. Then I saw an Al-Star (with a fine nib) on eBay as an unused return from a stationary store. I paid more than $10, but less than the usual price. 

I stumbled onto a video that gave a very positive review of Chinese made imitations of various popular pens. I blush to say that I have been corrupted by cheap Chinese goods off eBay. Did I mention my frugal (read income-limited) lifestyle? If I was still working, with the wide disposable income I had at the time, I would buy all my pens from Goulet Pens, because I am enamored of Brian's wonderful and informative videos. And I have purchased several pens, ink, tuning supplies and samples from Brian and the crew, so stop giving me that look! I ordered several Wing Sung 6359 pens (the LAMY Al-Star imitation) from eBay for less than $2 each. But wait! I learned that there are Chinese counterfeits of the Wing Sung imitation LAMY A-S! What?! Of course, I then had to order two pens that I could tell were genuine Wing Sung 6359. After this long introduction, I will try to quickly give my assessment of each.

If you can't tell which pen is the LAMY and which two are genuine Wing Sungs, here is the reveal picture:

Notice the brand imprint on the barrel of the three farthest left. There you see the most obvious differentiation. 

Here is a sample of hand-writing for each pen in order top to bottom of the above pens from left to right.

Comparison of the LAMY Al-Star and imitations. They are listed by color, brand, nib size, price and my assessment of how they feel when writing. Each pen is inked with a different ink. Rhodia #16 paper.

The LAMY Al-Star with fine nib: initially I didn't like it. The German version of the fine nib lays down a thicker line than the Japanese version. For writing, I favor a finer line, preferably comparable to a Pilot G2 0.38 gel pen. The nib felt scratchy to me (remember I am left-handed), not as smooth or as fine as my Platinum Preppie fine nib. So I decided to try the Left Hand nib, ordered from Goulet Pens. That nib has about the same line width as the fine nib but has become smooth and juicy as I have learned to keep it in the sweet spot. Now I like the pen much better.

The "Wing Sung" counterfeits with EF nibs: The four that I have are all very smooth writing, some of my favorite pens. The ink flow seems medium wet so they keep up well when I am writing quickly. I rarely have a problem with dry starts (that is where no ink comes out when first uncapping and writing with the pen). The only exception is the gold colored pen, but I think that is the ink. It has Herbin Vert Empire ink, a naturally derived color. I have not tested the ink in any other pens, but I think it is a dry flowing ink. In the writing sample, it leaves a visibly finer line than the other pens. However, I love the color and it works well in sketching because I move the pen more slowly than when writing.

The genuine Wing Sung 6359 pens with EF nibs: Both pens are disappointing in fit and finish. Each one came with curls of plastic hanging off the outside of the section and mold seams on the section threads that interfere with smooth removal of the barrel. One pen writes smoothly, but one pen (the purple colored) is scratchy to the point that I feel like it is catching on the paper. In addition, the smoother pen, the coffee colored, came with a dent in the cap, which came off the barrel with such difficulty that after few days, the barrel came free from the glued in section. I then could see a stress line in the inside of the metal that indicated it had been squeezed at some point. I Gorilla-Glued it back together, but now the nib leaks big blobs of ink when I am writing.

Here is the coffee colored Wing Sung showing the dent in the cap and the Gorilla Glue that squeezed out of the repair.

In summary, I like the counterfeit Wing Sung 6359 pens the best of the family. I am adapting to the LAMY, and I like the sturdy build. I will not be getting more of the genuine Wing Sung 6359 because I feel the quality is disappointing. Well, really, I don't need to get any more pens anyway...

Today's sketch is a meta-sketch (a sketch of sketching materials) of the hand-made mug and some of the pens that live in it (none of which are LAMY or Wing Sung).

Pens and Inks: Pilot Metropolitan (stub nib) with Krisha MYC 5Y+1B
Wing Sung 3008 (fine nib) with De Atramentis Silver Grey
Iraurita Brass Pen (F) with Noodler's Apache Sunset
Pilot Petit 1 (F) with Pilot red cartridge