Meet The 3 Pens That Changed My Life.

O.K., so maybe I'm a little dramatic.

All though, in all fairness, these pens have made a HUGE impact on my life.

Say hello to (from top to bottom) the

Fudenosuke Brush Pen, hard tip, from Tombowusa.

My arch nemesis, the Dual Brush Pen in black and the fabulous find from Amazon, the Posca Paint Pen- which I found quite by accident.

All I do thanks to these three is think about lettering and I have joined a 30 day challenge over at 30daysofbiblelettering.com 

I won't lie-it's knocking me out of my tidy boundaries.

 I'm looking up all kinds of fonts, and I have yet another great reason to peruse Pinterest. 

I look at the other's and try my hardest to not think, "Oh. Well, then. Mine looks like a kindergartener did it." Instead, I tell my brain, "Maybe so, but that just means you have so many fun things to learn!"

I'm also seeing that I need waaaay more light in my art room and using bifocals compared to progressive lenses helps as well. Nothing that any self-respecting kindergartener would have to deal with, that's for sure. 

It all began with my new friend, Posca. The paint flows well, it dries quickly, you can color on top of another color and this means they all live on top of my desk. The only thing I have to watch is if I use them on any sort of a rough surface, the nib rubs off a bit. But they have stood the test. I used them on stained wood for a wedding project last week and they came through like a champ.

Next came the Dual Brush Pen. This one threw me for a loop. 

I wobble all over with this pen. I can't get the upswing to be thinner than the downstroke. It's a mystery to me. I have actually found it easier with a brush I found in Chinatown in San Fransisco!

I found I had more control with this, and I can't wait to find a better brush and more intense paints. Maybe I'll water down acrylics and see how they do. 

Then I found the golden girls of the brush pens.

Next to the Dual Brush Pen, the Fudoneske sisters pack a wallop when it comes to control.

See those little bitty tips?

Lotta control and you have to push on the downstroke. 

It's difficult to tell, but the one on the far left is the hard tip, the in the middle is the soft tip.

Here's another example:

Hard tip, Soft tip and Brush tip.

 Hard tip:

It flows fast and writes hard. You really have to make an effort on the downstroke.

Soft tip:

This has a juicy flow and the downstroke just needs a hint of pressure. 

There you have it.

It's far from perfect, but I hope I've encouraged you to give one or more of these a try. It's a great meditative process and just fun.

Thanks for joining me on this little road of discovery!

joining in on the fun at 

Paint Party Friday