Tips for Inking with a Nib Pen?

[HelloGoodbye]

Hi all, Do any of you have experience working with nib pens? Recently, I decided that I really wanted to start inking my drawings with a nib pen (I think that's what it's called anyway, the kind with the nib you can switch and you dip it in the ink).  In a lot of ways, I really like it.  I like how I can control the thickness of my lines, and how it doesn't smudge when I erase my pencil lines.  Plus I just think it looks really nice. 

But I've been having problems with it.  The main one is that when I'm drawing with it a giant blot of ink will just come out of my pen for no discernible reason and puddle on my page (today a drawing I was really proud of was nearly ruined by that but I managed to fix it with white out and some strategic rearrangement of my character's hair).  I looked up a possible cause, but what I mostly came up with was that I need to wash the wax coating off of my nibs, but I already did that and it still happens.  Also, sometimes ink just stops coming out even when there looks like there is plenty of ink in the pen.

Could it be a problem with my ink?  I noticed that most of the time this happens, it is with my black ink.  Could it be too thick or too thin?  Or is this just something that happens if the ink is a lousy brand?  Or is it the nibs themselves?  Or is there something I could be doing technique wise to fix this issue?

Thanks a bunch!    Any advice about this problem, or just using these pens in general, would be much appreciated!

[kaoskat]

Do you mean a quill pen?

[Griffin]

I mostly use nibs for inking, too. I love the alternating line thickness, it just makes my drawings look much more lifelike.

As for the problem, I'm afraid I'm not much of help... What kind of nibs are you using? And what brand of ink? I assume it's the ink that's causing the issues, especially if it mostly happens with one colour. Coloured inks are quite different from basic Indian ink. I personally love Talens, it's the most reliable brand I've tried so far. Though I believe mine has come to the end of its shelf life, it won't run like it used to and has come pretty much impossible to use with the extra fine nibs that I use... Giving it a thorough stir won't help either, so now I mainly use it for painting. The other ink I have (Rohrer & Klingner) works OK but I don't like it as much for some reason even if it flows nicely.

With the fine point nibs I've noticed they won't work anymore if the tip is even slightly bent or otherwise damaged - take care not to drop them! I also make sure to always clean the nibs afterwards by gently brushing them with an old toothbrush and mild hand soap. Sometimes I have to stop and clean them in the middle of the process too if nothing comes out. In most cases I believe clogging is caused by ink that's too thick. I'm not sure what causes the blots... maybe your ink is too thin? It might also be your choice of paper, have you experimented with different types of papers? To conclude, I remember reading a tip somewhere that when doing calligraphy (must apply to drawing with quills, too) you should work on a tilted desk because that helps prevent the unwanted ink blots. That may be worth a shot! Good luck

[HelloGoodbye]

Thanks for the replies, guys! 

Kaoskat:  Maybe that's what it's called!  I don't remember the name for it that was on the package when I bought it.  My friend had given me an old one to practice with, and I liked it so I went and bought one with more options for varying nibs, but I can't remember what she called it.

Griffin:  Thanks for all the help!  The black ink and the nibs are both Speedball brand, I believe, and right now I only have one other color (blue) which is also Speedball brand but looks like it's from a different line or something since the packaging is very different.  I'll look for those other brands of ink next time I'm at the art store!  As for my paper, I've had it happen in two different sketchbooks.  My current sketchbook is 65lb paper I believe.  I'll see what other kinds of paper I have around and try those, too.  Also, I'll start cleaning them the way that you recommended! The tooth brush sounds like a really good idea.  I'll also give inking on a tilted surface a shot.  Thanks again!!

[mul-ta]

Amateur comic artist with a fondness for crow quill nibs here. (FYI, I normally use Joseph Gilott's Crow Quill #659, Zebra crow quill pen #1650 and black Pelikan ink.) It's hard to say what exactly is going wrong as I'm not familiar with your tools, but you've already got some great advice here. Personally, I like to kill the oil or wax coating with fire. Just burn the nib in a candle flame or something. I concur with Griffin on the importance of keeping the nib clean. I always keep a cup of water and a household towel within my reach in case I need to rinse the nib while working. Any ink that contains shellac may tend to block the nib and must be cleaned carefully. Finally, getting the knack of it normally takes some time and practice.

[HelloGoodbye]

Thank you for the advice!  I'll try taking the coating off with fire since maybe the water didn't get it all! 

After working with my blue ink a little more, I found out that it is way easier to use than the black ink so I'm going to try a new brand of black ink!  I'll see if my local art store has any of the kinds that you all use