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GH-MoNGo β Tech Pen Basics Tutorial
Published: 2007-02-24 03:19:55 +0000 UTC; Views: 2219; Favourites: 16; Downloads: 54
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Description
A few words about technical pens, like Rotring and Rapidograph. I prefer using these over pigment liners whenever possible because they're refillable and the ink in them is a lot better quality.Questions and comments are more than welcome.
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Comments: 69
They aren't all that expensive, but one can really last a lifetime if it's taken care of.
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A tech pen is a pen that produces lines of even width, regardless of how much pressure you apply.
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neat explanation. some years ago i bought a rapidograph but i always had trouble with it because the ink keeped leaking out from the side (although it was new) 
now i only use those fine copic liners/ artist pens which don't require cleaning or anything
maybe i should try it again, though, thanks.
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Glad this was helpful.
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I've never used a technical pen before. Is there a big difference between the quality?
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Guess I'm going to have to pick up some. Thanks.
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I got a set of faber castle rapidographs that I havenΒ΄t used since my first year... Something tells me they are cloagued...
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Thank you for creating this tutorial. It is informative and very easy to understand- I finally got the difference between tech pens and pigment liners.
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$18-$20, but like I said, they're re-fillable. If you take good care of Γ©m they should last you a reeeeal long time.
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This is a very good tutorial and it helps me a lot with my writing on paper but i am hoping to do better soon.
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faving this for future reference. keep it up, man
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I remember the first time I bought a technical pen. I was amazed by the fine point precision, but I never bother to clean it. So much for that! I ended up bending the tip out of frustration. Those things are expensive, too!
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Yeah, they need a lot of care.
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My favorite pens 
You can get some stylistic lines by knowing where to thicken them, so it looks like brushwork, but more controlled, not to mention how even and tiny they can get (major drawback of brushes is that if you want reaaaaally fine points you have to use the verrry tip and it looks wiggly at times).
I just filled one up with red ink a minute ago. Then I found that the ink isn't waterproof, so I'm gonna use it for writing with instead of art until it runs out. :< Curses!
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Non-waterproof ink for the loss!
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Nice tutorial - though as a result of cheap ballpoint pens I'm afraid tech pens have no place in my arsenal...
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Ballpoint pens fade and aren't waterproof.
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ah ha! Just don't get them wet....
Strangely mine never fade though, possibly 'cos I keep them away from light.
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wow, it's been a while since I used a pen!
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Heh, never too late to dust it off and use it again!
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I guess, the computer has rather taken over the 'finishing' stages of my work though
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I don't have that much trust in my own two hands.
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Weird, eh? Yeah, I've resigned myself to tablet work.
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Aha, neato! I'll check them out when I go to the store soon.
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Usually I use the tech pens for make sorted lines on my comics. With a nice ruler, I can make lineal shades and backgrounds^-^
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I was given a set of tech pens when i was about 10 and I never got them to work properly. On the whole I find them to be a little too much of a pain in the ass to incorporate into my personal arsenal of tools.
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Ah, I see. They can be annoying to clean and such but I find them to work pretty well for nice, even lines.
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Is a tech pen anything like a micronpen?
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Finer and refillable. I went from microns to tech, and I'm not going back D:
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Pilot makes a disposable Tec- pen called Hi-Tecpoint V..... they work just as good as the Rotrings/Rapidograghs.... but if you plan on using them a lot? I would go out and get the Rotrings/Rapidograghs .... I have the cartridge ones.
The trick is, to keep them clean after use, and soaking them in warm water for a few minutes to make sure you have all dried ink washed off so the new cartridges seats right and seals, other wise they can leak, do the same with the other ones as they will plug up if you don't... If you plan on using them to draw with?
Because they are really made for drafting and not drawing... be careful not to push to hard on the really fine tips ( .35 and down) as you can bend them and damage them. But they work wonderful for crosshatching and fine line shading like someone pointed out. Well worth the investment .
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I think avoiding to push hard on any kind of nib is pretty universal knowledge
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lol well you would think so.... but trust me on this one.... some in my collage course trashed theirs by pushing to hard on the nibs of their.25 and bent them beyond use..... trying to use them for shading work if memory serves me correct. Rapid motion with to hard a pressure can damage them. Didn't figure you would do such a thing, .... that little tid-bit of info was more for those that have never used anything other then ball point pens.
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No. A micron is a pigment liner; it has a fiber tip and you throw it away when it's empty.
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