Hi fountain pen friends! Madigan here, bringing you my latest Monday Matchup. I matched the Pilot Kakuno Package Set Fine (Pack of 3) with the Pilot Iroshizuku Summer Mini Boxed Set. This was a fantastic match since I got to use multiple pens and ink! Despite the low price point on the Kakuno pens, I loved how they wrote.
The inspiration for this piece came from perusing the Letters of Note website. Years ago, I read the letter poet Ted Hughes wrote to his son Nick. He ended it with this quote, "As Buddha says: live like a mighty river. And as the old Greeks said: live as though all your ancestors were living again through you." It's always struck me as such a wonderful sentiment and I wanted to try to capture it in my artwork, especially since I was using such bright and vivacious ink!
To start this work, I filled each pen with one ink respectively. I debated on several ways to depict the river, and decided that a waterfall would have the most movement. I took a pencil and sketched out the waterfall and rocks. Using a water brush pen, I dipped into the Kon-peki bottle cap and brushed on the water first. Working in layers, I added deeper color to the top of the fall and eventually added more water to create less saturated color. Next, I took another water bush pen and dipped it into the cap of Yu-yake. I outlined the areas under where I wanted to draw the rocks and rock ledges. Then, using another water brush pen, I added in layers of pink Momiji ink under and around the orange. I set it aside and let it dry.
Once it was dry to the touch, I used each pen to outline their respective section. I loved how the ink colors contrasted and made the layers of the drawing pop. I wrote in the quote at the top of the page, using contrasting fonts and colors to draw attention to the words. Since all of the Kakunos had fine nibs, I had to go over the lines twice to make sure they stood out. Once the entire piece was dry, I erased the pencil marks and sat back to look at what I'd accomplished. I loved it!
I loved this match. Seriously. The pens and inks played wonderfully together. The Kakunos were incredible for drawing. Because they are so lightweight, they were incredibly responsive as I was drawing. I'm not usually one for fine lined pens because they aren't very forgiving. However, these nibs seemed to float magically above the page, drawing steady and straight lines. I'd highly recommend them to artist or writers alike!
I love all these inks! I've used Yu-yake in another Monday Matchup, so I knew that I liked it. They are all free flowing, bright, and a pleasure to have in your pen. The mini boxed set comes in an adorable little white box and the ink bottles themselves are cute.
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The contest is open Monday, September 26, 2016 at 12pm EDT until Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at 12pm EDT. One winner will be randomly selected and announced tomorrow once the contest closes. The winner must live in a country that Goulet Pens currently ships to. Click here to see the Official Contest Rules.
Write on,
Madigan
You can find the Pilot Kakuno at GouletPens.com individually for $13.50 or in a set of three for $36. The Pilot Iroshizuku Summer Mini Boxed Set is available for $32 and includes the box and 15ml bottles of Yu-yake, Momiji, and Kon-peki.
Want to win this matchup? Follow these directions!
How to enter Monday Matchup Giveaway:
- Match a pen and ink together. They don't have to match in color, any fountain pen and ink works.
- Take a picture of your pen and ink matchup.
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- Confirm your entry via the Rafflecopter widget below which will record your entries. This is how we'll draw a random winner. Since it's totally random, you're eligible to win each week!
- To see more of Rafflecopter's privacy policy, click here. Your email is never shared, and is only used to contact you should you win.
Write on,
Madigan
