Dragonfly Dip-Pen Design

An MMSA pen pal and I challenged each other to a dip-pen (nib) ink design swap.  I procrastinated because I had "organized" some of my art supplies and couldn't for the life of me find my small collection of nibs and fountain pens.  After some extensive searches, I finally found them where I least expected to- right where I had put them, I guess?  Why is it, that one finds the missing object in the last place one looks?

Anyway, I am new to using nibs. My paper was common white card stock.  While experimenting, I found that when I write in one direction (away from me) the resulting line is smooth, but when I draw the pen toward me, it scratches and skips and stutters.  One new thing learned!

First I drew my design, a dragonfly, with a pencil.  Then I went over the outline with the dip-pen. Writing a script message (no calligrapher here), I then used rubber stamp ink to fill in the dragonfly wings. Colors too bright!  I scuffed chalk ink pads on top of the intense colors to tone them down.  I like the way the cross-hatch lines show through the color, almost alluding to transparency.

Adding specks of rubber stamp ink came next, but I really, I mean REALLY over did it.  Oops.  No going back.  (Upon receiving the post card, my pen pal graciously compared ink spatters to ice cream sprinkles, never too many. She's so sweet!)   Then I inked the edges.

Supplies Used