#Brighton diamine

[agentsketchbook]

Some gang shenanigans as always

#gallery #rosano #poppy #narciss #oleander #sakana furikake #helly faer #amata gemoule #rose buddy #hansa geoluhread #zion diamine #brighton diamine #pinku usagi #pigeon wing

[doodlewash]

My name is Nick Stewart and I’m from Rochester, Kent, England. Much of my working life has been spent in service to London’s advertising agencies and design studios as well as a part time tutor at the University for the Creative Arts. I am currently the creative lead at Stewart2, a branding and design team.

Robert Oster Inks

Sheaffer Black And Bleach

My art journey began early. As the offspring of a father in the armed services it was the norm ‘back in the day’ to be sent away to school to offset the disruption of relocation every 2 years. In the boarding communities I found myself, it was important to play to your strengths in order to survive. Art happened to be something I excelled at and since the age of eight have developed it as a skill for both career and personal practice.

Robert Oster Inks

Parker Quink And Bleach

J. Herbin Inks

Four years ago, I was in an extremely frustrating and anxious place. The creative driven analogue industry that I love and cherish finally morphed into the digital behemoth it was destined to become. Now led by programmers and account managers utilising keywords, templates and digital visual content. I desperately needed to find something analogue to satisfy my inner creative cravings and that’s where the fountain pen ink art project began.

Mild bleach on Parker Quink black background

I had already been introduced to an abstract use for Parker Quink Ink and bleach mainly for lettering and design while at Brighton University, where I was tutored by the renowned calligrapher Miriam Stribley. So, this seemed like an opportunity to revisit those investigations from thirty years ago and take them further into uncharted territories.

Mild bleach on Waterman ink backgrounds

For the uninitiated, fountain pen inks are made up of dyes that when introduced to a wetted paper surface, the colours that make up those dyes are released from solution, so although you are dealing with one colour it appears that you could be using several. This chromatic process is totally unique to fountain pen inks with the stunning visual outcomes very much serendipity led. Add to that a touch of alchemy (bleach), and the art goes to a whole new level with stunning neon gold effects, textures and new colours created!

So, first off, I got hold of ink samples from all over the world to swatch test. And the potential for fountain pen ink use, aside from handwriting, was jaw dropping. I uploaded my swatch cards, ink reviews and fountain pen ink art to a dedicated website and shared them to social media and discussion forums that I thought may gain some attention. And what quickly became apparent, is that there is a big international audience out there who are eager to know more and to learn how to use their fountain inks in their own art.

Nick Stewart Randall ink

I found that each fountain pen ink is unique. Some inks are just one trick ponies while others reveal a whole range of unexpected behaviours, colours, reactions and creative possibilities. To-date I have swatch tested over 1,800 individual inks and discovered some real delights, all of which, once recognised, will be of great value to creatives in all fields of art practice.

Troublemaker Abalone and Petrichor inks

Left: Noodler’s Rome Burning and Walnut Brown inks. Right: Krishna Graphite ink

For readers of this forum who are into sketching and watercolour painting, you can achieve some easy and stunning watercolour effects by simply letting the chromatography just do its thing. In the illustrations shown above, the ‘chromo’ skies and foregrounds created themselves with the details added afterwards with a dip pen. For enthusiasts of art journaling and sketching, this simple and natural process allows for a seamless visual and medium continuity between image and handwritten word.

For the travelling artist, illustrator and journal keeper, using a limited palette of four fountain pen inks similar to cyan, magenta, yellow and black, will easily mix and blend together to give all the colours needed to create great art with the addition of those unique chromatic effects and reactions to bleach included – all from the one medium.

Nick Stewart Berber Blue, Desert Rose, Dune Yellow and Twilight Black inks (4 colour mix)

Nick Stewart Berber Blue, Desert Rose, Dune Yellow and Twilight Black inks (4 colour mix)

What is also of interest is that all ink ranges are made differently. Each ink maker has their own and recipes and processes. So, one range of inks may suit a particular subject matter better than another.

Various standard, sheening and shimmer inks

But it doesn’t stop there. Fountain pen sheening and shimmer inks can also be used for art and to stunning effects when used for painting, calligraphy and illustration. And for creatives who like working light into dark, using bleach into an ink background is not only unique to this medium but visually impactive too.

Cult Pens Robert and Maureen inks with mild bleach

I hope that this ‘snapshot’ of my investigations shows that a lot of unique, exciting and diverse art can be created using fountain pen ink. However, as with anything that ‘looks good’, there is scrutiny and rightly so. There are 2 main areas of negative discussion – the effect of bleach on paper and the history of ink dyes being prone to fading. These are real issues but are certainly not terminal. Some inks are fugitive. Not all!

I create my art on good quality paper and protect it with a matte UV resistant spray. This works very well, and the good news is that ink creators are starting to add UV inhibitors into their products. Thick bleach will destroy paper. I don’t use concentrated bleach I use a very mild solution with water and as I’m using heavy paper the damage is invisible.

Mild bleach on Parker Quink ink black background

And the future? Well, the last four years has been a real pleasure. Not only has fountain pen ink art satisfied my analogue creative needs, but I think I’ve actually found a unique niche where my art is developing into a recognisable style of its own and that’s fundamental for any artist. I have also made hundreds of new friends: painters, illustrators, calligraphers, writers, ink makers, pen makers, paper manufacturers and others who are just curious, all wanting to find out what’s going on.

Diamine Teal ink

I have delivered numerous fountain pen ink art workshops, sharing the processes and techniques and for the many who can’t attend a workshop I have produced an online tutorial course – details on my website.

My real hopes are that I can help share and promote this unique medium as a bonafide art material and genre. As technology slowly erodes the use for handwriting, this reimagined purpose will hopefully see fountain pen ink appreciated for new creative alternatives. Why not give it a try?

If you’d like to find out more, there are links below. Thank you.

Nick Stewart Website Instagram Twitter Facebook YouTube

GUEST ARTIST: "The Magic of Fountain Pen Ink Art" by Nick Stewart - #doodlewash #ink #fountainpens #sketchingstuff #painting My name is Nick Stewart and I’m from Rochester, Kent, England. Much of my working life has been spent in service to London’s advertising agencies and design studios as well as a part time tutor at the University for the Creative Arts.

#1798 Anniversary Ink #art #artist #featured #Fountain Pen #Fountain Pen Ink #ink #Inktober #J. Herbin #painting #Parker #pen and ink #penandink #UK

[agentsketchbook]

My buddy’s character, Cal Ligus, and my Brighton getting up to trouble before and after Cal goes to prison.

As you can see, I made an adult only zine of the two of them featuring writing and comic pages! I’ve submitted it to the wbmc, so if it doesn’t make it for the 2024 publication, I will release it on my nsfw twitter for everyone to read :)

#gallery #Brighton diamine #Cal Ligus Junior

[agentsketchbook]

Doodles and comics

#gallery #comics #rose buddy #narciss neederly #oleander #Amata Gemoule #Brighton diamine #Dazey do #pinku usagi #Rosano

[agentsketchbook]

Comic style watercolor paintings of Anterican people and landscapes

I typically don’t use tape for my watercolor work, but I find it’s REALLY fun to! The second image was actually the first one I did in this series and I was inspired by the comic panel like composition to make it look like such.

#pigeon wing #bonnie #sakana furikake #eede collins #narciss #helly faer #Rosano #hansa Geoluhread #burdock hoenn #molly mandrake #brighton diamine #amata gemoule #painting #gallery

[agentsketchbook]

I found an old animation I made 5 years ago in 2018 and decided to redo it! Enjoy!

#gallery #animation #ivy #poppy #molly mandrake #burdock hoenn #brighton diamine #zion diamine #rosano #carl budweis #Youtube

[agentsketchbook]

GIVES YOU HELL

"In the Rough’s “Gives You Hell” comic is not only about Helly and Molly coming back to haunt Michael Moore and Zion Diamine for the ways they’ve wronged them, but also publicly bringing to the forefront how their selfish desires have affected a nation that is starting to rap at their doors."

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Enjoy GIVES YOU HELL! I had a huge blast working on this comic. I was recently put on new meds finally when I was hit with the drive to start and finish this thing. I didn't intend on seeing this through to the end, but man am I glad that I did! You can see as I go along, I put more into the comic. I'm very proud of this in particular, since I have always had trouble with finishing things I start. Comics in particular despite loving doing them. Very thrilling to be able to show others a glimpse of what I envision In the Rough's story to play out like in my head : )

#comic #gives you hell #gyh #gallery #Molly Mandrake #Helly Faer #Michael Moore #Amanda Mandrake #Truck Driver #Zion Diamine #Sakana Furikake #Marcell #Monoca #Newspaper Reader #Eede Collins #Iris #Fuchsia #Brighton Diamine #Esmee #Thistle Hoenn #Heliotrope #Dazey Will Do #Alli Oops #Amata Gemoule

[agentsketchbook]

Fall time drawings

#gallery #ned dewall do #chrissie mumford #viola blue #dazey will do #sunshine waters #olivera diamine #zion diamine #solaire diamine #lucius diamine #brighton diamine #sakana furikake #cornfield

[agentsketchbook]

More draws! I gave Blackery a nose based on a friend’s suggestion and I think it shall be canon :)

Pigeon Wing developments too. He wrote lots of poetry and journals that he kept secret until his passing, when Hansa was allowed by his family to look through it all. He found that Pigeon wrote a great deal about him. I think what is sad is that Wing also was looking forward to being an uncle to baby Thistle, but his time in doing so was so short lived that she doesn’t remember him.

Naked Sunshine also :3

#Dazey will do #sunshine waters #Zion diamine #olivera diamine #solaire diamine #brighton diamine #Lucius diamine #thistle Hoenn #oleander #amata gemoule #helly faer #pigeon wing #hansa Geoluhread #Blackery brambles #ivy thorns #Sakana furikake #gallery

[agentsketchbook]

Last night’s sketching and notes

#gallery #alli oops #may jay #brighton diamine #molly mandrake #sakana furikake #heliotrope #notes

[agentsketchbook]

Assorted doodles comics and whatnots

#notes #gallery #sakana furikake #burdock hoenn #Rosano #rose buddy #oleander #don clay #chief Carl budweis #bartender #amata gemoule #zion diamine #solaire diamine #lucius diamine #brighton diamine

[agentsketchbook]

More summer paints and doodles

#zion diamine #pinku usagi #rose buddy #brighton diamine #molly mandrake #marcel #helly faer #viola blue #chrissie mumford #ned dewall do #gallery #painting

[agentsketchbook]

This post is full of bangers to me, personally. The jacket design is a concept for a painting I’m doing on the back of my boyfriend’s leather jacket.

#Zion diamine #sunshine waters #dazey will do #brighton diamine #sakana furikake #pigeon wing #hansa geoluhread #Bianca Diamine #michael moore #amata gemoule #Ned Dewall do #Iris #Lucius diamine #Yuki #cole manors #detroit agate #gallery #comic #painting #marcel

[agentsketchbook]

Summer doodles and painty

#solaire diamine #zion diamine #trish diamine #michael moore #sakana furikake #bianca diamine #molly mandrake #brighton diamine #sunshine waters #dazey will do #gallery #painting

[agentsketchbook]

The Diamine family tree and concepts for Olivera Diamine herself

#gallery #zion diamine #olivera diamine #bianca diamine #aqua diamine #solaire diamine #lucius diamine #Brighton diamine #Victoria diamine #Regina diamine #marius #Trish diamine #alister diamine #scotch #muth #angel

[agentsketchbook]

This was a great time art and creativity wise for me when I was able to go outside in the nice sunshine and drink coffee and tea while drawing. Sigh, good times.

#zion diamine #lucius diamine #brighton diamine #solaire diamine #molly mandrake #pigeon wing #hansa geoluhread #moody bloom #alli oops #oleander #sakana furikake #rose buddy #burdock hoenn #Ivy #esmee #pinku usagi #amata gemoule #kiki and bouba #yuki #amanda mandrake #seymore clear #eede collins #helly faer #gallery #notes #thistle hoenn #sunshine waters