ScrawlrTips
The Faber-Castell PITT Artist Brush Pens
Featured In / March 2021 ScrawlrBox
We realise you may have never seen or used products like this before so we have put together a few hints, tips and techniques to test out and get the best from these supplies.
Faber-Castell has brought together all of the advantages of drawing in Indian ink in a modern and uncomplicated pen - the Pitt artist brush. The high-quality brush point works both straight and bent without breaking. While the light colours are transparent and, thus, well-suited to varnishing techniques, the dark colours have good covering qualities. Pitt artist pens have unsurpassed light-fastness and the individual colours are marked with an asterisk-based code.
Things To Try...
~ Faber-Castell PITT Pens become permanent when completely dry, which means you are able to easily add layers over dried areas. They are even alcohol proof so you can layer with alcohol-based markers if you want to, and they will not smudge.
~ PITT Pens are a little transparent, a charming characteristic that is similar to that of watercolours. Lighter colours are slightly more transparent, whilst darker colours will hold more pigmentation. This property can be used to add shading and build up a rich, depth of colour in your artwork. You can make colours more saturated by using multiple layers of the same colour.
~These pens are water-based, so you can also achieve effects similar to watercolour, by using them with water or on wet paper. This wet-on-wet technique causes the ink to bleed when applied to the paper, which is a great technique to create a soft-focus look and makes for easier blending. And once the ink is completely dry, you can go over it to add detail and definition.
~ If a particular colour is too saturated, you can also use water to de-saturate the pigment. Just scribble on a palette or sheet of plastic and then use a damp brush to pick up the ink and paint with it. This allows you to achieve lighter colour saturation and you can also mix inks to create different colours.
~ Make sure you store your Faber-Castell PITT Pens horizontally. This ensures that the pigments in the ink spreads out and stays evenly distributed in the pen. Storing your pens vertically will cause the pigments to pool in the end of the pen that is facing down. This can cause problems with ink flow, and can disrupt usage.
Notes From The Artist
Shane Vorhaben
I really enjoy using the Faber Castell Pitt artist pens. They’re easily one of my favourite. A lot of time I’ll use them in conjunction with Copic markers. They also work well with watercolours because they are waterproof.
They come in various nib sizes, so I’ll normally start with a larger nib for the outline of a drawing (usually black) and then maybe fill in with a colour brush nibs. (You can see in the pictures I like the red blue combination).
Then, I like to go back I with a fine pen and add the details. Try them out on different types and colours of paper until you find what you love. The search is half the fun.