Category: Sketching

9/3/2024

In Funchal, Even Beer Stops Come with a Side of Stationery

Angeline Marie Martinez

Either paint or ink is on her hands...and don't mean nail polish!

Front cover and inside first two pages of "walking" sketchbook, May 2024

We went on a transAtlantic Cruise in April - May of 2024.
We didn't advertise or share photos before or during our trip. We live in a place that house and pet sitters are recommended...so for our safety and those who help us, we just stay quiet on social media when we travel.

I'm also pretty bad about taking photos. Since visiting Paris in 2011, sketchbooks are how I capture places I visit.

Our first port was Funchal, Portugal.
Andy likes to say we visited the African continent because technically, Funchal is on the tectonic plate of Africa. Ok with me!

Exploring Funchal: Our First Stop
We walked around with our friends Dave and Kay. They’ve been here before, so they led the way. Lucky me, a beer and pastry stop was planned…that stop being close to a pen and stationery shop…since my single fountain pen (or pen at all) ran out of ink within steps of the port.

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Buildings, graffiti, fort, fish in Funchal, Portugal

Cats, rubber Duckie stickers on a door, the backs of Dave & Kay, roosters on display in Funchal, Portugal

A Stroll with Friends in Funchal
The painted doors in the streets of Funchal’s oldest section were AWESOME. From ugly graffiti tags to almost fine art, I would’ve loved to photograph most of them. I leave the photos to Andy. I’ll stick to postcards and sketching.
Beer, Pastries, and a Pen Predicament
I didn’t try to buy any fountain pen at all in Funchal. Choosing a ballpoint is quicker! I want nice, prefer a happy color barrel, and definitely retractable with blue ink. Dave and Andy had time for a pastry and a beer while Kay patiently browsed the shop with me.
Discovering the Painted Doors of Funchal
After wandering the streets a bit, we sampled some delicious Portuguese port wines. We all agreed the aged 10 years was the best.

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The Great Pen Hunt
If you care to look closely, you can see the ink and line quality changes in my sketchbook. You can tell when I stopped using my fountain pen and when I used a ballpoint.

Sipping on Portuguese Port Wine
Funchal turned out to be more than just a first stop; it was a delightful mix of unexpected finds, good company, and new experiences. I can’t wait to see what our next destination has in store!

Sketchbook Tales: From Fountain Pen to Ballpoint
All in all, our adventure in Funchal was a colorful and flavorful experience. From the charming painted doors to the delicious pastries and the rich, aged port wine, every moment added a unique touch to our travel story. And yes, even the pen switch-up had its charm – it’s all part of the fun of exploring new places with friends!

Do you want to draw more?!
Do you wonder what I use for sketching while traveling or just around my local area? Over the years, I've made my kit smaller and smaller. There's an ebook, free, with art sketching and drawing and coloring supplies resources here! You can get it just by sharing your email address. I promise, even our cats Mani, Niki, and dog Pirula doesn't get to know who's on my email list! Get it here!

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The pens purchased at the Funchal, Portugal store Cartonada

5/27/2024

Why Are Blue Pens Hiding? The Elusive Blue Ink Ballpoint

The last few times Andy and I looked for decent blue ink ballpoint pens, we only found black ink ballpoint pens. We found lots of packages of black ink pens, but blue ink ballpoint pens only came in packs of rainbow colors.

From Costa Rica to Florida: The Pen Hunt Continues
I've looked for super cheap pens through super nice pens. I’ve visited stores in Costa Rica and in Florida. Amazon has many blue ink ballpoint pens, but Andy and I prefer retractable and don’t need a 100-pack! We kept finding just black ink. Eventually, we bought a huge-to-us pack of blue retractable pens from Amazon and took it home with us.

The 2020 Blue Paint Shortage: A Possible Cause?
In 2020, the paint color blue began to face a supply problem. Manufacturers stopped mixing blue. Blue pigments were not mined or mixed. Maybe this affected blue ballpoint ink pens, too?

Investigating the Blue Ink Shortage
I’ve spent a few hours researching all kinds of questions with the same theme: why are stores carrying almost only black ink ballpoint pens? Why can’t I find packs of blue ink ballpoint pens at the stores?

OpenAI Shares Non-Answer
According to an AI model developed by OpenAI (2024), there could be several reasons for a localized shortage of blue ballpoint pens, including supply chain disruptions and increased demand.

OpenAI then pointed me to a few trade magazines. I found nothing about a blue pen ink shortage anywhere. To me, it seems it’s a marketing and sales choice to sell mostly black ink pens. After about an hour of searching for more info, I gave up to do other things like write and paint, lol.

What About You?

What color ink do you prefer in your pens?
Do you like retractable pens, caps, or just don’t care?
Have you noticed that most pens, especially in packs, are black ink?
See my post How to Buy a Pen for Drawing

References

Stay Updated!
Not on my email list but found this blog post? Join here. I promise, I keep your info a secret, even from Her Puppyness Pirula. Click here: mailchi.mp/58fc2d1d7f5d/start-drawing-more-kit-ebook

9/28/2022

How to buy a pen for drawing - 12 Questions

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My favorite pen, ever, besides the Cross one I would steal from my Dad: Pilot Decimo.

Buying a super special pen for drawing means asking a bunch of questions!

You would think buying a pen to use for drawing all the time is easy? Here's some considerations as you reach for that cheap pen...

1. What color ink do you want to use most of the time?
2. Do you want the ink to be permanent or wash in water?
3. Do you want to buy cartridges to replace the ink, or use a bottle to refill the ink?
4. How are you carrying the pen? Are you carring it in a backpack or leaving it on a desk?
5. Do you like caps on you pens? Do you like the push button pens?
6. Do you like “heavy weight” or “light as feather” pens?
7. Do you want gel, ballpoint, fountain, or calligraphy pen? How do you want your pen to make lines on your paper?
8. Do you prefer plastic, metal, or wood for your pens? Is a combination of these materials ok with you?

I spent a lot of money on my Pilot Decimo pen, but I LOVE drawing and writing with this pen. This pen makes me feel special, even while drawing what I think is junk.

My Decimo Pilot pen is "retractable”! No cap to lose, no ink stains in my purses or pockets! I can refill the permanent dark blue ink easily by using its converter cartridge and a bottle of ink. It writes on all types of paper. I can use it make all kinds of lines, from think and heavy to thin and light. It’s a joy to use this pen. The medium weight and shiny blue and chrome metal makes me happy. This fountain pen is a luxury.

My pen makes me happy and I use it all the time. If you're into dollar cost averaging, this pen has been the best artist tool investment for me. Even my husband and better half Andy agrees with me about this pen!

If you're interested in seeing this and other pens, I invite you 411pens.com, the website for Cincinnati's store Appointments.

Below are a few more of my special pens...but my first choice for drawing and sketching is my Pilot Decimo!

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From left to right, FaberCastell caliigraphy pen; Lamy fountain pen, Pilot Explorer fountain pen; vintage Cross ballpoint pen

7/6/2022

Finding Watercolor Paint for My Sketchbooks

When your watercolor pills turn runny wet

In a few posts before this one, I showed how my watercolor paints melted, some solutions (no puns intended!), and maybe what I’ve found. In the meantime, my sketchbooks are full of just line drawings and little color.

I could wait until our new home is built. When we will have air conditioning on low in my studio. A week indoors with air conditioning and then a few hours daily outside with me and all will be ok.

I asked other artists in my Make Big Art Community and Kathy Whitehorn offered that I try Golden’s Qor Watercolor paints. I bought some in February and been using them since.

What I like about Qor paint is that the binder seems to be synthetic. I don’t have to keep my paint in a Ziploc bag because it has no honey to attract ants. I tossed this paint kit in my purse and it’s been ok: no mess. I have to get used to the paint…it’s different colors, consistency, saturation, and feelings than my other kits. Yes, watercolors and any paints have a feeling, the way they apply to the paper…lol, to me.

Next up is rainy season. Humidity ramps up about 10%...and every fabric from chair cushion to hung up clean tank top will feel damp no matter if inside or outside of the house. This will be the biggest test of my Qor watercolor paints. I filled up all the pans since I took this photo.

I think the paint will be just fine. I’ll check in with an update later this year, probably with a sketchbook page, lol! My sketchbook gets color, again!

Making-my-test-watercolor-kit-by-Angeline-Marie-Martinez

Making my newest watercolor kit. Maybe this one will work and let me add color while away from home?

If you missed the previous posts about my melting watercolors, you can find them here:

Melting Watercolors Paint Make Them Stay Home

How to Fix Melting Watercolors Paint.

6/29/2022

Ways to Fix Melting Watercolor Paint

Last post, I showed how my watercolor paints melted.

Here’s what I’ve learned to get my watercolor paints dry:

Use an oven at about 200 degrees. Why I won’t: we have no oven AND the plastic would melt.
Place in freezer or refrigerator. Why I won’t: condensation, lol.
Keep in Ziploc bag with reusable desiccant packs. Result: The desiccant packs need constant swapping. When I used the paint, the paint stayed damp. Damp paint and wet desiccant packs let the paint melt again.
Took the paint to Miami for air conditioning to dry them out. Result: This worked, but when we got home, it took a day to return to melted.
Keep paints in air conditioning or a dry room type of place. Result: I’ll never use the paints ever again.
Use something else. Result: Bulkier purse…which is why I began using watercolor in the first place.
Try different watercolor brands of paint. Result: I might have a winner, but rainy season will tell. If my new brand stays as “pills” during rainy season…but if not, I may try yet another brand.

So.

I’m not one to really give up on adding color to my sketchbooks.

So.

I’ve added color pencils. Dissatisfying between the sharpening and how much color it really adds compared to effort, but at least it’s color.

So.

I guess I have little choice than to wait until our new home is built. When we will have air conditioning on low in my studio. A week indoors with air conditioning and then a few hours daily will be ok.

So.

I’ve asked other artists in my Make Big Art Community if they’ve had this problem. Artist Kathy Whitehorn offered that I try a particular paint brand. I’ll be trying it…but for now it’s dry season…and rainy season will be the real test.
Being in dry season didn’t help the watercolor paint that’s already melted…as I just keep laughing!

When your watercolor pills turn into sticky caramel taffy, the watercolor paint stays home. I keep this kit and a few others inside a very well sealed Ziploc bag, flat, on a shelf. With this kit, I’m lucky it’s taffy caramel like…because my other kit’s paint turns into thick water and runs into the other pans.

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