Winsor Newton Watercolor Markers Review

(This is a guest post by Nick Folz. You can find more of Nick and his work on his blog, Smallberry Drive, Twitter, and Instagram.)

I’ve been on a real watercolor kick recently. It was one of those mediums I ignored for reasons I could never put a finger on, but when I came across these Windsor Newton Watercolor Markers I had an excuse to give them an honest go.

The markers are double ended, one felt brush tip, one fine tip. The option for two widths is nice, but I end up just using the brush tip most of the time. The pigment just seems to flow from the brush side better. Some times the fine point tip would be too harsh on an area I have washed over and sort of eat up the paper, so I would occasionally use it pre-wash.

There are plenty of ways to experiment with these markers. · Use them as markers, straight up, no water. · Rub the marker on a plastic palette with a touch of water to make watercolors to brush on. · Brush water down and draw while wet to create a “spreading” effect, I just call it "Wash Under". · Draw with the markers, wash over the drawing with water to spread the pigment and fill in with color.

I did the last option most often. I would ink a drawing and then follow the outline of the ink with the marker color of choice, then wash inward to fill with color. You get a very pleasant gradation of color, while still keeping that watercolor look. The control of a marker and the style of watercolor got me hooked. One of my favorite watercolor effects is when you lift some pigment from one area and move it to an area with too much water. When it drys, the pigment gathers on the edges of the wet area and has a really pleasant appearance.

You can’t let the marker sit too long; the pigment gets less apt to move around the longer it sits. So I would do one area at a time, washing with water as soon as I inked. While that may sound tedious, it is actually very satisfying. The brush tips make this sort of technique a joy. After I would finish the area coloring I would re-work some stuff with water and adding different effects. I would add an area of water and tap the brush end of the marker to make the “spreading” look. Or I would add drops of water to the washed area and let the pigment dry at the edge of the re-watered area.

The markers do seem to leech into the paper, meaning if you apply the marker to dry paper you can never completely wash away a mark, you might see a line of pigment even after washing most of it away, but being aware of that just made me use it to my advantage.

The main drawback to this set has to be the variety. I usually ended up only using the green and blue markers. The yellow and orange are extremely similar to one another and the red is under saturated, making it turn out pink. The black is, well, black. I guess I could mess around with it for shading and maybe even inking, but I just prefer ink for that, not watercolor.

I would still wholeheartedly recommend the markers themselves, just not the set as much. They really opened up a whole medium to me that I normal steer away from, and have a level of forgiveness and control that make them approachable.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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TEC Accessories PicoPen Ti Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

For most of the writing I do, I'm looking for a pen that's comfortable for using while jotting notes in a meeting, recording important events or notes during the day, or scribbling thoughts during a journalling session. Then, there are other times when I'm out and about and just want to have a pen for those "just in case" purposes. Normally, I grab a small pen and throw it in my pocket along with my keys, or clip it to the inside of my pants pocket. Recently, I've been using another pen for that purpose — the PicoPen Ti from TEC Accessories.

The PicoPen Ti is a pen built for a specific purpose, which is attaching it to things that you already carry on a daily basis. So, I guess you could call it an EDC pen. Either way, it's a perfect pen for attaching to your keyring, a zip pull, and countless other objects and bags that accept a small keyring attachment. For me, I've exclusively used it on my keyring, and I've been pretty happy with it.

First, let's talk about what this pen was designed to do. It's small, portable, durable, and lightweight. It's a pen that you use when you have no other pen on hand, and it's meant to be carried without any planning beforehand. The idea is that it always comes with you, whether you mean to bring it along or not. Just like a flashlight on your keychain, it serves a specific purpose. To me, that purpose is to always be with me, staying out of my way until I need it. One job.

The pen is constructed out of titanium, which makes it very durable and lightweight. Like most titanium objects, this will probably accumulate a large number of scratches and imperfections over time. I look forward to the added character.

The pen uses a magnetic cap system, where the cap holds the keychain ring for attaching to other items. You might worry that the pen might accidentally fall out of the cap during a rough ride, but I can assure you that this pen is not going anywhere if you use it as intended (insert some sort of "do not use for climbing" joke here...). Without any weight attached to the pen, it will not uncap by accident. When attached to my keyring, I can pick up the pen, and it stays capped with the weight of my keys on the other end. I don't have a large set of keys (3 door keys, a car key and fob, a flashlight, and small carabiner), but you can use that as a point of reference.

It's the same system as the Ti2 TechLiner except the PicoPen does not post, and the magnet system isn't as flawless as the TechLiner. With the TechLiner, the cap always finds it way onto the pen without much help from me. Meanwhile, the PicoPen requires some stern guidance when placing the cap on the pen properly. That minor complaint aside, I'm very happy that the cap is very secure once it's in place.

For the occasional note while you're out, this pen does a great job. It uses a standard Zebra F refill, which isn't a favorite of mine by any definition, but it works just fine for a standard ballpoint. I wish it could take a Fisher refill or something similar, but it just can't fit anything else. Believe me, I tried every refill I own, and nothing else will fit. This pen is custom made around this specific refill shape. I'm sure you could hack something else to fit, but it would require trimming the refill.

Writing with the PicoPen Ti is utilitarian at best. In a pinch, it works far greater than other "keychain pens" I've tried. Most of the other I've used feel like a nake refill in your hand, which is very hard to control. I was able to write legibly with little changes to my normal handwriting style. All things considered, a great trade-off.

And that brings me to the things that this pen was not designed for. This isn't a pen that you'll want to use for long writing stints. It's just too small and uncomfortable. The refill is mediocre and skippy, and there's no other compatible refills to replace it. For me, these are acceptable trade-offs. Remember, this pen was designed for a specific purpose, and it meets that purpose with flying colors.

If you want the flexibility of other refills, the original PicoPen (shorter than the PicoPen Ti) takes standard D1 refills. I haven't tried one, but I imagine it will be even harder to use since it's about an inch shorter! If you're interested, Brad wrote about this one back in 2009.

Overall, the PicoPen Ti is a fantastic keychain pen that I've enjoyed carrying. It's not a long-form writer, but it's a great option for an "always around" option for those situations where you didn't bring the good stuff.

(TEC Accessories provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Aurora 88 Sole Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I've had my eye on the Aurora Sole (both the Optima and 88) for quite some time. In fact, I almost purchased the Optima Sole a few months ago, but couldn't decide between it and the 88. If I were to buy one, it probably would be the 88 simply because I like the shape of the pen, but the Optima Sole is just as beautiful and is certainly less expensive (if you can find one).

The Aurora 88 Sole is a limited edition of 888 pieces to celebrate Aurora's 70th anniversary of the 88 model. This limited edition pen comes with a high price tag, $895 retail, though most pen vendors sell it for a little less than that. It is currently $715 at Vanness Pens.

Made from marbled Auroloide (a cellulose acetate derivative), the pen looks as though it is lit from within. The material is absolutely stunning, especially in sunlight.

The cap finial, piston, and grip are made of black resin. The cap is encircled by Aurora's distinctive clip and a gold band inscribed with the Aurora name in cursive.

The limited edition number is engraved on the back of the cap near the finial in gold. This pen is number 242 out of 888.

Auroras come with a small ink window (about 5mm in width) that lets you keep track of how much ink is in the pen. But, if you run out, there's a reservoir with a bit more ink that will allow you to write one more page. Just unscrew the piston knob and keep writing. The piston works smoothly and draws in about 1.1ml of ink.

My favorite size nib in the Aurora line is the medium. It is smooth and stiff with just a hint of feedback typical of Aurora nibs. By "feedback" I don't mean "scratchy." Aurora nibs just have a tactile pull to them when you write. The scroll work on the nib is beautiful and that's one reason Aurora pens are among my favorite brands. Their nibs are still made in house and are outstanding.

The feed is made of ebonite and the nib size is imprinted on it.

The 88 is a cigar-style design well suited for most people. It's a medium-sized pen, measuring about 133mm capped, 128mm uncapped, and 155mm posted. Posting gives the pen more heft and length if you need that for comfortable writing. The 88 is slightly longer than the Optima, but when you compare them uncapped, the length from the tip of the nib through the grip is exactly the same. The difference in size is found in the length of the barrel.

The Aurora 88 is such a comfortable pen. The length and weight are perfect for my hand, and I love the raised lip design on the grip that keeps your fingers in place.

I think the Sole is one of the prettiest of all Aurora Auroloides. It is a bright marbled orange/yellow that simply glows. However, it should be noted that the Auroloide is translucent and the black portions of the pen show through. If you use a dark ink, that will show as well. I'm not bothered by the translucency, but some may think that the black showing through detracts from the beauty of the pen.

Pros

• The Aurora 88 Sole is a beautiful limited edition fountain pen. Collectors will definitely want to have a pristine model for their collections, but it's too good of a writer to keep behind glass.
• Aurora nibs are made in house and are exceptional both in design and performance.
• I think the medium nib is the best size of Aurora nib, though I like the broad as well. It writes smoothly with just a bit of feedback.
• The material on this pen is stunning. It is like carrying a ray of sunshine in your hand.
• Aurora knows good pen design, and the 88 is a classic. The size is a perfect fit for most hands, and it's a piston filler (one of the most popular filling methods).

Cons

• At $895 retail, the Aurora 88 Sole is very expensive. If you like the material but don't want to pay that much, you might be able to find a used Aurora Optima Sole for about half that price.
• Some people may find the feedback from Aurora nibs annoying. The nibs are also very stiff, so if you prefer nibs with a bit of spring, Aurora may not be the brand for you.
• Because the Auroloide is translucent, the black portions of the pen show through, and that might be a deal-breaker for some.

(Kenro Industries provided this product on loan to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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If BB8 had a fountain pen, it would be the Aurora 88 Sole.