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As little as I draw, I really like pens. I am pretentiously preferential in my pen predilections. I often excuse my inability to draw regularly on having very specific tastes in pens. In the same way I am growing enamored with typography without doing any printing (or even that much writing!).

My inclination for inking implements is heavily (if not entirely) influenced by comic artists I like. Dorothy Gambrell of Donation Derby and Cat & Girl internet fame is certainly at the top of the list of artists-I-would-steal-the-hands-of, but I can’t discount George Herriman of Krazy Kat or Lucy Knisley. They all have a line quality and style I’ve decided I will emulate as much as possible. Sue me.

The last time I saw my brother he gave me a pen. He’d been playing around with felt tipped pens and water-based ink, and recommended to me the Paper Mate Flare. I pulled the unassuming pen from my desk cup today to jot down a quick note, and quickly found myself really enjoying it. I remember he mentioned that he would dilute the ink by dipping the felt tip in water, and then draw outward spirals as the ink slowly darkened again.

I don’t like how long it takes the ink to dry to the point of being un-smearable, even when it hasn’t been watered down, but I’m a big boy and I can keep my meaty hands off of fresh lines if I try. The line weight is only the slightest bit heavier than that of a Pilot G-2 07, and the stroke is a bit more consistent with not as much ink blotted when the pen is lifted from the paper (unless of course you’ve been dipping the Flare in water, but that’s to be expected).

I do like the softer feeling of the Flare’s felt tip as opposed to the G-2’s ball point, and the ability to easily play around with gray tones is appealing as all get out.

So here’s me pretending to be a pen snob, and here’s me actually being someone who should try to draw more.