Pentel Slicci 0.3 mm

Naming one favourite pen would probably be as hard as naming one favourite book. However, one pen that would definitely make it onto the list of my favourite pens is the Pentel Slicci.

I bought my first Pentel Slicci at JetPens a few months ago. The Pentel Slicci is a gel pen, and is available in 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, and 0.7 mm, and in a multitude of colours. I chose a 0.3 mm version in sky blue.

I love the Pentel Slicci because it lays down a smooth, fine line that allows me to make small, neat letters. When a colour has a name like "sky blue," I am afraid that it may be too light to read easily, but that is not the case with the Pentel Slicci. The sky blue is a bright, beautiful blue, completely different from the standard blue of ballpoint pens. (The photograph makes the ink look a bit lighter than it really is.)

I also have to mention the physical appearance of the pen. It has a sleek, stylish look, which I prefer to the more mundane look of similar pens, such as the Pilot Hi-Tec-C. The Slicci also has a sturdier tip than the Hi-Tec-C. (I once bent the tip of a Hi-Tec-C because I press fairly hard when writing, but I do not think this would happen with the Slicci.) One drawback is the small, thin body of the pen, which can be uncomfortable if used for a long time.

Related reviews: Pencil Wrap, The Pen Addict (1), The Pen Addict (2)

New Art Supplies

I recently bought myself some new art supplies: a Heinz Jordan 5"x8" Permanent Sketch Book, a set of 12 Lyra Rembrandt Aquarel watercolour pencils, and a Sakura Pigma Brush pen.

The sketchbook is going to be used for my latest art journal. My previous art journals have been heavy on collage and used dollar-store notebooks that I adapted to suit my needs. This art journal, however, is going to contain sketches, drawings, and light watercolour paintings.

The Heinz Jordan sketchbook is just what I wanted. It has a plain black cover and plain white paper with no printing anywhere on the book. When I purchased it, there was a label stuck on the front cover that I was able to peel off easily. It is fairly thick, which is good, since I want it to last a long time. The pens I have been using in it - Staedtler fineliners, Pigma Microns, and Sharpie pens - do not bleed through the pages at all. The pages do buckle when water is applied to them, but that was what I expected.

I love my Sakura Pigma Brush pen. It allows me to create the look of writing with a brush without the annoyance of always having to dip the brush in ink. It is smooth to write with and more fun than using an ordinary pen.

Mandala drawn using brush pen and coloured with watercolour pencils

Finally, my Lyra Rembrandt Aquarel watercolour pencils came in a set of 12 colours: black medium, Venetian red, Van Dyke brown, apple green, sap green, Prussian blue, light blue, dark carmine, pale geranium lake, light orange, lemon, and white. I had never used watercolour pencils before and most of my previous "art" supplies had come from the school supply aisle, so I was excited to get these. The colours are bright and they blend well. I only need to add a little water to use them as watercolours. (The pencils also come in a nice tin.)

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog, A Penchant for Paper!

This blog is going to be about paper, pens, notebooks, journaling, writing, drawing, painting, bookbinding, origami, paper-making, books, creativity, etc.

I have created this blog as an outlet for my growing obsession with paper, pens, journaling, etc. In December of 2008, I innocently embarked on a new hobby of art journaling, not imagining that a few months later I would be reading any books on journaling and writing I could find, following several pen blogs, and haunting the stationery aisle at my local grocery store.

I'll try to update this blog regularly, at least once a week, but preferably two or three times a week.

In the future: a post on my newest art supplies - a sketchbook, watercolour pencils, and a brush pen - as well as a mention of some of my favourite pens.