I’m pretty excited about three new tools that I’ve found recently.  Here they are. (Move on if you find tool talk irritating.)

1. The Parker Vector STAINLESS STEEL Fountain Pen. I first discovered the Vector fountain pen in high school and have been dedicated since.  It’s it the best writing pen there is.  And the quick drying Quink Ink that it uses works particularly well for lefties like me.  It disappeared from the drugstore shelves so I had to keep up my habit by buying them on eBAy.  I go through them quickly because the the plastic barrel always cracks and then the cap can’t stay on and the the nib slips – and none of this is good for carrying in a bag that you throw on a train every day.  I recently discovered, though, that Parker makes a stainless steel version – this solves the cracking barrel problem making it the perfect writing pen. (You can get get if for ten bucks at Pens ‘N More on eBay and they even throw in a handful of free refills.  They also offer Quink cartridges in colors I didn’t know existed – green, red, purple – and they sell them cheap.  I just got 5 dozen blue catridges – my favorite color for writing in my green-paper notebooks – for $15.)

2. Rosemary and Co. Watercolor Brushes (Series 33). I first learned about these at the invaluable Comics Tools blog.  These are a handmade alternative to super-expensive Windsor and Newton Series 7 Kolinsky sable brushes, and they work beautifully for comic inking. (She also makes a line more equivalent to Raphael brushes.) They cost about a quarter of the price of W&N brushes too.  You can call her up at her home in England and she’ll answer any questions. Even though wisdom says not to buy a brush you haven’t tested, these are pre-tested, guaranteed, and she will replace any problematic brushes.  Her customer service was so good that when the standard S&H more than covered my order, she threw in a couple extra brushes.  (Keep in mind, her brushes are a bit smaller than the W&N equivalent, so order larger than what you use.)

3. White Gelly Roll pens.  These thick inked gel pens made by Sakura have been a favorite of middle school girls for more than a decade.  You can find them anywhere.  One of the great tool limitations that comics artists suffer with is decent white ink or drawing in white on a black background.  White Gelly Rolls lay down a vibrant and substantial white line.  Its line is pretty fine but it’s easy to see.  This one could be a godsend for certain artists.