Blue Nose Bear

Noodler’s Blue Nose Bear is an interesting ink. It’s a cool blue-green color and is, according to Noodler’s Inks, bulletproof (proof against forgery/solvents), partially waterproof, and fluorescent. One of the main selling points for this ink is that it will create a light blue halo around spots that bleed. It writes rather wet, which I like, and that wetness shows off some of its haloing qualities on the right paper. I’ve been noodling around with it (pun intended) for some time now but finally had a moment to do a complete piece with it to see how it did. Here is the result.

"Hillside", Noodler's Blue Nose Bear ink on Stillman and Birn Epsilon paper

I am quite pleased with this drawing. Somehow this color seems appropriate to Pacific Northwest landscapes. Although it is not extremely clear in the scan, you can actually see some haloing in the darkest darks.

So what is my impression of Noodler’s Blue Nose Bear? I like it! I will definitely be leaving it in one of my Nib Creaper Flex pens for a while.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I can barely believe that we’re half-way through February! Time seems to be moving particularly fast at the moment.

So what’s been up at the studio? Well, as you all know, I have been posting weekly horse comics in a series called “Horse Life.” This has been a true delight for me and now that I’m into the 6^th comic I feel right in the swing of things. Today's comic is a Valentine's Day special and you can see it here.

Ever since the demise of “Privateer Princess” a few years ago, I have missed cartooning. However, since more practical (and lucrative) things usually take precedence over cartooning, I tend not to do do it. “Horse Life”  has given me both some well-needed closure from our failed web comic and a new focus for something fun to add to my repertoire. They say you should write/draw about what you know, and boy, do I know the horse world! I’ve been in it since I was 4 years old and have seen so many changes. It’s really remarkable to think about.

In other news, I have been doing some pen & ink practice based on Frank Lohan’s books, and have been having a wonderful time with it. More on that in a future post. But speaking of ink and pens, I recently caved and bought a Noodler’s Ahab flex pen.

My new Noodler's Ahab flex pen

These pens have been incredibly popular since they first came out a few months ago. I just had to try one. As I have mentioned here before, I have been loving the Noodler’s Nib Creaper flex pens and have been using them almost constantly for most of a year now. I was wary of the Ahab as it's much wider than it’s predecessor and I have small hands. 

Comparison between the Ahab flex and the Nib Creaper flex pens.
The Ahab is on the top and the Nib Creaper is on the bottom.
Note the size difference in the barrels.

So far I am a bit torn about the new pen. The Ahab definitely has a superior nib and the pen holds much more ink in the chamber. But I need to use it unposted as with the cap on the back it’s too heavy for me for comfort. I also find it a bit awkward for detail work. Ironically, Matt loves it (he has big hands) and thinks he’ll buy one for himself pretty soon complete with fast-drying Noodler's Bernanke Blue ink. ;-)