I started May hoping to carry over the excitement I had using a Stillman & Birn Beta journal for International Fake Journal Month and morph over into EveryDayinMay (EDiM) a daily prompt challenge.
May is now done. I did NOT sketch everyday in May and that's that. I did, however get in about two thirds of the days, and I enjoyed what I did, so that's that.
This time around I sketched to an Alpha journal, which I thought I would like more. I didn't like it more, but I still liked it. I found I wanted to do a bit more watercolor than I realized and liked the 'extra' heavy weight paper in the Beta better, plus the sizing was light but useful. I would absolutely use the Alpha again.
However, before I do that, I am going to try out the Delta and Epsilon versions, both with the extra heavy paper but different style papers. This current Alpha has vellum paper, which I thought I wold love, and it is lovely. The Beta had a rough texture, which (surprise) was also lovely. My next version will be Delta, with the rough texture but in ivory. I like bright white normally, or at least the version of me in my head does. So I am wondering what the real world version will think of it.
I do have one journal waiting in the wings that is not spiral. I bought it thinking I would use it first, and then… my real walking around sketching self went all spiral and so…
That's more about the journals than I planned to write. But it segways into my other topic that I don't have cute pictures for, which is I've been trying out some new fountain pens. Cheap Cheap And as usual, the things I thought I would like, are not what I like and all sorts of new points jump up.
I am loving an italian nib. I just feel so fancy with my whirling letters.
I do not mind messing with the ink and keeping things flushed and refilling the wells. I do indeed love the feel of the Lamy Joy in my hand.
The Pilot Plumix's are a little more workhorsey, but in a fun challenging way, not aaarrrrr-ug frustrated way.
