Crow Quill Pens: Pros and Cons
Crow quill pen drawing is something of a lost art, what with loads of self-filled options on the market, not to mention digital tablets such as Wacom. That being said, there are still advantages to using crow quills, (plus a few disadvantages,) and I’ll discuss them all here in the hopes that you will be better able to decide for yourself whether or not to adopt this rewarding and challenging medium.
Let’s start with the good…
1.) They make for very satisfying line work. - The greatest advantage of a crow quill pen by far is the quality of the lines it can produce. Provided you are skilled enough at handling it, (which I’ll discuss in greater depth later,) it can allow you to make broad and fine strokes with a single nib. (Of course, it also depends on what nib you use.) And speaking of nibs…
2.) They are customizable with a broad range of interchangeable nibs for different styles and purposes. - If you want a pen that you can take full control of, then a quill is definitely for you. You not only get to vary the pen pressure as you draw, but you can also decide exactly which nib you want to use. Does the nib you’re using not make a broad enough line? No problem! Switch it out for a more flexible nib. Does your nib not make precise enough lines? Find a nib that does. When you use crow quill pens, you are fully in control. What could be better? Hmmm… good question. This brings us to
3.) The lines in your drawings will look blacker than with any other drawing pen. - This, admittedly, is only a half-truth. You do have to choose a good ink, and most of the time you also have to shake well before use. But because the quills use a steel nib that deposits the ink directly on to the paper, you don’t have to worry about frayed felt tips (one of my pet peeves!) Another thing to remember is that you can choose your ink as freely as you can choose your nibs. The sky’s the limit.
4.) They are a traditional medium that will give your drawings a timeless quality. - There’s no other way to put it: Wacom tablets are great, (I have one), and so are other types of pens, but they won’t exude that prestigious, old world look that is so rare to see in art these days. The quill will really raise the quality of your work to the degree that it looks and feels professional and a cut above the rest. You will stand out. You will be using a time-honored medium that was used by such greats as Charles Dana Gibson and Joseph Clement Coll. Quills are the Ferrari of drawing pens, and they will make your work the Ferrari of pen drawings.
(For some examples, check out my work. Laughter is Good for the Soul, Cranial Awareness, and Let’s Eat were drawn with crow quills.)
But it’s not all sunshine and roses…
1.) They can be extremely difficult to use. - Once you start using a quill pen for the first time, you will find that it takes a lot of getting used to. You might think it’s as easy as dipping a pen in ink and off you go, (and in a sense it is,) but you’ll also find that you have to press just right to even get the ink to flow in the first place, or sometimes you find that you get too much ink on the nib so your lines will look splotchy. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a whole lot of practice to get it to work for you, but it does take consistent practice. If you don’t mind that, welcome to the crow quill pen club! Ehm… that is, if you also don’t mind this other disadvantage…
2.) They can also be messy. - I have a way of mess-proofing my area when I use quills, but some of you may find this to be a deal-breaker. Remember: these are pens that don’t have a self-filled ink cartridge, and rely on an external source for ink. What this means is that you will use an inkwell. And inkwells, like glasses of milk, can also be spilled, so it is very important that you are super careful not to make a mess, (unless, of course, you’re one of those artists that don’t mind getting paint and ink everywhere. According to his 1998 autobiography, “It Came from New Jersey,” Tim Jacobus has dry paint caked all over his carpet, and if that’s also you, then this won’t be a problem…)
At the end of the day, it’s all up to you. You may not like the idea of an ink-splattered carpet or a stubborn nib with a mind of its own, and even if that’s so, there will still be a pen for you somewhere. A crow quill pen is nothing more than a tool, and as such, it’s only the conduit for your drawing work. You, on the other hand are the master! You are the one in charge. And all you have to do is go out there and find the tool you are destined to be with…
Will you be getting your first crow quill? Have you used them before? What other pens do you like to use? Sound off in the comments!