Frequently Asked Questions

Information on my services and more about tools, materials, supplies, and studio equipment for pen and ink artists.

Table Of Contents

About the FAQs
Drawing
Inking
Paper
Studio Equipment and Gear
Social Media Tools
Pen and Ink Books
Art Supply Merchants
Merchandise and Prints
Commissions, Sponsorships, and Partnerships

About the FAQs

On this page, you’ll find a list of products and services that I use regularly, though not limited to.

I have suggested “sets” or “value packs” where it makes sense both value-wise and frequency of use. However, if you are starting with pen and ink, consider purchasing in smaller quantities than what is listed.

DISCLOSURE: Some of these products are linked to suggested companies where you can purchase the items, primarily on Amazon. I earn a small commission when you use those links, though I encourage you to shop around for your needs (value, model, quantities).

When you use one of my affiliate links, that seller compensates me. For example, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read more about the disclosure on the Terms page.

✒️ Visit the Tools page to view images of my favourite items.

Drawing

What drawing pencils, leads, and sharpeners do you use?

– Staedtler Mars Technico lead holder with 2mm lead, and I use H leads mostly, sometimes 2H and HB

– Staedtler Mars Technico Rotary Lead Sharpener

– Staedtler Mars Carbon Lead, 2mm, H, 12 Lead pack

– Staedtler Mars Lumog raph Art drawing pencil set, and I use mostly 2H, H, HB, 2B, 4B 6B

– Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener

What erasers do you use?

– Staedtler Mars Stick Eraser Holder and Eraser Refills, pack of 10

– Staedtler Mars Plastic Eraser

– Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser

Inking

What nibs do you use?

I use primarily Speedball Hunt 101, 102, 512, and 513 EF

My initial starter kit and recommended for beginners: Speedball 99, 56, 102, 107, 108, 512 includes pen holders

I also use:
– Tachikawa soft Maru 77

– Tachnikawa G-nib

– Brause Steno 361 Purple Pumpkin

How do you clean your nibs?

I use a nail brush with a mild cleaning agent to gently scrub the nib and also a Professional Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner with Speedball’s pen cleaner mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda. I wipe the nib dry afterward.

What pen holders do you use with your nibs?

– Speedball classic marbelized straight universal holder

– Tachikawa t-40 holder

– Speedball standard straight holder

– Speedball 102 crow quill holder

What ink do you use?

Speedball super black India ink

What is that two-finger glove you use?

I wear the two-finger glove to keep the drawing surface clean of skin oils and to reduce smudging. I also use it on my tablet to prevent friction.

📚 Read The Beginner’s Guide to Dip Pens for more info on using dip pens.

📚 Read the Speedball brochure PDF for more info on their dip pens and ink products.

What brushes do you use for inking?

– Sapphire S51 Daler-Rowney 01

– Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable br ush 02

– Lenbicki micro brush set 01 to 08

Do you use brush pens?

I prefer to use watercolor brushes with ink over using brush pens, however, this is not always convenient.

Ideally, I look for brush pens that are refillable such as the Pentel Arts Portable Pocket brush pen (refillable), medium.

Otherwise, I enjoy these brush pens also:
– Kuretake Bimoji brush pen, medium

– Pilot Futayaku double-sided brush pen

– Zebra Fude brush, double-sided

Do you use fine liner or pigment liner technical pens?

I have not yet tried all the brands for comparison, however so far for sketching I most frequently use:

– Tombow mono drawing water-based ink liners set 01, 03, 05 get on AMAZON or from Tombow to get FREE Shipping on all U.S. orders and Canadian orders over $30!

– Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Soft Tip (it’s a marker) get on AMAZON or from Tombow to get FREE Shipping on all U.S. orders and Canadian orders over $30!

– Staedtler waterproof p igment lin ers set 0.05 to 08.

Paper

What paper is best for inking?

For professional quality artwork using dip pens, and brushes, I recommend Strathmore 300 Bristol Smooth.

For inking practice using dip pens, brushes, or fine liner pens I use Bristol paper with a vellum finish and currently use the Bienfang brand of vellum bristol.

For mixed media (wet and dry) I quite like my Moleskine Arts sketchbook, plus it is travel-friendly with the format and hardcover. The Moleskine Arts sketchbook is a premium cold-press paper.

What paper do you use for sketching and drawing exercises?

I use any value-priced paper for drawing practice unless I plan to ink my sketch as part of a study exercise. Strathmore 400 Sketch fine tooth paper pads are a good quality paper for inking with fine liners and markers. I also use Bienfang tracing paper or other brands.

Studio Equipment and Gear

What is your setup in your art studio?

– 71″x71″, L-shaped, power sit-to-stand desk made by EFFY Desks (get 10% off)

– 40″x20″ fatigue mat

– Large Adjustable Tabletop Easel by Falling In Art

– Swing Arm Magnifying Desk Lamp by YOUKOYI

– 12″x12″ Cricut cutting mat

– 46″ Husky Standard-Duty W 9-Drawer mobile cabinet with solid wood top

– Huacan Diamond LED Light Tablet (portable light table for tracing)

What is that Brass Snake pen holder you have?

My awesome pen holder is made by Coppertist.wu. I like it because the weight of the brass keeps the holder from sliding around on my table when it is set on an incline (not too steep!). It keeps my dip pen safe from rolling off my table while in use. Get 15% OFF using discount code Gendron15 with my link: https://bit.ly/41WkWuN

Social Media Tools

What camera do you use?

At the moment, all my photos and videos are taken with an iPhone 14 Pro Max using the standard settings.

What other essential equipment do you use to make short-form and long-form videos?

– Selfie ring light with stand & phone holder by ULANZI

– Rode NT-USB Studio Microphone

– Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphone

What software and hardware do you use to publish on social media?

– Portable SSD 500GB External Solid State Drive
– Capcut Pro desktop App
– Canva Pro desktop App
– Adobe Photoshop
– 16″ MacBook Pro 2024 18GB
– 12.9″ iPad Pro, 4th generation
– iPhone 14 Pro Max

What Royalty-free assets do you use?

Artlist Music & SFX Social Yearly License. Get your first two months free when you sign up for 1 year with my link.

Pen and Ink Books

What books do you recommend for learning more about pen and ink drawing?

– Rendering in Pen & Ink by Arthur L. Guptill

– Pen & Ink Technique by Frank Lohan

– Pen and ink drawing, a simple guide by Alphonso Dunn

– Pen and Ink Drawing Workbook by Alphonso Dunn

– The Treasury of American Pen and Ink Illustration

– Dynamic Black and White by Leslie Cabarga

– Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

Art Supply Merchants

Where else can I purchase pen and ink materials?

Jackson Art
Jetpens
Michaels
Des Serres

📚 Shopping for a friend? Check out my Top 8 Gifts – Guide for Pen and Ink Artists.

Merchandise and Prints

Do you sell merchandise? (T-Shirts)

At the moment, there is no merchandise available from Longstride Illustration.

How can I get a print of your artwork?

Prints are temporarily unavailable from the website shop. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter to stay in touch for updates about the shop.

What are the terms and conditions for shipping, returns, and refunds?

Please visit the Terms page to learn more.

Do you have a privacy policy?

Please visit the Privacy page to learn more.

Commissions, Sponsorships, and Partnerships

Do you do commissions?

A limited number of private commissions are accepted per year. Please use the Contact Page to inquire about availability, process, and fees.

How can we work together?

Please reach out using the contact form for any of these inquiries:
– artwork licensing/commercial rights usage
– exhibits/galleries
– sponsorship/brand ambassadorship
– associations/affiliates
– collaborations (art projects, blog articles, product reviews, interviews)
– instructional course content

Looking for something else? Get in touch.