Caran D'Ache Neopastel set of 24 spotlight

Recently we came across an abandoned Caran D'Ache Neopastel tin set of 24 artists' oil pastels in one of the supply cabinets of the von Liebig Art Center, so I decided to make it available to the students in my upcoming ARTScool Cartoon Sketching class next week. Their colors are very intense and they laid down on the paper very smoothly. Given their broad crayon shape and smooth texture, they are an excellent choice for working on larger supports very quickly. While a bit messier than my usual drawing and coloring tool choices, they can be oddly satisfying and blend easily with each other. Close up of the color chart.

Last vintage technical pen set spotlight: the Staedtler Mars 700 4-pen set (W8106/6201/6205)

We finish our coverage of the recently unearthed vintage drafting sets with the Staedtler Mars 700 4-pen set (blue box pen set on the left with 0.30, 0.35, 0.45, and 0.5 mm pen nibs). At first glance these vintage technical pens are fairly similar to the newer Mars Matic 700 model (boxed set on the right). They both feature a hexagonal point key integrated in the end of the barrels for easy and convenient removal of pen points. A significant advantage over most other brands that require a separate tool for removing the pen points.
The 0.35 mm pen from both sets disassembled into their component parts. Main noticeable differences can be seen in their color coding (light blue and yellow) and the pen grip surface designs. The older Mars 700 pen features a fluted finger grip while the Mars Matic 700 has rows of tiny squares instead.
The ink bottle design largely remained the same with some minor changes in the label in the same span of 22 years.
The Mars 700 case is quite a versatile pen stand, for it can hold the pens with the points facing up or down on different rows of the tray for easy dispensing and a smooth work flow.
Instructions sheets for Staedtler Mars 700 (W8106/6201/6205) dated 02/78: the front and back looked the same, but with German text on one side and English on the other.

The instructions for my first Staedtler college set (W81250x/9) dated 05/86 and my latest Staedtler Mars Matic 700 set (WA700A9) dated 03/00 were exactly the same front and back. The College set served me quite well in my drafting classes, so I regard them as very reliable tools that could last a lifetime if properly cared for.

Another Vintage Technical Pen Set Find: the Standardgraph Stano-Mat 4-Pen set

Another vintage drafting set that I had never seen before the big supply cabinet clean up at the Art Center: a 4-pen set of Standardgraph Stano-Mat technical pens (well actually one of the pens is obviously missing given the empty slot in the pen tray). This is the first example of a pen brand that I have come across that uses color coding for the entire body of each pen (cap and barrel sport matching colors). The orange Stano-pen is the smallest with a 1.0 mm (3 1/2) nib. The beige Stano-pen features a 1.2 mm (4) nib. The gray Stano-pen is the largest with 2.0 mm (6) nib. The bright orange pen case would be a nice match to a Rhodia pad. From the pen markings and date printed in its instructions sheet, this set was manufactured in Germany around 1977.In addition to the most overt color coding of its pen sizes, these technical pens feature humidor caps (light blue hygroscopic pads that are meant to be pre-moistened and prevent ink from drying in the pen tips) and hollow barrels with a hexagonal pen point key on the end (similar to the Staedtler Mars Matic pen barrels). The underside of the removable orange pen stand is stuffed with dense hygroscopic white material presumably also meant to be pre-moistened and keep the uncapped pen points from drying during long drafting sessions.
Given the little information available online for this set, you can view its well-illustrated instructions sheet front and back in my Flickr photostream.
The pen tray also features a couple of empty slots covered with stickers of the compass and template adaptors that oddly enough were not customarily included as part of the starting drafting gear of most technical pen sets. Can't imagine the reason for that other than some marketing ploy or a scheme to drive revenue with the sale of additional accessories sold separately. If anybody knows the actual reason or have other plausible theories to offer for this technical pen marketing quirk, please leave a comment explaining it.

Just Received the Staedtler Historic Pencil Making Kit

Thanks to Stephen from Pencil Talk and the awesome Staedtler Team, I got another special pencil tin to celebrate the 175th anniversary of one of my favorite art supplies brands.
View of the bottom of the tin that would naturally make a nice pencil storage case or roomy portable sketching kit.
Kit contents for making a slender carpenter pencil: two wooden slats, rectangular graphite lead, string, and glue bottle. The included easy-to-follow assembly instructions consist solely of pictures. Perhaps I will keep this commemorative set in its original disassembled state to use as a visual aid of how a pencil is made in my drawing classes.
Close up of the plastic seal with the Mars portrait logo. I am actually quite happy that they chose to go this sturdier route rather than an actual wax seal that I would probably have crushed when trying to assemble this pencil. Though I think I'll wait until I can get a small clamp to join the slats tightly together, for I do not trust my cord tying skills to do the job neatly. Thanks again Staedtler team for this fine addition to my graphite collection.

Doodling with the Faber Castell TG1-S 0.7 mm Technical Pen

While I really had not planned to test any of the pens from the recently unearthed vintage drafting sets, the temptation was a bit much with these pristine fine pens staring back at me begging to be used after probably decades in storage.
The translucent pen point housing clearly showed when the drawing ink had reached the tubular pen point and we were ready to draw!
Using the template adaptor to keep the technical pen point perpendicular to the drawing surface. Noticed that I used a fresh bottle of Rapidograph Ultradraw Black India ink to fill the pen rather than the old Higgins ink bottle from the pen set (see the end of this post for the full explanation).
Freehand sketching.
Sample doodles on Canson bristol.
Pen point removal tool, adjustable adaptor, and 0.7 mm pen test
Whenever you get a vintage technical pen set remember that the included ink bottle probably should never be used within a technical pen. Keep it as a collector's piece, but do not ever even think of filling any pens with it. The ink components often separate and precipitate to the bottom of the bottle. Shaking does not restore the proper viscosity, and the sediments might clog the pen points. Even if the old ink does not look severely faded, the safer approach would be to get a fresh bottle of ink if you decide to put the pens through some doodle tests. Once you are done testing them, you would do well to remember that the pens should be flushed, thoroughly cleaned and dried before storing them away for long periods if you wish to use them ever again. Dried ink is notoriously difficult to wash off if allowed to settle within the interior channels of the tubular pen points. These master pieces of German engineering still work great, but they do require lots of maintenance and frequent cleaning. Thus it is quite understandable that they have gone the same way as NASA and the space shuttle program. Unlike graphite drafting tools that can be used pretty much forever, technical pen sets would likely see their useful active life further limited when manufacturers stop making ink for them. So enjoy them while you can.

Vintage Faber Castell TG Techical Pen sets spotlight

While cleaning out the supplies cabinets at The von Liebig Art Center, we came across several vintage technical pen sets that I had never seen before. Thus decided to take a few pictures to share with you, my dear blog readers. This rare 9 pen-point set with 2 black barrels of Castell TG technical pens must have been the predecessor of the TG1 System green technical pens that are more commonly featured on Ebay these days judging by their shorter drafting point tubes, tapered translucent pen point housings and simpler humidor cap design.
Faber Castell TG1 System 9 and 4 pen sets. Given that West Germany is mentioned in the instruction sheets, they must have been in the market prior to 1990. All the sets featured an adjustable joint adaptor to facilitate working with templates by keeping the pen points vertical to the drawing surface. The pen barrel screws to the long end of the adaptor, and the pen point is screwed to its ring end. While holding the barrel, you can adjust the angle of the pen point to keep it perpendicular to the drawing surface and lock it in position with the metal screw dial on its side. The adaptor can also be used for a more comfortable grip when using the technical pens for freehand drawing. If you would to take a look at the TG1-System instructions sheet, this is the front and back.
Full coverage available in Flickr photostream: from photo 1 through photo 16. While any of these technical pen sets would have made a nice addition to an art or drafting supplies collection, they are not as convenient and hassle-free as modern disposable pigment liner pens or using a computer for drawing your lines digitally.

Batch of Cartoon Portraits for Dental Office Staff

Drew the staff of this dental office with my trusted Sakura Pigma Sensei drawing pens on 8.5" X 11" sheets of white card stock.

Dietzgen Emca Precision Pointer - Vintage 2 mm Lead Pointer Spotlight

Recent E-bay find: Dietzgen Emca Precision Pointer and carded set of spare blades. The red one has been a reliable fixture in my drawing table for a couple of years already.
View of the back of the card.