January 8, 2025

Fountain Pens with Eileen Goldenberg

Learn everything from how to care for your fountain pens to mark-making techniques to use in the studio or on your adventures!

By The Art Toolkit Team

A watercolor painting of the Golden Gate Bridge, featuring a small boat in the water and trees in the background. Nearby, an artist's palette with vibrant colors and several pens are arranged on a sketchbook.

This is a recording from our live demo, Fountain Pens, with urban sketcher Eileen Goldenberg on January 8th, 2025.

Fountain pens are a beloved tool by urban sketchers and writers alike, known for the precise and expressive marks they can bring to a page. Add a cartridge of waterproof ink, and your fountain pens can seamlessly play with watercolors, adding vibrancy and intrigue to your sketches.

In this demo, Eileen discussed everything you need to know about sketching with fountain pens, from how to care for them to mark-making techniques to use in the studio or on your adventures.

Before you watch the recording, Eileen recommends having a pen (with waterproof ink) and some watercolors to sketch along. Check out her reference images below.

Architectural detail of an ornate column with intricate carvings, overlooking a cityscape under a clear blue sky.
Reference image 1.
A large, ornate Victorian-style house with a peaked roof and detailed trim stands beside a street sign that reads "Scott." A gray pickup truck is parked nearby under a clear blue sky.
Reference image 2.

From the Demo

Eileen shared all about her favorite tools from pens and inks to paper and more! She shared this summary after the demo for those who want to dive deeper!

  1. Pens: Majohn C4 eyedropper, Platinum Preppy, Sailor Fude De Mannen, Opus 88 Eyedropper Demonstrator (which takes the Pilot Parallel nib), Pilot Metropolitan with a metal body, Pilot Parallel Pen, Lamy Safari, Twsbi Eco, Leonardo Momento Zero Nuvolo.

  2. Ink: Platinum Carbon Black, samples from The Goulet Pen or Vanness Pens.

  1. Favorite watercolor paper: Fabriao Artistico extra white 140 lb, Cold press or Rough Press,100% cotton.

  2. Other Tools: Blunt needle syringe, bulb syringe, Goulet Pen Flush.

A workspace with a printed photograph of architectural details beside an open sketchbook featuring a watercolor and ink drawing of similar architectural elements. Various pens and art supplies are scattered around.
Eileen’s desk: Sketches to explore line.
A colorful arrangement of sketchbooks and art supplies, including pens, watercolors, and brushes. Felt covers in green and blue are secured with clips, alongside a small vase and various containers holding additional art tools.
Felted journals and Eileen’s favorite pens and ink.

How to Use a Pen Cartridge Converter

Watch this video tutorial for replacing an ink cartridge and using a cartridge converter to explore various inks in your favorite pen.

A smiling woman with short gray hair and colorful glasses holds an open sketchbook featuring watercolor illustrations of potted plants and an architectural structure. She stands in front of the Casa Rosada, a pink government building, with people in the background.
Eileen Goldenberg.
A watercolor painting depicting a view from a window, showcasing a building's architectural detail with a decorative column. In the background, a mountain and a dome structure are visible under a clear blue sky.
Sketch by Eileen.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Eileen Goldenberg has called San Francisco home for 50 years. She is a full-time artist who loves to explore art through a range of media, from working with clay to creating her Fearless Felt Watercolor Sketchbooks. Ten years ago, Eileen discovered her love for urban sketching and her tool of choice, the fountain pen. Today, she finds joy in making art and sharing that love with others.

Eileen Goldenberg
Website | Social Media

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An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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