It’s the kind of fun that makes me stay up too late experimenting and then contemplating more purchases–art supply mania!

I’ve always wanted a fountain pen for my sketch kit, but with so many other distractions–watercolor, colored pencil, pastels, silverpoint, graphite–I didn’t think I had the time or interest (or money) to add in something new. I was wrong, of course. There’s always a few minutes, plenty of curiosity, and a couple dollars when it comes to art supplies. Plus, you can draw/paint such neat things.

I bought the Herbin Poussiere de Lune (moon dust) ink awhile ago, but I hadn’t used it until I cracked and bought the Wancai Moonman Mini fountain pen. The ink is water soluble, and so all it takes is a little water to turn a line drawing into a painting. in this case, the deep reddish purple ink turns into a gorgeous plum when diluted.

The pen itself is very pretty and no bigger than a lipstick when capped. I’m a total novice when it comes to pens, but this suits me perfectly. It’s unique, holds a ton of ink (it’s called an eye dropper fill pen), and it has a crisp way of marking. Perfect!

I’m so taken with this whole pen and ink thing, which I know is pretty much an obsession for a lot of artists, that I purchased a second Moonman, a few more bottles of ink, and a medium nib. You never know when you’ll want a different color, so it’s best to be prepared.