Jamie's Sketchbook

Jamie

Sketching obsessed.

A sketchbook page filled with ruling pen mark-making experiments in Ferris Wheel Press Galeforce Green, a distinctive grey-green ink. The page shows parallel lines, wave patterns, crosshatching, loops, stippling, and gestural scribbles across the left and center. On the right a small tree sketch, rounded bush shapes, and loose organic marks sit alongside a labeled box reading Ruling Pen Experiments, Ferris Wheel Press Galeforce Green, decorated with small hand-drawn hearts and stars. Saturday 18 April 2026 with weather noted in the upper right corner. Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook.

Ruling Pens

I’ve been thinking about dip pens for travel sketching. But I’d prefer not to get stabbed by my nib when I reach into my bag! So I began to wonder why I haven’t seen artists using a ruling pen. Technically a drafting tool, it holds ink between two adjustable tines and produces a line that can be adjusted for thickness. No stabbing. So I grabbed some from Amazon and decided to experiment. I used three different sizes, though I couldn’t really tell the difference. I’m not sure if these would be better than the Kakimori nib. They seemed very similar in a way. Though the Kakimori nib can get much wider results of you put it sideways. It’s also a lot more expensive than a ruling pen!

A double page spread in a Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook. The left page shows handwritten weather entries for April 10 through 17 2026 with small illustrated weather icons, and a note in yellow ink about finishing a novel draft and plans for a virtual writing retreat. The right page is filled with ruling pen mark-making experiments in Ferris Wheel Press Galeforce Green including parallel lines, waves, crosshatching, loops, a small tree sketch, and a labeled box with hearts and stars.
Weather entries April 10–17 and Ruling Pen experiments in Ferris Wheel Press Galeforce Green — Stillman & Birn Alpha, 18 April 2026

The ink is Ferris Wheel Press Galeforce Green, which is one of my favorites. That greyish-green is so lovely and unique. The mark-making page turned into waves, crosshatching, loops, hatching studies, and eventually a tiny tree, to see what actually drawing instead of pen testing might be like. The verdict is still open, but the ruling pen is worth exploring further. Especially with ink this good. And I have so, so, so many inks!

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