Jaffa Sketchwalk and Tips for Beginner Urban Sketchers

On Friday we went to an Urban Sketchers outing in Jaffa. It was celebrating local designers, and there were street performances as well as open studios and an arts and crafts market. The weather was hot and sunny, and the place was pretty packed with people and full of interesting old buildings. The main trouble I had was focusing on what to draw, as there were so many subjects.

I took a new sketchbook, a Pith Oroblanco in A4 size, and an A5 portrait Etchr Labs 100% cotton watercolour sketchbook. I don’t normally work in such a large format, but I decided to challenge myself to use the Oroblanco as much as possible. The 170gsm paper is identical to the one in the smaller Pith Kabosu, and so is great for mixed media and light washes. The Etchr Labs sketchbook is the best watercolour sketchbook that I’ve ever used – the paper works wonderfully with washes, and is very forgiving for mistakes and reworking.

I started out 30 minutes before the official start time, and sketched a local building. I liked the combination of the beautiful old stone building together with the graffiti and the semi wild trees and shrubs. Inspired by Liz Steel’s Patreon sketching community (I just joined it) and December’s theme of “Red” I selected to sketch this building with Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 3’s Carousel – a red ink – and to highlight the rust colour in the shutters and door. I had enough time to finish the line sketch before going to say hello to Marina, our local chapter head and the organizer of this sketchwalk (a wonderful person and artist). I took reference photos just in case, and then returned and quickly finished the sketch:

To avoid having to lay down a large wash I used Caran d’Ache Neocolor II to lay in most of the base colour – except for the roof bit (where you can see why laying down a large wash on this paper was problematic).

I then went in search for the music performance that was supposed to take place in an adjacent street. I managed to sketch the drummer as he was doing a sound check, but then he left and two girls in peculiar 4 armed cheerleader outfits came out and did a sort of otherworldly dance-march. They kept moving but I did manage to capture them. I used Diamine Carousel in a Lamy Safari medium nib for the drummer, and Posca markers for the cheerleader. The tiny cheerleader thumbnail was sketched with a TWSBI Eco 1.1 fountain pen and De Atramentis Document Ink Green Grey.

I then settled in to prepare to sketch the musicians when they returned. There was a Flamenco dancer in a nearby stage, but the place was too crowded for me to get a good viewing angle of her dancing so I spent the time creating a detailed fountain pen and watercolour sketch of the location where the musicians were supposed to play in. I was hoping to add them in once they started, but their show was delayed and i had to get back to the throwdown. I did get a sketch of their instruments and some local viewers, but I rushed in the end and didn’t get a chance to get proper shadows in. Oh well.

The line work was done with a Platinum Preppy 0.3 filled with De Atramentis Document Ink Black on an Etchr sketchbook:

There was a lady there that was clearly on her first every Sketchwalk, and my heart went to her. Seeing her struggle made me realize that there are so many things that are obvious to me as a seasoned “sketchwalker” that aren’t obvious to people going out with an Urban Sketchers chapter for the first time. Here are a few useful tips:

Say hello. Sketchwalks start at a meeting point and usually end in the same one. Come a few minutes early and talk to people – they’re usually nice and friendly and share many of your interests. Say hello and introduce yourself to the organizers, and thank them for organizing the walk – it’s a lot of work! If there’s a local special event that’s taking place during the walk, be sure to get the details of the time and place and be there. Even if you don’t end up sketching the event, there is bound to be something else interesting going on, and you’ll help represent the chapter. If you come in late and miss the initial gathering, find a sketcher in the area and politely ask when and where the end meeting is. It’s usually posted in advance, but it is worth double checking.
There’s a throwdown in the end of sketchwalk, and group photo. Even if you don’t like your picture taken, bring your sketches to the throwdown. It’s a great way to see great sketches in a large range of styles, and get inspiration from wonderful artists. Do not compare your work to others. Be generous and specific with complements (“The way you caught the energy between the dancers is amazing!”, “The colour choices are phenomenal – that building really comes to life!” is better than “that’s so pretty!” Although, of course saying a sketch is beautiful is also nice). Take photos not just of your work, but of other’s work that inspires you, especially of those that do work in a style that’s far from your own. Learning and experimentation is part of the Urban Sketchers experience.
Thank the organizers. I know I said that before, it’s worth repeating.
Never ever critique another artist’s work. It’s not that kind of an artistic gathering.
Bring less. We all fail at this (I did too, of course), but the less stuff you bring the more fun you’ll have. Choose one or two sketchbooks, at least one in a size and format you are comfortable with. Bring only the supplies you know you’ll use, not those that you might need. It’s OK to bring something new with you, but if you do I suggest that you force yourself to actually use it, and start the first sketch with it.
Do not bring an easel, particularly not to your first sketchwalk. You want to be mobile and flexible. The best way to get the most out of a sketchwalk is to change locations at least 2-3 times. The idea is to work quickly and loosely and to capture a location from several angles and with different focuses (that’s why it’s called a sketch walk). There will be those that choose to stick to one location, but having an easel tends to force you into a single location, as does having too much gear.
Bring a stool. It doesn’t have to be the most comfortable one in the world, but it does have to be portable. That will allow you to sketch wherever you like, and not just where there’s a free bench or table.
Take reference photos, in case you don’t get to finish a sketch or the lighting changes, or a white van decides to park in front of the building that you were just sketching.
Talk to people. Share art supplies. Ask questions about their process – unless you see that are too absorbed in their work to answer. But people usually are kind and enjoy sharing information and tools with other sketchers. That being said, bring all the gear that you’ll actually need.
If you’re just starting out sketchwalking, use smaller formats (no larger than A5), sketchbooks and not loose paper, and supplies that are portable and well known to you. That will allow you to work faster, and it will give you a chance to get more comfortable with working on location.
Sketchwalks usually last 3 hours. That’s both a lot of time and not enough time. Keep an eye on the clock, take into account that it takes time to warm up, and be kind to yourself, especially during the first 30 minutes. I usually take the first hour to work very quickly and loosely, and leave the last hour, hour and a half to work on a more detailed, well composed piece. Take breaks – sketchwalks are in urban environments so there’s usually a place to grab a coffee and snack (which you can and should sketch – it’s an Urban Sketcher’s tradition!). It’s not a race – the point is to enjoy yourself. I usually take a few minutes to stroll around, getting a feel for the location and the options before I settle in and get to work.
Bring water and weather appropriate gear. Be a responsible adult and check the weather before you go. Bring a hat and sunscreen, coat, umbrella, etc depending on the weather.
Post to social media, and tag your local chapter. There’s usually a Facebook group, and an Instagram account for the USK chapter. If the sketchwalk involved a local business, museum or organization, be sure to tag them too. You are an ambassador to the community now. Represent this wonderful organization with pride.

If you go on Urban Sketcher Sketchwalks and have tips for newcomers, I would love it if you could reply with them.

Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 6

Day 6’s ink is Diamine Fir & Fog, a chameleon ink. The base ink colour is an attractive dark grey grey, which is very evocative of fir trees in the fog. The chameleon effect is subtle but lovely – shimmers range from green, through blue and silver, to pink. What you see depends on the lighting conditions, the angle at which you view the paper, and the width of the nib. I used a generous Lamy Safari medium nib.

The base ink, without the chameleon effect, would have been excellent as an Inkvent ink in and of itself. It’s a muted and characterful green that offers a good amount of shading and interest and is dark enough to be used not just for holiday correspondence or for journaling. The chameleon effect isn’t in your face, over the top shimmer. It’s more like a little secret that only those in the know get to experience.

Today’s bear is a Canterbury Bear with no name. I like his “frosted tips” fur and his owl-like face (and the fact that he’s from a small maker), which is why I purchased him.

Diamine Fir & Fog is a wonderful ink, a great addition to the Inkvent calendar, and definitely an ink that I would consider purchasing a full bottle of in the future. I think it’s a great wintery ink, and it would look even better on cream coloured paper.

What do you think of Fir & Fog? Did you catch the chameleon effect?

Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 5

Day 5’s ink is Diamine Marie Rose, a standard ink that looks like a thousand island dressing. Apparently Marie Rose is a British seafood or cocktail sauce. I never heard of it before, likely because I don’t eat seafood. In any case the ink colour is unique and beautiful, with plenty of interesting shading.

Although Marie Rose is a light ink, it’s dark enough to be readable, and would work particularly well in thin papered notebooks, as there’s bound to be no ghosting or bleed-through.

Today’s bear comes with very little information, beyond a price tag and an embroidered tag with the name “SHULTZ” on it. He’s tiny (about the size of a Col-o-ring) but full of character, and proper bear.

I like Diamine Marie Rose and I’d see myself using it in the future. It’s a light and optimistic ink that’s well behaved, interesting and unique. It makes up a bit for yesterday’s disaster ink.

What do you think? Do you see yourself buying a bottle of Marie Rose ink?

Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 4

Day 4’s ink is Diamine Smoky Tobacco. It’s a scented sepia ink and I loathe it with every fiber of my being. I hate that it’s named after tobacco, I hate that it’s a scented ink, I hate that it stinks to high heaven, I don’t like the ink’s flow and I’m not a fan of the colour. I have no idea what Diamine were thinking naming an ink after Tobacco and then having it reek of stale Tobacco but it’s a terrible idea and a terrible ink. It went straight to the trash can after this review, and the pen is about to be thoroughly cleaned out.

The issue is that this ink stinks so much that it actually made my whole notebook smell like it had been in a smokers house for the past few years. I am considering ripping the page out and throwing it to the garbage. If it still smells this badly in a day or two that’s what I’ll do.

Today’s bear is one of the prettiest in my collection. Her name is Zelda and she’s a Charlie Bear. Her body is so, so heavy but her mohair fur is as soft as it looks. It’s like stroking clouds.

I am so angry at Diamine for naming an ink after Tobacco, and then going out of their way to give us the full Tobacco experience. Here’s hoping that tomorrow’s ink is better, and that this is the last of Diamine’s scented inks, at least for this year’s Inkvent. Otherwise we might be getting a “dead rat carcass in the chimney” ink, or a “rotting wreath” one.

Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 3

Day 3’s ink is Diamine Carousel. It’s a red pigment ink – which should mean that it’s waterproof, something that I will test later on.

Carousel is an orangey/coral red ink that flowed well in my Lamy Safari medium nib. There’s a bit of shading with this ink, which surprised me. I wasn’t expecting any shading because it’s a pigmented ink, and from my experience they tend to be “flatter”. In any case Carousel is a bright and cheerful colour, perfect for the season.

I had to check if Diamine Carousel is waterproof, so I sketched one of the beaches near my apartment. I then waited for the ink to completely dry, and painted over it with watercolours. It worked perfectly, as you can see, and I actually like the effect of sketching with such a peculiar colour of ink.

Today’s bear is Lialu, and he’s a Dean’s bear, and another one of the few blue bears that I own. Look what a serious little fellow he is:

Today’s bear – very dignified and distinguished

Diamine Carousel is a fun ink that’s completely waterproof when dry, and a joy to sketch with. I will certainly enjoy sketching with it, and time will tell if I’ll be adding it to my waterproof ink collection later next year. For scenes with lots of greens I think it would work particularly well, as it makes greens pop.

Do you see yourself sketching with this ink?

Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 2

Day 2’s ink is Diamine Energy, a purple ink with golden green sheen. I used a Lamy Safari with a medium nib to test this ink out. The ink is very saturated, as I’d expect from a sheening ink, but there’s so much green sheen on it that it makes the ink look dusty.

Energy can be mistaken for a black ink in certain angles and from a distance, which is a bit of a shame as the base purple colour is gorgeous.

The sheen is interesting – there’s a cooler, bluish undertone to it that makes it more dusky and more muted than the standard golden green sheen that usually appears in dark purple inks.

The ink has a generous flow, and it will likely sheen even on relatively absorbent paper. I didn’t test it on Tomoe River Paper but I’m guessing that you’d likely not even see the base purple colour there.

There is an issue with such a dark, saturated and wet ink: ghosting and bleed-through. Both occurred here, to the point where I’m likely to just dump this ink out rather than use it for writing. This is an ink that is either for those willing to use only one side of the page, or those using very thick paper.

Today’s bear is Jayson. He’s literally one-of-a-kind – an artist bear made by Cornfield Cubs. He’s got a bit of a goofy face, which is why I bought him.

Diamine Energy is an interesting ink. I like the original name, though I don’t think it really fits the Christmas/holiday/winter theme of the Inkvent calendar. I wouldn’t buy a bottle of this ink because the sheen is too much for my liking and the ghosting and bleed-through make it impractical. What do you think?

Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 1

Day 1’s ink is Diamine Celestial Skies. It’s a dark, saturated teal shimmer ink with plenty of red sheen on the proper paper. It’s a festive start for the Teal Edition calendar, and I love how rich and regal this ink looks on the page.

Col-o-Ring swab. I used a Lamy Al Star with a broad nib to test this ink

The ink has a silvery green shimmer that looks golden under certain lighting conditions and in certain angles. It has a generous flow, and I do see myself contemplating purchasing a full bottle of it when Diamine starts selling Teal Edition inks sometime in the middle of next year. With the shimmer, the sheen and a good amount of shading, plus the wonderful base ink colour, this ink will never be boring.

I think I have only three blue bears, and Finn here is one of them. Once I saw the ink colour I decided he’d be a nice bear to start off this year’s Inkvent reviews with. He’s five years old, though he doesn’t look it, and I love his pensive face and outreaching “hug me” paws.

Diamine Inkvent 2025 Spoiler Free Introduction

As the year comes to a close, it’s time for this year’s Diamine Inkvent. This year’s calendar is the Teal Edition – one of my favourite colours. I am guessing that it will include some version of Diamine’s new Forever pigmented inks. It will likely also include shimmer, chameleon, sheening and super sheening inks, scented inks (alas) and likely also a few surprises. I have done as much as possible to not read about the inks in it in advance – the surprise is most of the fun.

My Diamine Teal Edition Inkvent calendar.

I have been reviewing the Diamine Inkvent calendar since it was first issued, and it’s been a huge undertaking, and a fun one. You can find my review of the 2019 Blue edition starting here, the 2021 Red edition starting here, the 2022 Green edition starting here, the 2023 Purple edition starting here, and the 2024 Black edition starting here.

This year I’ve decided to streamline things a bit. I’m very busy, and my calendar arrived very, very late due to shipping issues so I haven’t really had a head start creating the review posts, and they take a LOT of time and effort. To cut down on the overhead I will not be photographing the individual doors or bottles – they aren’t really interesting. I will be creating a writing sample and a teddy bear sketch for each ink – using teddy bears from my collection as models. This year, however, the sketch and the writing sample will be done in a single notebook – the Apica Premium C.D Notebook. It has very fountain pen friendly paper that does a good job of showing off individual ink properties.

Like in previous years, I will be using my trusty Col-o-ring to swatch and sample each ink. I will also be actually filling fountain pens instead of just using dip pens to test the inks. I think that it’s provides more insight into how an ink behaves in a pen, particularly in terms of flow. Unlike in previous years I have a brand new ultrasonic cleaner, so hopefully the pen cleanup won’t be too bad…

Col-o-ring (no 2025 inks are swabbed here yet)

Have a great Inkvent to all who celebrate! I can’t wait to dig into this year’s calendar and see what Diamine came up with.

Currently Inked Fountain Pens – Pelikan Hubs Edition

Tomorrow is the Pelikan Hubs 2025 event, and to prepare I have inked up a whole flock of Pelikan fountain pens.

Here’s my current lineup of fountain pens and ink:

The top four have been inked way back in the beginning of August, but because of my travel schedule I’ve yet to write all of them dry. You can read about the Radius 1934 and the Pelikan M205 here as well.

Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2.0 Galattica Universe – F nib – Montblanc The Beatles Psychedelic Purple – great pen and ink combination. I wrote this pen dry just after writing the sample above.

Parker 51 Plum – F nib – Sailor Jentle Peche – all vintage Parker 51 fountain pens are fabulous and this one is no different. The plum colour is very rare, but I decided to “use the good China”. The ink is a long discontinued Sailor Jentle Peche, a beautiful pink with great shading and outlining. Sailor used to make fantastic inks at great prices – in terrible bottles. It was a struggle to fill this pen, even with their internal ink reservoir dingus.

Pelikan M205 Petrol Marbled – EF nib – Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-gyoku – I was hoping that Sui-gyoku would be the green ink that I was looking for, but it’s more of a teal than a green. The Pelikan M2xx series is a solid workhorse kind of pen, and I highly recommend it.

Radius 1934 Settimo Cielo – F nib – Diamine 150th Anniversary Regency Blue – the ink has grown darker with time, to the point where it’s almost black. This isn’t surprising as it was a very saturated dark blue ink to begin with, and it’s had some time in the pen. I will likely write this pen dry today or tomorrow. The new Radius pens by Leonardo feel very much like Leonardo Momento Zeroes but with a slightly different design. That’s not a bad thing – they are gorgeous pens, and for now they’re slightly cheaper than the Momento Zeroes.

Last week I inked up a new Platinum Preppy 03 nib with De Atramentis Document Ink Black as part of a post that I am working on. It’s the first time I’ve used a Preppy with a converter and not the Platinum cartridge it comes with – and it works well.

I inked these pens today for the Pelikan Hubs event tomorrow:

Pelikan M605 Stresemann – M nib – Sailor Ink Studio 123 – a classic and elegant pen and ink combination. The Sailor 123 is really that good, and the generous medium nib shows off its dual shading properties.

Pelikan M320 Pearl – M nib – Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown – my rarest Pelikan, always a crowd pleaser at the hubs. This tiny pen came with a tiny brilliant brown bottle and so far I’ve filled it only with that. I bought it about a decade ago in Berlin on a whim, and I’m so glad that I did.

Pelikan M800 Blue O Blue – F nib – KWZ Exclusive for epiora.pl Błękit Warty Poznania – this pen was a very expensive birthday gift and my first M800 Pelikan. I bought it at a local pen store that no longer exists. The ink is even more special – it’s my first KWZ ink, gifted to me from the store that it was exclusively made for. I had purchase my M600 Glauco Cambon there just before they were closing for the day on the last day of the USK Symposium in Poznan. The name means Poznan Warta Blue – and it’s tied to the unique blue of the city and the Warta river. It’s a gorgeous blue and it reminds of Poznan, the store, the lovely seller and the nice symposium volunteers that saw me in the store and helped me out with my purchase.

Pelikan M400 White Tortoise – M nib – Sailor Ink Studio 767 – This is the green I was looking for! I purchased this ink last month at Choosing Keeping in London, and it’s the perfect bright and cheerful green that I was looking for, with some great shading to boot. The Pelikan Tortoise pens are gorgeous, and this one is a particularly nice one.

Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl – F nib – Montblanc Maya Blue – I have been priced out of Montblanc inks (there’s only so much I’m willing to pay for ink) but this ink was heavily discounted at the Montblanc boutique in Heathrow. It’s a lovely bright turquoise with great shading, and it works well coupled with this pen.

Pelikan M600 Art Collection Glauco Cambon – F nib – Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai – this is the pen that I purchased at Epiora in Poznan, and while I saw it online and loved the concept, I never thought that I’d buy it because of the price. Seeing it in person changed my mind because no photos can do this pen justice – the pattern on it glows! It’s beyond vibrant, and the pen body itself feels different than other Pelikans – heavier and cooler to the touch. The ink is also a Choosing Keeping purchase, and I love the colour very much.

Pelikan M620 Place De La Concorde – M nib – Sailor Ink Studio 162 – this is one of my rarer Pelikans, one that I bought a year or two after the series had been complete and no longer for sale. If ever there was a series of pens that I wish that I owned it was the Pelikan M620 City series, and for years I searched for an Athens pen before giving up – it was just too expensive.

The Pelikans left to right – Place de la Concorde, Glauco Cambon, Ocean Swirl, White Tortoise, Blue O Blue, Pearl

Apart from my inked Pelikans, I’m also taking three uninked Pelikans with me – one to fill with the ink that we’ll be getting, and the others just to share.

Pelikan Flock – left to right – Stresemann, M215 Rectangle (uninked), vintage M400 Tortoise (uninked), Stormtrooper (uninked)

Left to right: Parker 61 Plum, M205 Petrol Marbled, Radius 1934 Settimo Cielo, Platinum Preppy

Are you going to a Pelikan Hub? If so, what pens did you bring with you?

Radius Settimo Cielo Blu, Diamine 150 Regency Blue, Diamine Forever Raven, Pilot Iroshizuku Sui gyoku

I just received a package from Fontoplumo and I immediately added the pen and inks it contained into rotation. While I already have a good amount of pens inked up, I really wanted to give the Radius 1934 Settimo Cielo Blu a try as soon as I got it. Not only is it a gorgeous looking pen, but I was also curious to see how it compares both the the vintage Radius fountain pen that I own and to my Leonardo fountain pens, as they are also the makers of the Radius.

Apart from the Radius the package contained two inks that I was interested in using as soon as possible, so I inked up a Pelikan M200 Petrol with Pilot Iroshizuku Sui gyoku and a Lamy AL Star with Diamine Forever Raven. The Radius got inked up withe Diamine 150 years Anniversary Regency Blue, a rich royal blue with moderate red sheen that fits the blue swirls on the pen body.

From left to right: Pelikan M200 Petrol, Lamy AL Star Black, Radius Settimo Celio Blu

Comparing the Diamine Forever Raven to Sailor Black reveals that the Sailor is slightly darker than the Raven, but both are dark enough to count as proper black inks (and not dark grey or brown). They both have a bit of shading, but the Raven interests me as a waterproof ink, so I’ll be testing it with some watercolour sketches later on.

The Pilot Iroshizuku Sui gyoku isn’t what I expected. I was hoping for a more prominently green ink, but Sui gyoku is more of a turquoise than a green. I like turquoise inks so that won’t be a problem, but it means that I’m still on the lookout for an interesting, bright, readable green. The shading on this ink is delightful.

Diamine 150 Anniversary Regency Blue is a rich royal blue with some red sheen. It’s very saturated, especially in the Radius nib.

The Radius interested me not so much as a revival of the old Italian brand since the original Radius was a minor pen manufacturer, and I wasn’t blown away by the vintage Radius that I own. It seemed to me that the old Radius brand was busy making local copies of what Parker was doing at the time, which is understandable. However, Radius as a sub-brand of Leonardo is interesting since Leonardo have been hiking their prices lately but the Radius remains more affordable and offers resins and pen bodies that are just as attractive as what Leonardo has to offer.

I love both the blue, white and brown swirly resin of this pen and the art deco-ish band. It’s a big wide pen, like the Leonardo pens and Viscontis, but light and comfortable to use.

One tiny minus with my pen is that as the bottom part of the body tapers down, a smudge of brown resin was left, making it look like there’s permanent dirt on the pen body. Not ideal, but it’s something I can live with.

Here’s a writing sample of all three inks on Col-O-Ring cards.

And as a silly little treat I also bought two cartridge boxes of Lamy Pokemon ink cartridges. They are filled with regular black Lamy ink cartridges, which I knew, but is still disappointing – a teal and a red would have been better.

Writing at Large

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