New Brushes

I've been dreading this day for some time now. But, no matter what I did or how much I tried to will it away the time has finally come.

I've had to try and use a new inking brush.

Since I was 19 years old I've been using a Raphael 8402 brush with a yellow tip to ink all of my work. Even when I moved to Colorado I'd still special order this brush from back in New Jersey. I'd stock up on them and hold onto them like gold. But, recently, the company who makes them in France has decided not to sell this brand in the good ol' USA anymore. So I had to buy a few new brushes in the closest style I could find, the Raphael 8404 with the orange tip.

The current brush I've been using has finally run it's course and, honestly, I probably used it a few more months than I normally would if I knew I had a batch of them in a cache by the art table. So, I have one last lone solitary 8402. I don't know that I'm ready for it to be the last one I ever use. So, I broke out a few of the new 8404s and tried them out today to see how they felt.

I pulled out an old pin-up piece I penciled a while ago and never had the chance to ink. I moistened the new brush in water, dipped it in the ink well, and went to work. It's not bad and you can see some of the results above. The brush tip isn't quite as long, you couldn't tell by looking at it but you can feel it, and it has a little thicker body. It's not bad but it took some getting used to. Plus, I was looking at it with a high degree of scrutiny.

But, over all, if I do use my last yellow tipped 8402 brush, I think the 8404s might work out OK.

Of course, it doesn't stop me from looking online to see how I can smuggle a few 8402s out of France and across the border. Manu, I'm looking at you.

Please France, I'm sorry for Freedom Fries! Just give me my 8402s back!!!