The Pilot Parallel: An artist fountain pen review
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
- Hey Pen People!
For today’s video, we are going to be looking at the Pilot Parallel! This particular pen is the 3.8 mm nib option. This particular pen model has a few nib options. This is the one that seemed most interesting to me.
Check it out here:
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If you’re interested in the A1 kit I mention in the video, you can find it here:
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Contents:
00:00 Intro
00:57 Parts and disassembly
06:14 Test lines
15:48 Drawing sample
23:20 A lot of ink!
24:25 Final thoughts
I would bet anything that Mike Mignola loves this pen 😂😂😂
I’m pinning this comment.
It's a guzzler! My favourite pen to draw with. It's capable of crazy levels of expression and very fluid lines, but the chaotic nature does take some time to get used to. Check out artist Ashley Wood, he's a total wizard with the blue capped extra wide one.
You’re the second person to mention Ashley Wood in the comments for this video so far. I guess I’ll have to check him out!
This pen looks so good... I know that it's for calligraphy, but I like that you can get very thick and very fine lines with the same pen. I might give it a go. Thanks for the video!
Yeah, this is one of the most unique fountain pens in the market! Of course we have to use it for art!
I really loved your drawing. Being very honest, I thought you were putting too many details with your pencil drawing, but in the end, your inks were in point.
Again, I thought you were going to be a bit aloft with the parallels, like you did with your sphere and cone pen test. One artist I can recommend for you to look is Ashley Wood. He uses those parallels skillfully. By no way, I'm implying you imitate his work, but you might appreciate how he uses the parallel pens. I know also you're not a fan of "eye drop pens," but in the case of the Pilot Parallel pen, it should be considered.
Thanks! I noticed the irony of how into the weeds I got with pencils even as I was preparing this video. I think I might use the parallel again for a deeper exploration stylistically in the future, but I do have a tough time letting go of control!
Also, I think there is some value to showing of a tight drawing to really test the limits of the pen. Not that everyone will draw like that, but also that someone who like tight line work plus ink washes might want to know if this pen can do both. In the end, I don’t think there’s any right or wrong answer, but I do also think that exploring a looser style with this pen is something I want to do in the future.
I actually use those pilot cartridges as convertors , I just fill them up with a syringe and put them back in , they wash up easy too .
That’s pretty much what I would get using the Majohn A1 capsules. It works. I just wish Pilot made a better solution. Their converters are awful.
I really like the style it imparts to your art. Very noir film style look.
Thanks! It did kind of remind me of the old Noir comics that I used to check out from the library as a kid. I think 10 year old me would be very proud that I came up with that drawing all by myself!
1. I'm impressed you did the whole drawing with a Parallel. I would have paired it with a fine or similar nib. Do you have a one-pen-per-drawing policy for some reason.
2. My drawings have lots of straight or gently curving lines of various widths, for which the Parallel is perfect. In particular, a wide line with sharp edges and perfectly even width. And of course rapidly filling in an area.
3. Those who object to the barrel, note that the Parallel nib unit will screw right into a Pilot Spare Sign pen ($20), which is normally shaped. Works great. Others have mentioned at least two other pens that work similarly, but at much higher prices.
4. Of late I have had performance problems with my 6.0 Parallel. Perhaps because I ran it over some graphite and colored pencil marks, it suddenly went completely dry, won't make a mark. Flossing and dipping do nothing; I think it needs a thorough cleaning. Dang.
5. I do believe the little plastic seal of the cartridge is blue or black or whatever, matching the ink color.
6. Thanks for the show
1: I don’t have a rule per se, but if I’m showing off a certain pen, I like to use it for as much of the review as I can. I think people like seeing the limits of the particular instrument I’m talking about. More than 1 pen would be an interesting subject for a future video though.
2: I really liked getting varying lengths out of this pen. It was fun to use as well as versatile.
3:Great, now I need to buy another pen. Haha. But I;m not sad about it.
4: I wonder how you would clean a nib like that thoroughly? Quite a conundrum.
5: I didn’t look at the seal. I’ll have to get a closer look if I find any more Pilot converters lying around.
6: As always my pleasure!
I got into these pens after seeing a video by Brett Weldele using them ages ago. He filled them with Distress ink and got some really interesting textures and line work with them. They really are a great pen to get you out of an artistic rut or your comfort zone.
You can also modify these nibs if you have a dremil tool with the right bit. I saw a class on this advertised at the San Francisco Pen show, but I wasn’t able to go unfortunately.
I have one on order. I checked out your channel to see how to use it. Thank you. This was most helpful.
Glad to be of help! I’m sure there are others who use it with more skill than I do.
04:02 🖋 The Pilot Parallel pen has a unique nib made of two pieces of metal, allowing ink to flow between them.
05:51 🩹 The pen does not come with a converter, requiring either a CON-40 or a Pilot cartridge for ink refills.
06:14 📏 Experimentation with the pen shows that different angles produce varying line thickness, offering versatility in line creation.
09:02 🔄 The pen challenges traditional drawing methods, encouraging more expressive and organic lines rather than precision.
14:08 🎨 Pushing outside of one's comfort zone in art can lead to growth and improvement, even if it requires more time and effort.
19:01 🚢 The drawing created with the Pilot Parallel pen showcases its ability to handle both fine lines and bold strokes, offering a wide range of artistic possibilities.
23:22 💧 Using the pen for an entire drawing session can quickly deplete ink cartridges due to its high ink consumption.
24:26 🌟 While the pen may not suit all artistic styles, it offers a fun and expressive alternative for those looking to change up their approach.
This is cool! I’m pinning it.
@@stepheninks Thank you
Gorgeous!!
Me, or the drawing? I’ll take it either way.
Underrated channel. I think you're a great artist and I wish you success! I just bought a preppy to see if I'll like drawing with fountain pens. I would get a safari next if I do, something about it's design really appeals to me, like it's a workman's tool.
Thanks! I actually didn’t care for the design of the Safari until I actually held one in my hand, so I think if you already like it, you’ll love it even more in person. Just a tip (pun intended) but the line weights of the Safari run a lot thicker than the preppy. If you like the fine nib of the Preppy, go for the extra fine for the Safari, unless you’re looking for a thicker line.
loved this video!
Thanks!
Some of your strokes remind me of the brushwork of the old Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon comic strips.
That’s high praise! I love comic books, and I used to read all the old Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby era comics. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a comic book artist so badly, but I thought twice about it before going into college. I sometimes wonder what might have happened if I really stuck to my dreams from an early age.
Im in a country where the metric system is used. 3.8 mm (millimeters) looks right as the width of the nib.
I appreciate your expertise.
These are really fun nibs - they take you out of your comfort zone and force you to explore.
Yep! That’s what happened here for me!
Thanks for this intro to Pilot Parallels. I'm definitely going to snag one off Amazon after seeing how much fun you had here. BTW, you should embrace the Metric system, at least for linear measurement. My life has been so much less stressful using millimeters instead of trying to read freaking fractions off a ruler. And, it allows you to be so much more accurate. Give it a try.
Thank! I’m only joking about the Metric system. I’m a science/engineering teacher, so I use it all the time. I love it. I feel like the Metric system is more useful, while the Imperial system is more poetic (miles to go before I sleep, pound of flesh, an ounce of prevention, etc.)
@@stepheninks Hehehe...you got me. You're probably Canadian too which would make me even more ridiculous. Cheers!
@@escargotomy Naw, I’m American. I definitely feigned sincerity on my disdain for logical measurement systems, so you’re probably not the only one who fell for my trickery. I learned the joys of the metric system when I lived in South Korea after college.
I use mine as a highlighter with Noodler's Firefly ink
I’ve also heard of people using stub nibs for that same purpose.
I liked and subscribed for the worst circle. Well done.
Stay tuned for more terrible circles. I also have other shapes I can destroy for you.
We JUST filled up our 6.0mm with a CON-70 (because we needed the larger volume) only to find out the barrel won’t fit 😭 had to transfer the ink out into a CON-40.
Isn’t the nib size stated on a sticker on the cap?
I think it. Did come with a sticker, but I have had this pen for a few years, so I can’t remember exactly. The barrel thing was a bummer for me as well. I think a high capacity converter makes sense for this one, since it puts out so much ink.
Thanks for this Video. Perhaps the 2.4 mm Parallel pen might be a less chaotic option? By the way I read somewhere that there is a converter(plunger?) which fits the Parallel Pen: It's the Pilot CON-50
Probably so, but I think that this pen is the type of pen where you embrace the chaos. I was actually surprised that I got some pretty good control out of it. I’m more curious about the bigger sized nibs in this line of pens.
I’ve heard legend of this con-50, but I have never seen one anywhere. The Con-40 does work, but you get about 1/2 a drop of ink per fill with that one. I don’t think that would be very fun with this particular type of pen.
Hello.
Can you please tell me the name of the ink?
It’s just a cartridge of Pilot ink. It came with the pen. I think it’s just called “black.”
I do like this full page full cartridge drawing!
I also think this pen is a lot of fun but in real life maybe is better for lettering and with a narrow nib.
Yeah I guess so… but it’s fun!
3.8 mm is just over 1/8 inch
I appreciate the comparison. It’s weird how those two references to the exact same size just don’t line up with each other through any type of logic. I know the Metric system is very logical, but the US system makes comparing the two a very odd exercise indeed.
@@stepheninks I'm a Brit living in the US. And I'm of a certain age. In the UK we a real mess of metric and imperial. Speed in MPH, petrol (gas) is sold on litres. We measure height in feet, but also use cm for other measurements. And don't get me started on weight. We don't say someone is X lbs or y kilos. We say stones (14 pounds in a stone). So someone who is 150 lbs is 10 stone 10 lbs.
Bet you're glad you don't live there 😆