e a good drawing with a bad pen,--but the artistic virtues
of a particular instrument are not likely to disclose themselves
in the rude scratchings of the beginner. He has to master it, to
"break it in," ere he can discover of what excellent service it
is capable.

[Side note: _Pens_]

The student will find that most of the steel pens made for artists
have but a short period of usefulness. When new they are even more
unresponsive than when they are old. At first they are disposed to
give a hard, wiry line, then they grow sympathetic, and, finally,
lose their temper, when they must be immediately thrown away. As
a general rule, the more delicate points are better suited to the
smooth surfaces, where they are not likely to get tripped up and
"shaken" by the roughness in the paper.

To begin with the smaller points, the "Gillott Crow-quill" is an
excellent instrument. The normal thickness of its line is extremely
small, but so beautifully is the nib made that it will respond
vigorously to a big sweeping stroke. I say a "sweeping stroke,"
as its capacity is not to be taxed for uniformly big lines. An
equally delicate point, which surpasses the crow-quill in range,
is "Gillott's Mapping-pen." It is astonishing how large a line
may be made with this instrument. It responds most nimbly to the
demands made upon it, and in some respects reminds one of a brush.
It has a short life, but it may be a merry one. Mr. Pennell makes
mention of a pen, "Perry's Auto-Stylo," which seems to possess
an even more wonderful capacity, but of this I cannot speak from
experience. A coarser, but still a small point, is the "Gillott
192"--a good pen with a fairly large range; and, for any others
than the smooth papers, a pen smaller than this will probably be
found undesirable for general use. A shade bigger than this is
the "Gillott 303," a very good average size. Neither of these two
possesses the sensitiveness of those previously mentioned, but
for work demanding more or less uniformity of line they will be
found more satisfactory. The smaller points are liable to lead one
into the quagmire of finicalness. When we get beyond the next in
size, the "Gillott 404," there is nothing about the coarse steel
points to especially commend them for artistic use. They are usually
stupid, unreliable affairs, whose really valuable existence is
about fifteen working minutes. For decorative drawing the ordinary
commercial "stub" will be found a very satisf