PaperMate Ink Joy 500 RT Pens - Part 1

After the good results I've had with the PaperMate stick pen I have, I purchased a package of Ink Joy 500 RTs in various colors as recommended by another sketcher and other reviews.

My testing was immediately after opening the package and removing the little bead the company puts on the points to keep them fresh.

For Part 1, I am using the Global Arts Handbook, which I've had good luck with the standard stick pen (by same company).

Initial feelings with Ink Joy 500 RT - DISAPPOINTED

1)  I had to scribble on paper now and then just to get the pen to make a mark on paper (even after they had been making marks on paper).  Sometimes I had to go over lines or marks several times before I could even get a mark to show.  This was more of a problem with the other than normal Blues, Blacks, and Reds; but, even my black pen gave me trouble.  (The right page in the heading shows I had trouble with the Black pen.)

Is it pen or paper?  That remains to be seen after I experiment on other paper.  (Part 2).

2)  I could not get a nice even hatching and couldn't transition from light to dark very easily.....not like I can with the stick pen shown above.

Example:   This shows how nicely I was able to hatch and transition from lighter to darker values without much effort..........almost like using a graphite pencil..........using the cheap PaperMate stick pen.  See the wood behind the foreground jug.

I was trying to achieve the same type of marks with the Ink Joys.  There was no way because the ink flow was inconsistent with some of the pens having to use a heavy pressure just to make a mark.

Note:  The Ink Joys AND the stick pen are the same point size......... 1.0 m

3)  These pens end up with a buildup of ink on the point easily and quickly.  I had to wipe the point often, which I find to be a pain.  If a blob ended up on the paper (which it did several times even wiping often), it could smear if not careful.  I only had to do that once in awhile with the stick pen and that was with heavy sketching as I did as shown above.

Close-up of some of the problem areas:

I rely on reviews before I spend money on anything.  I take time to read what people say.....especially the negative reviews.  At the same time, I know that what works for one person may not work for another.  Best to try yourself with the papers you use to see just how something might work.  Only problem.........you have to spend the money to find out :-(   I found the same problem with the Bic Crystal pens everyone raved about and I didn't much care for mainly because of the blobs.  Some ballpoints are worse than others with this issue.

We'll see how I feel when I try other papers.  To be Continued..................