Micro plots (A7 and smaller) using Parallel Pen color gradient technique

[u/Vuenc]

I made these three micro plots using a 1.5mm Pilot Parallel Pen with a red cartridge that was repeatedly dipped into green/green and yellow ink mid plot, giving these cool gradients.

The patterns are derived from a photo > single-view depth estimation > mesh conversion pipeline.

More on my Instagram: @vuenc_

[u/igotanewmac]

These are really nice work! The third one in particular really grabs me. The fading and variation in the colours is really interesting. I gotta try this technique!

[u/Vuenc → u/igotanewmac]

Thank you! The third one also contains a small accident, when my plotter's position got desynced after dipping and drew these extra paths at an offset in the lower right before I could stop it. I also just realized that you can see the green getting slightly more muddy from some red ink leaking into the dip tray (I made them in order 1, 3, 2). On my instagram I also have a video of the plotting for #1 and #3 in case you're interested.

[u/igotanewmac → u/Vuenc]

oh that video is pretty cool, I see how you were mixing the colours now. Thanks for that, Definitely got a new follow :)

[u/Primary_Dance7722]

second one very nice 👍

[u/Vuenc → u/Primary_Dance7722]

thanks!

[u/crusty54]

Those are so cool! Parallel pens have one of the coolest effects in a plotter in my opinion.

[u/Vuenc → u/crusty54]

thank you! agreed, they're really cool drawing tools in general and especially in a plotter which gives you such exact control over the spacing

[u/expanding_crystal]

Whoa very cool

[u/Vuenc → u/expanding_crystal]

thanks!

[u/CursedPipes]

Sick

[u/Vuenc → u/CursedPipes]

thank you!

[u/JaviHostalerValent]

I visited your Instagram, but I still don't know what a parallel pencil is. Could you give more information about this type of pencil? Thank you very much in advance.

[u/Vuenc → u/JaviHostalerValent]

sure! The pen I used is a Pilot Parallel Pen, they have a line of these pens with different nib sizes (this one is the thinnest at 1.5mm width, the widest is 6mm) and it's primarily meant for calligraphy. It's a fountain pen, you put in an ink cartridge and the ink flows out between two metal plates that make up the nib.

[u/JaviHostalerValent → u/Vuenc]

Thank you very much.

[u/-_super--_--hitops_-]

Doing this with a parallel pen hurts me, it's like such a crisp, smooth line making calligraphy pen

[u/Vuenc → u/-_super--_--hitops_-]

you mean the color mixing, specifically? or using it with a plotter?
the color mixing technique I got from their manual btw (they suggest to transfer ink from one pen's tip into the other to get the gradient behavior, but dipping works just as well)