Maeda's SIMPLICITY

Thick and Easy

When in doubt, choose the fat nib.

Thick and thin. It isn't a new thought for me. Yet as I struggle to understand the art of motion, I find that my preference for 0.5 mm pen tips has been the obstacle all along.

Drawing with a fat tip allows you to gain distance from the image. Your space of drawing is immediately reduced because you cover so much area so quickly. Thus thoughts must be clear, otherwise there is no room to think. On the other hand, drawing with a thin tip promotes you to draw much more. You can think much more precisely about a topic in all of its incredible dimensions. That is, when you have the luxury of time.

The moral of the story is simply, When in doubt, reach for a pen with a fatter tip. Maybe Dr. Atkins was right all along?

Posted by maeda at August 25, 2005 10:54 AM