Did Target stop carrying Rhodia pads?

That was the question that popped in my head when i found these notepads: the Rhodia Reverse Book and the No. 11 pad on a clearance end cap at Target. Instead new a display of Moleskine journals pads and other Asian paper products had replaced them in the stationery aisle.
For its first doodle test decided to use a recently acquired vintage Tru-Point automatic leadholder.
The 3B lead glided smoothly leaving rich dark marks on the Rhodia paper. Bit of a shame that the Rhodia pads might get harder to find at retail locally.

Sakura Pigma Micron 05 and Brush sets of 8 pens initial test reference chart

Found these sets of 8 colored pens of Sakura Pigma Micron 05 (0.45 mm nibs) and Brush pens on clearance at the local Jo-Ann arts and crafts store. They feature nice bright colors, and their pen nibs glided fairly smoothly on the Rhodia dotPad paper. While it might be too soon to make a judgment about their durability, the Sakura Pigma brush nibs feel rather delicate and look thinner and smaller that Faber Castell Pitt Artist brush pen nibs.
Marks comparison chart and test doodles drawn on Rhodia dotPad. Since they feature colorful pigmented inks that are waterproof when dry, they could be used for labeling and some sketching that could be colored with watercolors afterwards without smearing the drawn outlines.Sample doodles sketched on Piccadilly blank journal. The numbers correspond to the pen color, but the actual name of the color is not listed anywhere on the pen barrel. The pen cap indicates the pen size "05" and ink color, and in the case of the brush pen they display the letters "BR" printed on the color coded circle. The opposite end of the pen has a small color matching plastic cap to facilitate its identification. I have seen reports that the pen cap identification markings tend to wear off with use, so it might help its longevity to close the cap by holding it on its sides every once in awhile rather than pushing down on the colored disk with your thumb every time. After changing the nib and ink refills a few times, I also noticed this issue with a 05 Copic Multiliner SP pen that I used for several months in my sketching kit. I had almost completely worn off the pen cap markings by rubbing it with my thumb every time I closed the pen. I tend to keep the Copic pens at home, and take the disposable Pigma pens on the road given their price difference.

Brainstorming the last greeting card template for Class

Just having some fun doodling an elf in color without drawing a coloring outline first on blank Rhodia paper.
Trying out a few Copic Sketch marker combinations to render skin tones with some variety. Got to come up with a final design to complete a set of 6 coloring card templates to use for class.
Elf taking a coffee break with couple of buddies.

The Baker Elf concept cards. I fear they might be a tad too busy to color in the time allowed. Guess this is what happens when working often with the Food Network playing in the background.
Toy Workshop Elf card template. Left lost of blank space, so students could add their own background details like the rest of the workshop, a holiday tree, or a snow-covered field. Yet it seems rather busy for such a small format (1/4 of a letter size sheet). Not really happy with any of them, so I guess I will sleep on it.

Rikota Brush Markers Set Review

Thanks George for generously sending me these Rikota Brush Markers and Sterling protractor and 6" ruler. The latter two make a nice addition to my collection of straight edges and templates and are a nice reminder of a time when drafting products were actually manufactured in the USA. While the country of origin is not clearly indicated on the markers, it is a fairly safe bet that they were made in China or Taiwan like the rest of the stationery offerings at Barnes & Noble.
These marker sets can often be found in the artists' section of Barnes & Noble bookstores. I would regard them as a value-priced introducion to the creative potential of brush pens as sketching and coloring tools.
Color chart drawn on blank Rhodia paper.
Quick coloring test.

Their brush-shaped felt nibs are not particularly sturdy nor resilient. Three of them are already sporting frayed tips after very light use during these review tests. Line variation is accomplished mainly by rotating the rather rigid nib on the paper rather than changing the pressure on the brush nib.
Their pigment load is low to moderate, so a single brush stroke tends to look fairly light on bright white paper. For rendering darker hues and shadows, they layer and blend fairly well. Yet, I would not bet on the longevity of the work created with these markers. They are clearly meant for creating disposable art like notes, greeting cards, and perhaps some calligraphic marks while the brush nibs are still somewhat new.
This set of 12 Rikota Brush Markers would make a nice coloring present for a kid artist or provide a spot of fun for an adult artist stranded on a strange city away from his or her regular art supplies. For higher quality brush markers, I would recommend trying the Faber Castell Pitt Artist pens or the Tombow Mono Dual Brush-pens.