I have been trying for over a year to find a pen that I can use in 'pen and wash' painting after seeing the technique used by a tutor on a painting holiday. When I enquired where I could buy one, I was told that any art shop would sell them. To date, I have been unsuccessful. Can you help?

Jane Evans replies: Most art shops stock a wide range of pens suitable for 'pen and wash' painting. Many artists prefer to use dip pens which come with a great variety of nib shapes and sizes. Refillable technical pens, which also have different sized nibs, are very popular, as are specialist sketching pens, which are often sold as 'art pens' and have flexible nibs particularly suited to drawing. Pentel make a refillable brush pen for even greater flexibility. Some disposable pens and markets are also suitable. If you wish to find the specific pen used by your tutor, contact him or her through the painting holiday organisers and ask for the make and supplier's address. Alternatively, once you have the make, you could write to the manufacturers for a list of stockists. The kind of ink you use is very important. Most pen and wash artists prefer to use water-soluble ink so that the ink blurs in places. If you do not want this to happen you must use waterproof ink.