sky

My favourite machine for making art with is sadly out of action. The Remington De Luxe 5 is the best for me and the way I draw with typewriters, which is to disengage the line spacer and hold the carriage release and platen knob in my right hand, turning the knob as I type with my left. (I’m left-handed but this is more an ambidextrous method.) The shape of the ribbon guide is crucial as well, and on the Rem de luxe, it’s perfect, giving lots of space to see what you are typing and also allowing good alignment of marks as you go.

I’m gutted that the platen is too slippery and hard now, and no amount of home remedy action seems to fix it for long enough. Plus, the feedrollers are leaving black rubber deposits in two parallel lines on the paper. I’m looking at YouTube vids of how to get at the feedrollers but that will have to wait.

The Imperial Good Companion I’ve used here for this Raggedy Rook ( and yesterday’s Five Starlings) does come a close second, though the platen is bloody hard now and I worry about the typeslugs on this precious machine with its scientific symbols. I use a backing sheet every time, but this can cause problems with shadowing in places.

There’s no point always trying to keep everything the same or as it once was. I allowed myself to become comfortable with the Rem De Luxe, and maybe I wasn’t challenging myself enough. It’s harder work with the Good Companion but I’m still happy with the result, maybe more so.

Type The Clouds

on paper, with typewriters

stops commas question marks

stillness in movement

black rain clouds

Escaping with Escapements

easterly, 16 mph

Gulls

Raggedy Rook