Tag: deer

Pen and Ink and… Watercolor?

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My reference photo was blurry, taken in low light after the sun went down. Instead of putting in a detailed background and adding a lot of contrast to the deer, I kept everything soft.

Honest-to-goodness watercolor, something I set aside years ago in favor of pencils and fountain pens. I’m getting ready for a watercolor workshop, so I bought a few new brushes, some M. Graham watercolors, and tried a new paper, Canson rough. I think the break was needed. I’ve spent a lot of time sketching and taking a design course in embroidery, and I have a different process than before. It’s funny how much I enjoyed painting these deer, but using a brush! That will take some getting used to.

The truth is, only on occasion do I use fountain pens with sharp line work. Most of the time, my pen and ink sketches look like watercolor.

Pen and ink in a Strathmore 500 sketchbook. This is a rooster who lives at our new boarding stable. He’s a friendly fellow.
Monochromatic but still watercolor-ish. Pete, drawn with Monteverdi Blue Azure and the amazing Sailor Realo with a Zoom nib, my all-time favorite pen.

Categories: Art Ink Pen Watercolor

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Pen and Ink Sketches

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The colors are warmer in real life than in the photo. I used a brush and inks for the background and fountain pens for the rest.

My seventh and eighth sketches in my Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbook. I’m loving pen and ink. It’s also really fun to use watercolor techniques for backgrounds.

Instead of using a grid, I started with a detailed sketch and then transferred it with carbon paper. I used masking fluid to preserve some whites on this one.

The Zeta paper will pill if I attempt to draw on it while it’s wet, but I’m really pleased with this sketchbook so far.

Female Red-Winged Blackbird

Categories: Art Ink Pen

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