11″ x 15″, Dr. Bombay India Ink on Khadi watercolor paper
I didn’t plan this one out too much, just did a simplified pencil drawing of the Song Sparrow perching on the cup plant based on a photo I had taken. I let it sit for a day as it looks on the right, but in the morning light, I realized I had to do something drastic to get some contrast into it, so I used India ink straight and brushed it around the leaves. It’s now very dramatic and, I think, far more interesting.
10″ x 14″, ballpoint ink on Khadi watercolor paper
I completed a small pencil sketch of this same scene a few months ago, and I kept it in the back of my mind that I’d like to do a larger piece. So, I did. Although I really like using a simple ballpoint pen, I have some concerns about the ink fading, absorbing into the paper, or containing strange, acidic ingredients. I’ll probably call it a fad and return to fountain pens, but it was awfully nice to create such a nice, inky-dark drawing with one simple tool. Well, I also used a water brush to lightly dilute some of the ink, which was mildly water soluble. I like that little bit of shading it creates.
I added a little bit of yellow colored pencil to the eyes, but it turned out to be on the dull side. I was too lazy to look through my art supplies to find something better. Now that’s sad!
Another ink and wash drawing on Khadi handmade paper. In addition to the pack of twenty sheets of paper, I now have two small hardcover journals and one larger square journal, all Khadi paper. It’s now my favorite. I would say the same thing if I was lucky enough to have the equivalent with Twinrocker paper, but they only do single sheets.
10″ x 14″, ink on Khadi handmade watercolor paper
I’ve been using a white Neocolor I (water resistant) crayon to create highlights,similar to using masking fluid. I put it down after the first line drawing but before the ink wash. Or, I use the crayon or to add in a few after I accidentally make something too dark. I dislike using gel pens. They never seem to work on whatever surface or medium I’m using, but when they do work, there’s often a opaque feeling to the whiteness. With a crayon or colored pencil, it’s easy to create a subtle highlight. However, once on the paper, it’s extremely hard to go over it again with ink. It’s also difficult to put in highlights on white paper before adding a wash. In the drawing above, the highlights on the leaves in the bottom left were created using the wax crayon before I put in an ink wash (several times to get it dark), and they kind of glow.