I didn’t set out to use only fountain pens and ink in this sketchbook, but that’s what I ended up doing. The fountain pens were mostly Twsbi Go’s with medium nibs. The ink was primarily the permanent and lightfast de Atramentis Document Ink, but I used some samples of other water soluble inks for fun.
Filling a sketchbook is nothing new, but I approached this with a goal of planning each drawing. It was a rewarding experiment, and I’d gladly do it again.
Bad news first: our boarding stable is closing. We’ve been there for fifteen years. Finding a new place was nerve wracking.
Good news: we found a place. Whew! It’s not as easy to find a boarding stable nowadays as it was way back when. There just aren’t as many operating anymore.
More good news: the new place has lots of critters to paint and draw.
More bad news: we’ll be saying goodbye to Snip, the sweetest kitty, a barn cat in her teens who loves horses and people.
I’ll miss you, Snip.
Nearing the end of this Stillman and Birn sketchbook, all done in ink using fountain pens and ink washes. Ink has become my favorite medium, part drawing, part painting, but the ink flow from a fountain pen is its own unique thing.
I love artwork that captures a little world, and I’m trying to incorporate that more in my sketches. This female red-winged blackboard was moving from branch to branch, shaking the grasses around her as she searched for bugs. I watched her for quite awhile, but I only snapped a few pictures.
But there’s nothing wrong with a good, old fashioned sketch of two horses waiting for treats, so I did one of those, too.
I’ve been sketching in a different sketchbook before I sketch the final sketch in my Stillman and Birn sketchbook, if that makes any sense. I sometimes try multiple ideas before I find one I like. It’s far easier to sketch something for a second time, even if the first was lightning fast.
