(pictures to come)
So today the first inked shell drawing was due. I had started my shell drawing during class one day because I was unwilling to cut up my $7.60 piece of paper. I had done a very careful and light contour drawing to start with, and I was pleased with the way it had turned out so I decided to move onto ink. I started to ink on Saturday. I started by wetting my whole page with clean water. Then I got two cups of water, and very slowly add just a few drops of ink to each one keeping the colors (black and sepia) separate. I began to add very light colors to the drawing, and was very careful not to go to dark too soon (later I wish I would have gone faster). As the ink began to sink into the paper, the fact that the whole page was wet really made the first dozen coats of ink became very soft. The water allowed the ink to spread, and flow and when I stood back to take a look, the ink looked like a very soft cloth. I liked this for the first coat, but I decided to let it dry and so when I had another go at it, it would look stronger and sharper.
I let it sit for a day actually, and resumed inking on Monday night. I tried to move a little more decisively, and make a stronger contrast in my piece. I learned many techniques very specific to ink wash during this process:
1. Once you start inking, its not that hard to lighten wet ink with clean water.
2. If there is a drip of water on your page, you can remove it with a dry brush.
3. Watering down your ink is sometimes unnecessary.
4. You can control the flow of ink on the page with how you wet the page prior to inking.
5. if you apply straight ink to the page, it will spread to the wet places.
also I must note, that because my charcoal was so light on my first time arround, I waited till it was dry again, and darkened my lines after the ink.
I also used the color ink on the shell, and the black ink on the background, but I also used black ink on the underside or more shadowy pars of the shell to add weight and shadow.
I regret loosing the white of the paper on the highlights but it was not working well with the painting I had.
The next one will be better.
Peter, I admire that you took the time to talk about the process of how you took to drawing and working with ink on your shell- I would've done the same thing (7.60 for paper...that makes it precious) but the fact that you approached it fearlessly is great. I want to see how it turned out.
ReplyDeleteI had some similar thoughts about the ink after the first ink drawing and I feel like I corrected some of it with the second drawing. Putting it on a little darker than you think that you should and keeping a paper towel in handy in case it really was too dark, is a great approach. I also struggled with keeping the white of the paper for the highlights. You just need to be really aware of where the highlights are at all times. (also, about the sketchbook that I have for journaling, I bought the off brand of a moleskin at hobby lobby with a 40% off coupon [they almost always have them online], so, it wasn't very expensive, but it is nice)
ReplyDeleteI think it's great how much you worked with your inking! I learned a lot of the things you did like using more water to lighten the colors and trying to use the white of the paper as highlights. I hope I can do more ink paintings in the future and experiment more.
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