MAKING MARKS with PEN and INK

Try to approach this without any preconceived ideas about what the marks should look like, as there is no formula or recipe for this way of working. It’s a way of making a personal vocabulary of marks that can be used as references for future drawings. W e can explain how we made our examples but it’s very important that you expand upon these and discover your own natural method of working. You can use any type of ink; we used Indian ink. The implements used were chosen at random, just to give you examples.

1) A feather or quill: The first few marks have been made by dipping the pointed end (ie the non-feathery end) into the ink and applying it to the paper. Drag the end of the quill across the paper, applying different pressures and moving the quill in different directions. Then try to make dots with the quill end. You will find that you need to replenish the ink quite frequently for these procedures. Now try dipping the feathery end of the quill into the ink and work the ink across the paper by dragging allowing the ink to naturally thin out from very dark opaque marks to lighter thinner textured marks.

2) Shaped piece of stick: we chose a planed piece of wood about an inch thick. At the end of the piece of wood I've cut three channels with a sharp knife making a row of jagged teeth. W e dipped the teeth into the ink and then made different types of marks with the wood by dragging in different directions and with different movements across the paper. You will find when you first apply the stick that, as with the feather, you will make a more opaque line. This will gradually thin out to a series of lines that become less dense in tone as the ink thins.

3) Piece of dowling or a circular end of a piece of wood: Simply dip the end of the piece of wood in the ink and imprint it onto the paper, creating a sequence of dots. You will notice the dot impression fade as the ink runs out.

4) Stippling brush: This brush is designed to make a mark known as stippling, a technique used in ceramics, painting and decorating as well as by fine artists. Dip the brush into the ink; then wipe off the excess on the edge of the bottle. Holding the brush vertically, dab it onto the paper.

5) Cotton bud: The cotton bud is a very useful tool for drawing with ink. Strip the cotton wool off one end of the bud and, using a pair of scissors, make a diagonal cut across the stem to give a pointed end. This end can then be used for making marks similar to the type you would get with a regular dip pen. The hollow stem of the converted cotton bud will hold a certain amount of ink, just like the reservoir of any pen. However because the ink in the stem is very free flowing, this implement can be used to achieve a splatter effect, by making a stabbing motion. You can also use the other end of the cotton bud. Dip this into the ink and you can make thicker heavier lines or tonal areas varying from black to grey.

6) Toothbrush: Take an old toothbrush and dip that into the ink. Aim it at the paper and then pull your thumb over the bristles of the brush, firing speckles of paint at the paper. In this way you can build up areas of tone out of this speckled effect. You can also use the brush to apply the ink as though you were drawing with it.

7) String: Take a frayed piece of string. Ensure that the frayed area is quite tough and resistant. Dip this into the ink and apply it to the paper, using different hand motions to create a variation of marks.

DRAWING WITH STRING

This drawing is based in memory and imagination, two elements that are very useful resources for artists to draw upon.

If we start at the top of the drawing, you will notice that we’ve used the string in a twirling motion to give the effects of leaves.

Sometimes we’ve built up the tonal areas by making them darker and sometimes we’ve made areas lighter to give the effect of form and space. The trunk of the tree has been created by dragging the piece of string up the line of the trunk to create the effect of bark.

The grass in the foreground has been produced by dragging the string in short waves in different directions. The space in the background has been achieved by making just a few varied marks to imply distance.

THE ORIENTAL BRUSH AND ROUND HEAD BRUSH

Oriental brushes are traditional brushes used in Chinese and Japanese drawing and calligraphy. The brush was traditionally used by holding it vertically to the paper and making the marks with free rhythmical strokes. The control in the mark, and the varied weight of mark, are achieved by varying the pressure on the brush. The amount of ink the brush is holding will also have an effect on the nature of the mark. As notice some brush strokes are strong in definition and some are more textured - others are tonally lighter and more sensitive. In the example shown notice the artist's signature - there is the same tension in the calligraphic mark.

Although a history of mark making is evident in this brush work, the drawings themselves appear to be expressive, and have a sense of movement and natural rhythm. They are dynamic drawings governed by a strict tradition of mark making. However, you should not be restricted by the traditional approach. Hold the brush in a way that is comfortable for you and make the brush strokes without any preconception of what might occur.

You will learn most by taking this approach.

In the following series of examples you will see that there are different degrees of freedom in the kinds of marks made.

1) In the first example, the mark is loose and free-flowing mark with some control.

The marks that imply leaves or grass are where the body of the brush is placed onto the surface of paper and gradually pulled in an arched direction whilst gradually lifting the body of the brush away from the paper.

Other marks to create natural forms such as grass can be made by putting the point of the brush onto the paper and dragging it across the surface for a short distance in a series of slightly differing directions.

You can create a series of dots by placing the end of the brush onto the paper. Rows of vertical and horizontal marks can imply texture, perhaps a weave or a basket, or could be used to suggest windows in a building.

2 & 3) Here the marks are made slightly quicker and imply more rhythm and freedom, although there is still an element of control in them.

4 & 5 (overleaf) The control of the brush in these examples is very limited. The accidental spillages add to the dynamics of the calligraphic effect (the free and rhythmical treatment of a drawing).

For the examples of splatter technique shown on the opposite page, we used round head brushes; Oriental brushes are also suitable. We can see that control in making the mark has been removed, so what you end up with is largely dependant on chance.

The accident in making art has been positively used by many, or even most, artists in their work, particularly contemporary artists. We’ve only to look at the work of Jackson Pollock and other abstract expressionists, the drawings of Ralph Steadman, Richard Diebenkorn and, in the past, Rembrandt, Delacroix and Leonardo da Vinci to find examples of this approach.

To make a splatter simply load the brush with ink, and throw the loaded brush at the paper. You can use any ink. When you first attempt the technique, the splatters should be random. However, like Jackson Pollock, once you become experienced, you can start to use it with more direction.

The idea behind the splatter technique is that it breaks down the artist's preconceived notion of what a drawing is and how it can be done. You should find that it puts you more in tune with the emotional side of your creative nature, and helps you to expand your ability to discover how accident can be a means of expressing an idea or observation. Imagine looking into the sky at a cloud formation and seeing something that you recognize as an image. This is a perfect analogy of splatter technique.

175: Examples of splatter technique.

FLAT HEAD BRUSHES

The flat head brush has been fundamentally designed to lay down washes but at the same time it’s a very useful tool for making broader marks. Washes are areas of tone that are put down onto the paper. They can range from very light, thin and transparent to dark and opaque. Washes can be used to describe atmospheric effects, typically in landscape drawings. When used in this way, they are usually applied very freely. Sometimes they have a life of their own when they are spread on the paper. You shouldn't worry about this, but try to learn how to manipulate the effect.

To make a wash, dilute the ink with water.

Marks made by the flat head brush. These were made by dragging, twirling and stippling with the edge of the brush.

The more water you add the more transparent and thinner the wash will be. The wash is applied by dipping the brush into the ink and applying it in an even coat to the appropriate area. Washes can also be used in a more formal way, to create the illusion of form. This is done by a transition of tone over the object, putting one side of the object in light gradually tonally changing to the other side of the object which would be completely dark. In this type of work one has to take into account the shadow cast, which is also dark. Notice an example of this where a sphere has been constructed using a series of washes. A series of broad marks made by the flat head brush are shown. These marks are made by dragging, twirling and stippling with the edge of the brush. These are just a few examples As with all experimental mark making you should try to expand your repertoire by experimenting with how you use the brush.

WET INTO WET

Another way of using the flat head brush and other brushes is to paint wet into wet. This is a process which again has its own beautiful life force. To make a wet into wet mark, dampen your paper (the wetter the paper is the more the mark will spread of its own accord).

1) A wet area has been left on the paper. The ink-loaded brush has then been allowed to touch this wet area to create a flower-like spreading effect. Either a round head or Oriental brush can be used to achieve this.

2) The paper is not as wet as in the previous example, but the same brush is used. The paper has been touched repeatedly. Lines have also been drawn across the paper. You can observe that the spreading is not so radical as in 1.

3) The flat head brush has been used here, and the conditions are the same as in 2 except that we’ve immediately blotted the drawing with another piece of paper to stop the ink spreading.

4) The paper is not as wet as in the previous examples and is only damp. The flat head brush loaded with ink has been placed on the paper on its flat broad side to make the marks. Notice that the spread of ink is very limited and more congealed. These types of marks should be used to imply textures or objects such as flowers.

CREATING THE ILLUSION OF FORM

As with some of the earlier examples in the previous sections we’ve here shown other methods using different pen, ink and brush techniques to create the illusion of form on a two dimensional surface.

The first method we have used employs a flat head brush and a series of washes to give the illusion of a sphere. Firstly draw the sphere outline and horizon line at the back to create the composition. Draw also the shape of the shadow. Start by using the Indian ink in the most dark and opaque areas, that being the shadow, a small part of the underside of the ball and the area above the horizon line at the back of the ball. Dilute some of the Indian ink to create a slightly lighter wash and place this next to the dark area that is on the sphere, gradually diluting and spreading the tone over the sphere until it becomes completely light at the opposite end.

The illusion of a cube is created by a controlled splatter technique using a toothbrush. First draw the cube out lightly using a pencil, not forgetting to put the back line in to create the sense of space. Then mask out the areas surrounding the darkest side of the cube, leaving that area the only area open to the splattering. Take the toothbrush and dip it into the ink. Make a test example first of all to ensure a smooth and consistent area of ink is applied, and when you are happy with the result turn the process to the exposed area on your drawing. When this has dried do the same with the mid tone area by masking around that and then applying a mid-tone. Wait for it to dry and the using the same procedure do the same for the last, and lightest tone.

Create the illusion of a cone by the use of front light shading with a fine felt tipped pen and correction fluid. As with the other two solids draw the outline with pencil first very lightly and place the back line in. The nearest point of the cone will be the lightest area and as the surface of the cone gradually goes back the tone will become darker. In this drawing we’ve used correction fluid to make the lighter area on the drawing appear even lighter. The dark areas have been created by using a series of lines that follow the curve of the form. These lines become denser and darker as they begin to reach the outside edge of the form. Create the form of a cylinder by the use of a rapidograph or rotring pen. Again draw the outline of the cylinder with a pencil, and the back line to create the space. On one side of the cylinder draw a series of vertical lines.

Start with them being very close together giving the sense of a shadow. Gradually space the lines out so the other side of the cylinder is completely white. Now repeat this process on the top of the cylinder but from the opposite side - this gives the illusion that the cylinder is hollow.

These are just a few ways to create illusions of the 3D effect. You should think of other methods that might be employed to create similar illusions, and try them out to expand your visual perceptions.

181: You can clearly see the 3D effect in these examples.

ROTRING OR RAPIDOGRAGH PEN, FELT TIP AND FIBER TIP PEN

Artists who have been specially trained often create drawings with these pens. These people are usually architects who have studied the subject at university. We’re showing these examples as something that you might aspire to in the future when one has had more experience at drawing, rather than attempting them now.

FELT TIP PEN PROJECT--DRAWING OF A HARBOR

Start this drawing by drawing the composition first with pencil. That way, if you make any mistakes you can rectify them by rubbing them out. To establish the composition or the drawing on the paper, use your previous learning. For example, use the window mount to help you frame your picture. As you look through the window on the world move it about to establish a composition that you are happy with. Then draw what you see through the window on to your paper, placing and mapping the objects in the scene relative to the proportions of the paper. The drawing on the paper should mirror exactly what is seen through the window mount but on a lager scale (see the example of the rough pencil sketch). Now one has established your composition you can begin to draw over the pencil lines with a felt tip pen that is best for making lines. With this pen one can also imply the idea of texture, as shown in the drawing on the doors of the warehouses. One can also make tonal areas with this pen. In the drawing we’ve made tone by using a series of parallel diagonal lines at the foot of the buildings to give a transparent impression of glass or shop fronts. To give a sense of the windy weather we’ve drawn the clouds with a rhythmical squiggly line that gives the impression of movement across the sky. Plus the drawn line which implies the telegraph wires has been drawn as though it too is being rattled by a gusting wind. This line too is rhythmical, but it has a different tension to it than the lines that denote the clouds. The railings are drawn by one long horizontal line for the top and a series of small vertical lines spaced evenly.

The sea wall is indicated by drawing a series of irregular squares and oblongs that express a brick pattern. To draw in the windows we’ve used a felt tip pen that has a square chiseled end to it, and it’s the right proportion to make just the scale of mark that we need to put in the widow tone. Where there are four window panes we’ve made four marks with this pen leaving a slight gap between the marks to indicate the window frame, and similar with the other windows. In the foreground we’ve used a much thicker pen to make bolder and stronger marks so they appear to come forward in the picture space. Some of these marks are very regular and follow the form of the boats to give the impression of the wooden planking that the boats are made of. Other marks are more free-flowing to give the impression of the sea lapping up to the shore, and other areas are made up of dots to give the impression of the beach or the shore. The windows on one of the boats have been drawn by toning them in and just leaving a few white spaces to give the idea of reflection.

CORRECTION FLUID TEXT FOR ILLUSTRATIONS

1) Correction fluid comes in a small plastic bottle and the applicator which is like a small brush is attached to the top of the bottle. To use the fluid dip the brush into the bottle and then apply to the appropriate area. One usually uses this type of application to cover larger areas.

2) Correction pens are made of the same fluid but the applicator is in the fashion of a ballpoint pen. Therefore it’s more suitable for correcting fine work, and can also be used to draw with, making a white line on a dark background.

3) Chinese white is the traditional form of correction fluid. Chinese white is a white water-based paint that one applies over the offending area using a brush. It’s not as good at covering the mistake as correction fluid.

Following are two drawings done after Picasso using correction fluid and correction pen - not as a correction fluid but as a drawing tool. As mentioned before in previous sections, correction materials can be used as a positive part of the application.

We’ve copied two drawings by Picasso. It's standard practice for beginners to copy the great masters and these drawings very much lend themselves to the use of correction fluids. Start by choosing an appropriate drawing for this project. The drawing should contain light and dark contrasts plus the use of white lines over the dark areas. Set yourself up with the materials. This should consist of a piece of paper that has been stretched, because we are going to put down some washes. You also need a flat headed brush to put the washes down, a pencil to lightly draw the composition, a dip pen, Indian ink, and some water to dilute the ink to make some thinner washes.

188: Wite-out fluid. Wite-out pen. Chinese white.

Start by taking the pencil and lightly sketch in a copy of your chosen artist's work.

When one has finished this and you are happy with the composition you can draw over this with the dip pen and ink. After this start to put in the tonal areas. Lay the darkest tones down first, followed by the thinner lighter tones. To make the lighter tones, put a little water in a dish and add some ink to it, then test the strength of the tone one has made by brushing this fluid on a practice piece of paper. If you need it to be darker then add some more ink. If you want it to be lighter then add some more water. Keep testing the strength of your tones before you apply them to your drawing. When you are applying them to you work your aim is to copy where the tones are on the original drawing. If you make some tonal areas too dark your can lighten them by putting down a layer of correction fluid over it. You can cover the area very opaquely and then lay another wash over the top again to get it right.

Alternatively, one can try to brush the fluid onto the area in a less opaque manner so the tone underneath still shows through and one has achieved the right level of tone. If the tone one has put down is not dark enough then you can wait for it to dry and then put a darker tone over it. You should now have a tonal drawing that has little or no evidence of line as it will have been obliterated by the tonal overdrawing. You are now in the position of putting down the lines with both the dip pen and ink and the correction pen. Over the white and lighter areas, draw the line with the pen and ink, copying the dark lines that will show up in contrast against the lighter areas. In the darker areas start to draw your lined image with the correction pen. This will produce a white line that will show up in contrast with the darker areas. See the copies of the Picassos' that we’ve done.

USING A DIP PEN AND INDIAN INK FREELY (EXPRESSIVELY) & CONTROLLED (FORMALLY)

The dip pen and ink together are very versatile materials they can be used expressively to produce line and tone drawings. This type of drawing is sometimes referred to as gestural drawing, because it’s quick and a lively type of drawing. It’s done with speed, and tends to capture movement and rhythm in a drawing as well as form. It can also be used as a very controlled formal material using line and tone to produce very accurate drawings that render form - these two styles can be combined in the one drawing. In the examples notice the difference between the two types of drawing. We’ve drawn some details of the body. In the drawings of the hands the first example shows the gestural approach to the drawing. It has the appearance that it has been drawn very quickly trying to capture the structure of the hand. The second drawing of the hand has a more controlled response to the observation. The observation is an analytical breakdown of the hand, using a series of shapes to express an understanding of the hand. The third drawing is a mixture of the two styles - formal to provide a basic structure to the drawing, overlaid by some gestural drawing to help the sense of movement and rhythm.

1) is a gestural drawing

2) is a very formal drawing expressing the idea of form.

The crosshatch, which is a series of lines that run parallel to each other and can be over laid to build up the density of tone, has been used on this illustration to express the illusion of the form of the head.

The tone has been put where you would normally find the tone situated on the head.

In the third illustration there is a mixture of styles. The same is true for the drawings of the foot and the legs.

1) is the formal approach 2) is the gestural approach, and 3) is the mixture of the two styles.

PEN, INK AND WASH DRAWINGS

A pen, ink and wash drawing can be appropriate for any subject - still life, figures, interiors - but we believe it’s best suited to landscape work, because of the atmospheric effect one can create with the washes and the textural marks one can make with the pen. For this landscape drawing, you need to stretch a piece of watercolor paper to absorb the washes that are going to be put on the paper. You will also need Indian ink, water, a dish to mix the washes in, a dip pen, a pencil and a flat-headed brush to apply the washes. As with all these drawings choose your composition using a window mount to help you in this decision making. When you are ready, draw your picture outline lightly using your pencil, drawing the contours of the land, the outline of the buildings and the trees, and any other objects in the scene. Then begin to draw and imply the textures such as the brick work on the buildings, the leaves on the trees, the grass and plants, the stone walls and so on.

1) implies the idea of flowers the mark consists of a series of buckled circles with a dot in the middle.

2) three rows of stagger squares gives the impression of the stone work on a cottage.

3) Bunches of squiggly lines that are placed close to each other so as they overlap gives the impression of a type of tree.

4) the outline of a post has been drawn and then filled in with a series of parallel straight lines.

This gives the impression of wood:

5) the windows in this instance have lots of dots that give the impression of a curtain behind the glass. When you are happy that this is correct, you can then start to work with the ink and pen.

6) in this illustration there is the trunk of a tree and the branches - a series of downward marks gives us the idea as to what type of tree it is.

7) the variety of lines tell us about this flower. At the base of the flower, a free flowing line indicates the type of leaf. The stem is a straight line that implies the direction of the growth of the plant. Whilst the circle with the spikes protruding from it tells about how the plant looks when it’s about to seed. The other arced marks within the circular center indicate how it flowers.

8) here are a series of marks that inform us of the structure of the chimney pot.

9) a row of oblongs with diagonal marks of varying density give the impression of reflections in glass windows.

10) a rounded W mark which is put down at random appears like a type of leaf.

11) a series of shapes to imply a stone wall and post are then filled in with marks that imply the texture of the wall. Tonal crosshatching has been added to give the illusion of form.

12) a series of quickly made directional lines with a small flicked mark at the top give us the visual understanding of a type of grass.

Your aim now with the pen is to load it with ink. Dip it into the ink, and in the first instance make some practice marks on another piece of paper until you achieve the right flow of ink from the pen to create a steady, even flowing line. Now you can begin to draw the line over the top of your pencil drawing, replicating the marks one has made with the pencil. Over the top of this, you now need to lay down the washes using a flat head brush. The washes will give you the tonal contrast in the drawing. W e suggest that you start with the lightest tone first because if you don’t make the tone dark enough at the first attempt you can always add to it to make it darker. If you work the other way round it’s more difficult to correct, and you will have to use correction fluid to cover up your mistakes. We’ve chosen a landscape for our example as we think landscape is very suited to this way of working with washes and pen and ink.

The washes for the picture should be mixed with water in a dish. The more water that is added to the ink the thinner the wash will be, and therefore the lighter the tone. So when one has mixed your first wash try it out first on a piece of paper, to see if one has the appropriate tone for that section of the drawing that you are going to put the tone too. In the first example, notice that there are six tonal washes that range from a very light transparent tone, gradually getting darker until in the last tone we have a black opaque tone. In the next example, there is a similar tonal transition but instead of these tones being separate there is a gradual continuous transition. Remember that this drawing is based on the observation of the landscape and that the light in the landscape can rapidly change so be prepared for the changing light. When one has made a commitment to an area in the drawing remain with it or you will be forever changing it. A good suggestion is to limit the amount of tones that you are going to work with in the drawing. Say a range of five tones ranging from black to the white of the paper, leaving you with three tones in the middle of varying grays from light to dark. One can pre-mix these tones to work quickly capturing the changing nature of the light. Once you are ready to start all one has to do is to put down the tones on top of your pen and ink drawing in the appropriate area. When we go out landscape working, we tend to take a number pre stretched papers to work on to get the most out of the day's excursion.

BLEACH WASH / MARK MAKING DRAWING

This is a very striking way of working, in that it brings such a luminous effect to the drawing. Drawings using this medium rely strongly on the effects of light.

For this exercise you will need a selection of brushes that you think are appropriate to the marks you need to make. You will also need to stretch some paper because in the first example we are going to cover the surface of the paper with ink. Indian ink won’t do for this work as when it dries it becomes waterproof and therefore permanent. W e use a product called Quink, which is soluble in water and does not dry permanent. When bleach is applied it affects the ink by bleaching out the colour and leaving a bright stain that gives the dynamic effect of light against the dark of the ink. This approach to working is the opposite of what we would normally be doing - in effect we are adding the light rather than adding the darker tones.

To start, cover the paper with ink. For the first trials let it dry. Then take the bleach and dip one of your brushes in it. Make some test marks, the test marks in our example rather look like Chinese calligraphy. You can practice as much as you want before you do a drawing. Get to know the potential of the process. However be aware of the health and safety aspects of using such materials as bleach and follow the directions that have been put on the product to protect yourself.

In the first drawing of the portrait we set the sitter up so there was a strong light coming from one side. This gave me a strong contrasting tonal subject. W e then dipped the brush into the bleach and started to draw in the strongest areas of light, and like magic the light and luminosity appeared. When you first do this drawing the effect is quite startling, it's like doing a drawing in reverse.

Our next step was to put in the tones that were of the middle range. To do this one dilutes the bleach with water to take away its strength. Practice before putting down the next tone on a piece of prepared practice paper so one has the right strength of mix to give the right tone. The two landscapes are done through the power of suggestion -- a process we’ve mentioned before with the images you see in cloud formations. The same process is applied from the beginning, and that is to lay down the wash of ink in the

first instance. However, before letting it dry, paint wet into wet with different strengths of bleach. As a suggestion do this in the area at the top of your paper to suggest the sky. At the bottom part of the drawing we’ve allowed the ink to dry to work into it in a different way giving a contrasting mark in the drawing. Other techniques we’ve used to make marks in this drawing have been splattering the bleach on to the paper with a toothbrush, drawing lines with a dip pen with the bleach, and laying diluted areas of bleach down to vary the tonal aspect of the drawing. As we explained earlier, this drawing has been done from autosuggestion rather than observation. However, there is nothing to stop you from doing a drawing in this medium from observation.

THE BALLPOINT PEN

On this page you will notice a series of doodles with the ballpoint pen. Starting in the top left hand corner we will describe the top line of marks, and explain the type of marks.

However, bear in mind that many drawings done with this type of pen are from the subconscious mind and are really scribbles that are made whilst we should be focusing our attention elsewhere. We usually do these drawings in boring meetings or on the phone pad when we are having a long conversation with someone.

The first mark is a circular scribbled line that proceeds down. The second doodle is a gestural line drawing of a head. Next to that are a series of small vertical lines, with a series of horizontal lines crossing them. Then next to that is an unbroken line that moves sideways across the paper getting lighter as it reaches the other end. Then there is a strange little star with feet followed by two forms drawn with line and then a squiggly line drawn down one side to suggest tone. That is what happens on the top line of this sheet.

There are no hard and fast rules that apply to making doodles - you just do them and enjoy doing them. Ever since man has made his mark on the cave wall or in the earth we have instinctively jotted things down whether representational or not. This is just the modern day equivalent of that need to make a mark, and a lot can be gained from it that does not have preciousness to it and sometimes does not have meaning to it. See it as a natural experience that comes from the instinctive act of drawing.

THE FIBER TIP PEN

On this page there is more order to the marks. From the top left there are a series of different marks that have been made with the fiber pen. The first mark is an open squiggle of a line that has a sense of rhythm and movement to it. It’s a flowing line but it has a certain speed to it. At the end of the row is a very similar type of line but it appears to be a faster line. Therefore, two lines that are similar in nature have a different idea or sense of time to them. In the middle of the two squiggles is a series of parallel vertical lines - one gets sense that these too have been done quickly suggesting an action to the mark. At the beginning of the next row, there are three circular ellipses that have been done at speed.

Drawing quickly enables us to be more relaxed and freer about our approach to drawing. This is a good way of drawing an ellipse, for the very simple reason that all students want to aspire to perfection straight away with one fine beautiful line. However, if there is any inaccuracy in the line it’s obvious to the viewer that it’s wrong. If however you try to express the ellipse using a number of lines the eye has more options to choose from and usually there will be one of these options that is right. This enables us to feel happier with our attempt. The next series of marks show a series of diagonal marks in rows, which imply a sense of direction, and pattern. Next to this is a series of dots that are made by stabbing the end of the pen onto the paper and this creates a textured like surface.

A number of vertical interlocking curly lines give us a sense of intertwined wire like chain mail. To imply a flower draw a spot for the center and then make a continuous looping line around the outside of it - and underneath the head of the flower we have a series of closely knitted lines that imply the texture of a certain type of leaf. Then a series of vertical lines where the spacing becomes closer to the right hand side gives the impression of a gradual tonal change. Next to this is a continuous line that forms a series of oblongs to create what appears to be a geometric spatial web. At the end of this row, there are many quickly drawn lines that splay out from a central stem giving the impression of some type of natural form. At the start of the next row, we have five rows of slightly overlapping vertical lines - if you look at these lines from the side one gets the impression of a woven material, like a basket. Then next to that we have a set of wavy lines that follow each other's direction to give the impression of wood. Above the wood are a series of zigzagging lines that give a jagged impression, and next to that another series of interlocking squiggly lines that imply the sense of a woven type of fabric. Going down to the next row it starts with a series of dot-like marks in rows.

In the charcoal section using conte crayon we remember using this type of mark to imply the texture of a straw hat. Underneath the dots is the alphabet. We’ve always found that the image of a letter is visually very interesting, and so next to this we’ve used letter-like marks to make an interesting type texture that looks as though it moves or pulsates across the picture surface. Next to that is a continuous line drawing of a flower that is done quickly from observation. The line starts at the bottom of the stem. It rapidly works its way up around and across the shape of the leaves. It then picks up the stem again until it hits the head of the flower where the line flows around the shape of the petals, finishing off the head of the flower with an intense scribble. The line then finally escapes into space. Underneath this is a series of lines that are drawn in a very direct manner almost with a flick of the wrist. These are short lines that travel in different directions. These marks imply the idea or illusion of grass. Finally the last mark on the page is a vertical zigzag line with dots placed into the spaces on either side of the line. This gives us a clear sense of a pattern. And sometimes when drawing textures, pattern can be an integral part of the drawing. Look closely at the drawing in the guide of the garden gloves. The description of the patterning of the texture of these gloves is integral to the making of that drawing.

203: Fiber tip pen artist's impression.

DIP PEN AND FELT TIP PEN

As with the fiber tip pen one must experiment and here again we have a series of example marks that we’ve made using these implements. With the fiber tip pen, we’ve described in detail what these marks have implied. With the following examples (dip pen, thin felt tip and thick felt tip) we’ve produced for each a page of different marks which you should now be able to interpret. Try to replicate these examples, and expand upon the mark making with these materials.

CONCLUSION

Now one has completed all the exercises in this guide you will have gained an overall knowledge of drawing. You will have experienced, and know how to use drawing materials, you will know what materials are best used for, and you will know how to approach your drawing. Above all, however, you will have a clear understanding that drawing is about how to communicate your observations, your thoughts, and your ideas in response to nature and the world around us.

This Guide is intended for artists who are looking to expand their knowledge and understanding of materials and the wide range of available media. It will teach them about the characteristics of these media and materials and how to use them to get the required effect. With a unique combination of instruction and practice the guide provides examples of the type of mark-making each medium produces. A range of projects then demonstrates effective ways of working with them. By the end of the guide every budding artist will have enough knowledge and confidence to utilize the techniques they have learnt in a broad range of compositions of their own choosing.

Cont. to: (none ... the end!)