El Domingo en La Plaza (ink experiment)

                                                                  Size: 17 x 20 cms
                                                                  Media: Pen and Ink
                                                                  Pen: Noodler's Flex nib

I decided it was time to experiment a little as I hadn't done that for a while. I usually draw directly in ink without pre drawing in pencil...This can be quite dangerous as there is little to no room for 'errors'...if an 'error' is made, then it is usually incorporated into the work somehow...this is why I have a fairly scruffy style...they say it can give you a more natural line rather than a carefully planned one. Like everything, there are advantages and disadvantages. I noticed that when I use pure black ink, it can be very unforgiving trying to shade things with hatching and textures (often ending up with areas far darker than required.) I also enjoy using brown ink as this starts off light and gets darker the more you put on..pretty useful with the direct ink technique. My experiment today, was to mix a 'gray' ink by adding water to black ink....this has a similar effect to the brown...starts off light and gets darker the more that is applied. It was an interesting experiment which I will use again. I will now take off my anorak (I have to wear it for these sort of posts.)
I don my cowboy hat and wait in the shade next to the Old Church Tower in the Plaza.

IF Round

                                           
                                               Size: 24 x 13 cms
                                               Media: Ink on Paper
                                               Pen: Lamy AL Star & Rotring artpen EF

                                                Size: 16 x 10 cms
                                                Media: Ink on Paper (Noodler's Golden Brown ink)
                                                Pen: Hero M86 Fountain pen

                                                  Size: 24 x 9 cms
                                                  Media: Ink on Paper (Golden Brown)
                                                  Pen: Noodlers Flex Nib


This weeks IF theme is 'Round'.

Apparently, round things are more aerodynamic which means they have less resistance to airflow..they should have less drag..therefore I suppose they should be faster...round is good....sometimes.

IF Silent

                                                 
                                                       Size: 9 x 16 cms
                                                       Media: Ink on Paper
                                                       Pen: Noodler's Flex Nib Fountain pen

                                                         
                                                       Size: 10 x 16 cms
                                                       Media: Ink on Paper
                                                       Pen: Noodler's Flex Nib Fountain pen


I was not going to write anything with this post as it seemed to fit the theme of ' Silent', but..... (silent pause)......I want to explain my thoughts. I felt that there is a relationship between light and noise and dark and silent, and to try and portray that, I have used a cross-hatching technique which gradually applies more ink to the paper by applying more black ink lines, eliminating the white and therefore eliminating half of the sound. On these experimental drawings, the sound comes in from the right and disappears to the left. This could be reversed I suppose, but in my mind, if I was to draw silence, the page would have been black...... some might think white!

IF Influence

                                        Size: 17 x 11 cms
                                        Media: Ink on paper (Black Parker Quink)
                                        Pen: Noodler's Flex Nib

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. A quote by Mark Twain.

If Imperfect

                                           Size:19 x 20 cms
                                           Media: Indian Ink on paper
                                           Pen: Lamy Al star

                                   
                                        Size: 29 x 19 cms
                                        Media: Indian Ink on Paper
                                        Pens: Noodler's Flex nib & Lamy Alstar

                                             Size: 14 x 13 cms
                                             Media: Indian ink on paper
                                             Pen: Lamy Al star EF

                                                Size: 15 x 17 cms
                                                Media: Indian ink on paper
                                                Pen: Noodlers Flex nib & Lamy al star.

This weeks IF theme 'Imperfect'. I thought about the Imperfect tense whilst doing these drawings and also the Imperfect side of Artwork that I am attracted to.

Hippopotamus 40

                               Size: 19 x 14 cms.
                               Media: Ink and watercolour on paper
                               Pens: Noodlers Flex Nib and Pentel waterbrush

My friend Judith asked me if I would draw her a Hippo as they are one of her favourite animals. I finally got around to drawing this one for her 40th Birthday which is in two weeks time. The Noodler's Golden Brown ink that I used was not as waterproof as I had expected and I tried to incorporate the brown stains into the watercolour. She likes the result and will get it framed when she returns to Ireland from her holiday in Spain.

IF Obsession

                                  Size: 17 x 22 cms.
                                  Media: Ink and watercolour on paper
                                  Pens: Noodler's Flex pen & Pentel waterbrush

IF theme this week is 'obsession'.. An obsessive sports fan starts to explode!

Midweek Reality

                       
                             Size: 19 x 16 cms
                             Media: Ink and wash
                             Pens: Sailor fountain and dip pen and Pentel waterbrush

                            Size:  32 x 24 cms
                            Media: Ink watercolour on paper.
                            Pens: Noodlers Flex Nib and Pentel waterbrush


I wanted to post some non cartoon sketches for a change and I whilst I thought I would have to create another blog for this, I have decided to keep everything in one place although its only cohesive in the sense that it is all artwork that I have drawn.
The top sketch is of La Iglesia de L'Orxa (L'Orxa Church). My Dad sent me some Sepia Ink from the UK and I tested it with some other browns that I had, Golden Brown By Noodler's and Sailor jentle Brown (for wash). The lower sketch is actually made up of different people I saw around L'Orxa swimming pool on one particular day of sketching...I didn't however, draw the pool!