I have recently been trying to push the boundaries of my style by having a go at pen and wash. After doing nothing but 'proper' paintings for about four years, I have found it hard to launch into another way of approaching a subject. In fact, I have found that I have to use completely different techniques for each style of painting. With my normal work, I tend to concentrate on the colours, the interaction of the pigments and interpreting a subject in a less than literal way. With the pen and wash the objectives seem to be almost polar opposites. The washes have to be simple so as not to detract and overwhelm the pen. The penwork has to be a bit more precise than my normal work, and the interpretation generally is much more literal. I confess I have found it hard to adapt to this new way of working as I can't seem to get the balance right between the pen bit and the wash bit. My brush seems to tempted to make the washes too complicated or too bold and my penwork is a bit too literal at the moment. I would prefer it to be more expressive. One part of me has always seen adapting your style as you move forward as a sign of progressing and improving. Not sure about that one now as I seem to have gone back to the kindergarten when I attempt a pen and wash. What assurance I have gained in my normal painting work seems to desert me with pen and wash and I am as shaky about the way forward as I was a few years ago. However, I seem to have reached a bit of a compromise now. I do a normal painting or two and then attempt a pen and wash, so I can have times of painting with more confidence and then that sets me up for the times when I have to go back to being a beginner again.