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October 23
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Message
Posted
Nice one Karen!
This is an idea from a photo I took a few months ago out walking on a track which was so dry it had deep cracks in it- before the rain arrived! I liked the shapes. Various pens and Tombow on Strathmore Toned Tan mixed media paper which is more card than paper.
Edited
by Tessa Gwynne
Posted
Good morning Inktoberians:) Attention, the level is rapidly going downhill with my contribution:
...daily diary writing with my silver classic Faber von Castell, Lamy Scala and Ecridor from Caran d'Ache, different inks, and with little drawings here and there.....
...and amazing drawings i've seen new here, Karen, Tessa, John, really good! Ciao
...and amazing drawings i've seen new here, Karen, Tessa, John, really good! Ciao
Posted
It's a bit early in the month for this one but I wanted to ask a question. This sketch was prompted by a discussion with my granddaughter about Halloween and she persuaded me to do this self-portrait.
My question: This was done using a soluble ink pen and a water brush. As you can see, the result is very blotchy and this is because the paper is fairly waxy. My sketchbook is an 8" x 5" Moleskine and I decided a long time ago to never buy a Moleskine again. Recently, since being a member here, I've seen very favourable comments about Moleskine sketch books, so is mine a one-off? Are there different books for different media? I'd be very grateful for your thoughts. Thank you.
My question: This was done using a soluble ink pen and a water brush. As you can see, the result is very blotchy and this is because the paper is fairly waxy. My sketchbook is an 8" x 5" Moleskine and I decided a long time ago to never buy a Moleskine again. Recently, since being a member here, I've seen very favourable comments about Moleskine sketch books, so is mine a one-off? Are there different books for different media? I'd be very grateful for your thoughts. Thank you.
Posted
I've no experience of Moleskine sketchbooks, but you should be able to use ink on almost any paper - if it is indeed waxy, however, it will repel water.
To diverge somewhat - I am going off water-soluble inks, largely because when you do add water to them - to the black ones, anyway - I don't like the colour or consistency I then get. I've converted my watersoluble pens to waterproof ink - those I draw with, that is - because I prefer to add washes of, eg, Lamp Black watercolour to them. I was not taken at all by the HongDian soluble ink in their cartridges: they make great pens, but I just don't like the ink when water is added to it.
A bit more experimentation might have been good, though - using the ink WITH water, rather than adding water to it. But then, I have Chinese ink (from traditional ink sticks) for that; and you can work with wet Indian ink and water; I may give that cartridge ink a second chance ... it may also be that, like John, I've not used the right paper.
Incidentally John, if that IS a self-portrait, you have bigger problems than the choice of paper....
Posted
Thank you Andrew and Robert. I'd formed a very negative opinion of the Moleskine brand not appreciating they produce books of different papers. My favourite technique for sketching outdoors is to use a water soluble Stabilo finepoint pen for the drawing and then to bleed out shadows with clean water in a waterbrush. That just doesn't work with this book. However, for ink drawing without the water (see Lindisfarne and Warkworth castle above), the book is really good. When my current Daler Rowney Ebony books are done, I'll have another look at Moleskine.
Robert, my granddaughter thought my self-portrait was a good likeness. ;-)
Pentel pen and Unipin for the fine lines. I do hope to produce something new this month as well. 
