Work(s) in Progress

Yes Russell, aged rockers are on my agenda for the 'men in sheds' thing.  Glad you can hear him Sylvia, I tried to make the colours as loud as possible.

Just lately I've been revisiting the dip pen.  Before the advent of waterproof disposable pens I used dips all the time.  I'd forgotten a lot about them, and it'll take a while before I get used to them again.  I recalled the variance of line thickness, but I'd forgotten just how much denser a black you get with a dip pen.  It's really noticeable to me.  Here's a drawing of an old boy, I made some mistakes a put a few wrong marks down, but I've done my best to hide them. I took a picture before I added the wash, it was always my intention to do that.  The wash was fairly thin, the yellow is straight from the tube, when the first wash was dry on the face, I added another thin, but darker wash to improve the form.  I was struck by how vivid the thin colours looked, I normally apply stronger colours.  No doubt the intense blacks provide a contrast that makes the colours seem brighter...suits me, that's how I like it.  With the disposable pens I would have needed to re-draw some lines (I just like strong contrasting linework), however, no problem with the dip pen marks, no redrawing needed. As a minor experiment, I drew two similar figures...on the left with a dip pen, or the right with a waterproof disposable pen.  The colour was added with water-soluble coloured pencils.  Exactly the same colours for each figure.   Here they are... ...not a great photo (we've had really dingy dark days here, not good for photos).  I think you can see the dip pen gives a much denser line, even on a simple drawing like this.  On the right figure I would normally have reworked some of the lines. So, I need to reacquaint myself with using the dip, I've only two size nibs at the moment...a medium and a small.  I'll get some more.  I've been drawing with the nib normally, also with the back of the nib, and on a few occasions with the side. Maybe not quite correct usage, but whatever works does me.  It does show up my wobbly hands, but can't help that. I'm not intended to discard disposables, it's more likely I use both...in some cases on the same drawing. If anybody has some whizz-bang, you can't beat it, instant masterpiece tips, I'll be glad to hear them.

Yes Robert, the nibs I have were called drawing nibs.  Exactly like the ones I had in school for writing...going back a bit, inkwells and all that jazz.  I'm going to buy a few more and I think I'll get some mapping nibs too. You and Alan have said they blot, but I'd still like to try them.  I have a multitude of cartoonists I admire.  Ronald Searle and Ralph Steadman are my top two.  I also like Gerald Scarfe.  All three happily blot away.  Steadman's work seems to consist entirely of blots.  I read an article by a friend of Searle's, who said he wasn't bothered by blots or mistakes, they're all part of the work. I've seen artists using bamboo pens, and felt no urge to try them.  I'd need to work large scale if I did.  I liked Alan's reed pens, and there are others on POL who use matchsticks to good effect.  For now I'll stick to dip pens, disposable pens and mapping pens.  I'll have to swat up on the different inks you mentioned, Robert.  The good thing about pen and ink is that it's low-budget stuff.

Thank you Anthony.  Yes, Ralph Steadman is one of a kind.  Astonishing work.  Sometimes I look at it and wonder why it appeals, in technique it runs counter to the cartooning I like and attempt to do myself...but Steadman's work blows my socks off.  I've given up trying to understand the whys and wherefores of art, I'm just grateful Steadman's work is there to be seen.

Sometimes your art takes you up dead ends.  We're all self-assessing our work, and can never be satisfied as has been said many, many times on the forum.  Two duds here... ...the subject of collective nouns came up...as it does...there are masses of them, some surprising.  One we all know is a 'murder of crows'.   Thought I'd draw it.  Don't like the result, won't be putting it on the gallery.  It would have been better done with more realistic crows, or more cartoonish versions than I've done. We watched an old film, one brief scene showed a street news-seller in London.  I remember these from my time working in the big smoke.  Made me wonder if they are still there.  So I drew one.  Didn't do it justice.  Sometimes when I sit down to draw I can't be bothered about looking at references.   Most of the time, for what I do, it doesn't matter.  But this might benefit from reference material...the buildings etc.  So I'll have another go at this later. Bad results like this aren't a waste of time.  I like the act of drawing, and these will provide a spur some time further on.