Cirencester

I think this is lively, interesting and a great pen and wash. I am trying to get to grips with this medium as well, so I understand your problems. I don't personally like strong pen lines and I agree with you that the section with the lighter lines works better. However, others may well disagree as quite a few excellent pen and wash artists successfully use all sorts of things to apply the ink - twigs, branches, matchsticks where the lines often can vary in thickness. I don't actually use a dip pen and ink but use Staedtler Fineliner in thicknesses from 0.05 - 0.3. However, getting back to your painting, I think your bold use of pure colours works extremely well and the repetition of the yellows makes sure your eye travels along the row of buildings. The addition of street furniture and cars makes the whole scene very believable.

Thank you Thea, you're very kind. I have to admit your work inspired me to try a pen and wash style picture, I think your paintings are beautiful and quite unique. I need to focus on basic techniques and drawing skills but at least I have a style to aim for now, if I can get half the vitality and fluidity in my paintings that you achieve in yours, I'll be delighted.

I agree with Thea who is so good at this type of work. I often use pen work after I have applied the wash to give added interest as well as doing it the other way round - pen work first that is. I also use a range of fine liners up to 0.7 and also I do use a twig a lot. In your picture I think you have done so well for a first attempt. As for the nibs used - I only wonder if you could have reversed them. In other words use a finer nib for the distance and thicker nib for the foreground - this would have the effect of giving the painting greater recession - just a thought. Also I do applaud you for posting this and asking for comments - do keep practising at this type of work and look forward to seeing how you progress.

Thank you Michael. I really appreciate the positive feedback and suggestions, I think you are spot on regarding the line strengths, I should have made the distant subjects much lighter and subtle. I think I will have to try the Fineliner pens, the dip pen seems very sensitive to pressure and probably more suited to an experienced hand.

This is lovely Mark, full of light and colour. The addition of figures and cars makes it a lively scene and I do like how you have hinted at the shop fronts with haphazard marks and strokes of paint and pen.

Thank you Fiona, very kind. The shop fronts are totally random, I simply didn't know how to paint them correctly, the more detail I put in, the worse they looked so I went for the haphazard approach which sort of works ok. Glad you like it.

I go on the adage that if you can't really see what is going on in a scene, just put a series of marks, dots and dashes to suggest something is happening and leave it at that. My hero artist, Charles Reid, told me on a course I did with him last year 'The more you put in, the worse it gets' and I think he just might be right. I think your instinct to use the haphazard approach was exactly the right one. Having come back for another look at your painting, I think you are on the right path and doing just great.

I take that as a massive compliment from you Thea, thank you. Being new to painting I'm on a huge learning curve but each sketch or painting I try brings it's own mistakes and small triumphs and I take something from each of them. The lesson for today is 'simplify'

Can't disagree with all above Mark and as you are in the state we all were once, this is very creditable. I do a lot of pen and ink work myself and I went through my collection of full but never discarded sketch books the other day and have got some inspiration from them too. Well done.

Thank you Derek, really appreciate your comments, inspires me to carry on and hopefully improve along the way.