Port na Craig

I quite like the sky Alan, matchsticks do give a rough, loose feel but I also find them difficult to use. Do you put them in a piece of cane?

Thanks Stephen. I use a Staedtler clutch pencil

Lovely scene, well painted, Alan

I have had problems with the odd sheet of Jackson’s Rough Alan it may be a quirk of the paper. I don’t see any problems with your marks but as John Hoar says sometimes it doesn’t work and his advice is to re-sharpens your matchstick.

The Jackson’s rough does have its moments doesn’t it Alan, it isn’t for everyone, I don’t mind it to be honest. You have a good range of ink marks and I quite like the heavier lines and marks you’ve created here. I used a matchstick to begin with but didn’t take to it, too soft. I now use one of the bits of wood you get with a canvas to stretch it, they sharpen up nicely and are much firmer than a matchstick, you can get a finer point as well.

Thanks Fiona. Yes I think a harder wood would help