Sketch Book for the Artist

ANIMALS

Pen and Ink

WITH A HANDFUL OF FEATHERS, sticks, and metal points,

you can have great fun drawing the world around you.

Intricate or dramatic lines, spots, and spatters can be made

with an exotic choice of inks. The Egyptians and Chinese

are credited with the invention of carbon ink, simultaneously

4,500 years ago, and it is still in use today. A German

recipe of 1531 gives a simple description: "Take a wax

candle, light it, and hold it under a clean

basin until the soot hangs to

it; then pour a little warm gum

water into it and temper the two

together. That is an ink." "Gum"

refers to gum arabic extracted

from the acacia tree, and first used by the Egyptians. The

Chinese used animal or fish glue. The paste from either

recipe is pressed and dried into a bar for storage. The bar

is then rubbed into water on a slate block to produce ink.

Today, high-quality Chinese and Japanese inks are subtler

and more complex than those produced in Europe. Masters

choose brands of long, distinguished manufacture, the recipes

for which have been handed down over centuries. In the Far

East, ink is traditionally applied with a brush (see pp.246-47).

Dip pens began their history in the Nile River, where reeds

were gathered. Quills were later cut from feathers, while metal

nibs began as rare gifts in gold and silver before being

perfected by the British steel industry.

PENS

Dip pens are essential and inexpensive drawing tools, which

range greatly in their handling and character of line. Responsive to

slight changes in pressure, they are associated with rapid, expressive

drawing techniques such as the ones we explore in this chapter

1. REED PENS: A broad nib can be cut
   from bamboo or another tubular grass.
   Each pen has a unique character,
   producing a different line.


2. QUILLS: These are cut from the barrel
   of a flight or tail feather. The best are
   goose or swan. Early artists recommended
   raven and crow for especially fine work.


3. FOUNTAIN PENS: These vary
   in quality and nib width. The reservoir
   gives a constant flow of ink for very long
   unbroken lines and continuous bottle-free
   use. Only fill with suitable inks.


4. METAL PENS: Inexpensive removable
   steel nibs are available in a range of
   widths. They fit into wooden holders.
   Avoid needle-sharp mapping pens,
   which scratch rather than draw.