Leisure Painter - UK (2019-06)

http://www.painters-online.co.uk JUNE 2019 33

L

ast month, I left you with a

reference photograph for you to

draw (right). It is rare to come

across a view that is perfect in every way

so never be afraid to change or move

features around in order to make a more

pleasing and well-balanced composition.

This reference photograph has most of

the features of the landscape we studied

over the past five months: sky, land,

trees, foliage, water and fences. The only

features that are not there are mountains

and rocks, but you could easily add

these to your finished work to complete

the practice.

Final thoughts

I hope you tried drawing your own

version of the photograph. Why not

draw it again? This time, use a different

combination of water-soluble and

permanent ink. Perhaps make another

version with all water-soluble ink. Try

drawing with a twig dipped in ink; the

effects will be totally different. You could

also draw with permanent ink then add

a watercolour wash for a completely

different look.

As you experiment, you may also want

to be more flamboyant with your pen

strokes to practise a loose and more

impressionistic style. Whatever your style

of drawing, remember that consistency

and direction of your mark making is

paramount. Develop your own shading

and texture patterns and use them

constantly. Flat crosshatching adds little

to the excitement of a drawing except

when depicting a flat surface. Other

more interesting shading patterns are

far more pleasing. Let your pen lines

tell the story of the texture, shape and

volume of features.

There is no right or wrong way with

art. Unfortunately, some of us remember

being told that our drawings or paintings

were ‘wrong’, just because they did not

match our schoolteacher’s expectations.

It can be difficult to shake off these

memories, but it is perfectly possible to

do so. Don’t ever think that you cannot

draw. If you can hold a pen or pencil,

you can draw. Find out why you have

problems drawing a particular topic and

find ways around it. Work on different

methods or materials, and eventually you

will be able to do it. We only become

better at the things we constantly practise.

I do hope you have enjoyed this six-part

series; I have thoroughly enjoyed writing

it. I have only just touched the surface of

starting to draw with pen and ink.

Hopefully it has whetted your appetite to

experiment and come up with your own

preferred materials and drawing style. It’s

an exciting medium and an easy one to

carry around with you. Give it a go, keep

practising, but most importantly,

have fun! LP

t

Part 6 Anne Kerrconcludes her series on pen and ink by showing

the techniques she used to tackle the challenge from last month

Studies in the landscape

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

nHow to draw a landscape in ink

nPractise the techniques learnt

over the past five months

Pen and ink

tThe finished drawing, ink on paper, A4. Draw this scene step by step with Anne over the page.

The reference photograph for this demonstration

t

TIPAlways keep a sketchbook with you.

Draw anything and everything. Holding

your pen at an angle enables differently

weighted marks, especially if you are using

a fountain pen. Holding your pen vertically

keeps the weight of the mark even.