5/ Cotton bud
The cotton bud is a very useful tool for
drawing with ink. Strip the cotton wool off
one end of the bud and, using a pair of
scissors, make a diagonal cut across the stem
to give a pointed end. This end can then be
used for making marks smilar to the type you
would get with a regular dip pen. The hollow
stem of the converted cotton bud will hold a
certain amount of ink, just like the reservoir
of any pen. However because the ink in the
stem is very free flowing, this implement can
be used to achieve a splatter effect, by
making a stabbing motion. You can also use
the other end of the cotton bud. Dip this
into the ink and you can make thicker
heavier lines or tonal areas varying from
black to grey.168
Part Three – PENS, INK, BRUSHES and PAPER