Leisure Painter — June 2017

Ink

MatchsticksI also like using a sharpened

matchstick, which gives nice line

variability. When using a matchstick try

not to sharpen the end to a fine point as

this may flex whilst working. I also find

it’s useful to let the ink soak in and dry

on the match before use. Matchsticks

provide a broader line and are probably

better used on larger pieces of work.

These types of instruments create a

permanent line and this factor changes

our approach to drawing. Decisions on

the direction a line must take are often

made prior to committing the drawing

tool to the paper.

Steel nib pensare excellent for drawing,

although a little practise is needed to

control the ink line. The nibs classed as

drawing nibs or mapping pen nibs are

best. These need to be looked after and

cleaned in water after use then dried

otherwise vital parts can become blocked

by the ink, which will result in poor

performance and ink spots.

Steel nibs provide the right level of fine

detail and line variability when working

on more intricate drawings. Special holders

can be purchased to hold the nibs but

over time dried ink makes the nib difficult

to remove and so I use a homemade

holder from ¼in. dowel cut to length and

insulation tape to hold the nib in place.

Dip penscan be tricky to use and will

often deliver a spot of ink onto the work,

usually after several hours of drawing

has been spent. The only way this can be

corrected is to cover the affected area with

white FW acrylic ink or carefully scrape

the mark away with a razor blade.

Fibre-tipped drawing pensoffer a good

blot-free alternative. They are available

in sizes, ranging from super-fine to broad.

I often use the nib that is the next size up

from super-fine. The disadvantages of a

fibre-tipped pen is that the line width

hardly ever varies and sometimes it’s

necessary to redraw over lines to thicken

them or twist the pen in the fingers whilst

drawing to achieve a finer line.

Dip pen technique

I drew the view along Mill Street, St Osyth

(above right) using a dip pen and black

FW Acrylic Ink. When drawing this type

of theme, if you are not used to drawing

directly onto the paper with ink, initially

make a very light drawing with a 3B

pencil to ensure the relative positions

of the structures are correct.

Don’t be tempted to complete the entire

subject in pencil as you will lose the

liveliness of the line when tracing over

50 JUNE 2017 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

Part 1Liberate your drawing skills as you experiment with media, tools

and techniques, building your ability month by month, with Tim Fisher

Line and colour

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

nBecome familiar with permanent

and water-soluble inks

nPractise drawing techniques

using a variety of tools

nUnderstand surface values for

different inks

UNUSUAL DRAWING TOOLS

The top of the FW Acrylic Ink

bottle cap produces an interesting

and versatile line

t

If you use a matchstick, don’t

sharpen the end too much

t

Steel nibs provide the right level of

fine detail and line variability when

working on more intricate drawings

t

I

was introduced to drawing with ink

many years ago. After working with a

pencil, changing to a different medium

involved some re-education in my style of

working. Over time, by drawing with ink

I came to appreciate the value of line and

some of the different techniques that can

be employed using this medium.

Know your surface

There is a large range of papers suitable

for ink drawing. One of my favourites is

Strathmore Bristol Vellum (270gsm). All

types of watercolour paper also take ink.

For more interesting line work, Rough

papers are best but, for detail, I suggest

a Hot-Pressed paper. I like to try different

surfaces and have found that primed

canvas and Fisher400 Artpaper take ink

very well as a prelude to adding other

media, although it is better to use a

matchstick dipped in ink as a fibre-tipped

pen will quickly wear out on these

surfaces. Illustration board is also good

for pen, although these surfaces are

usually only single-sided.

Cartridge papers also take an ink line

although there is a little variability in the

quality of the surfaces. Some cartridge

papers feel soft and less crisp than others,

and ink can bleed slightly on these types

of surfaces. The only solution is to use

a much finer fibre-tipped drawing pen.

Choose your ink

Waterproof inks for drawing are Indian

and acrylic inks. Both of these inks

perform in a similar way and it is often

difficult to perceive a difference between

the two of them.

Your tools

There are plenty of drawing instruments

available, such as fine brushes or sticks.

Bottle topsI occasionally use the glass

phial that forms part of the FW Acrylic Ink

bottle cap as a drawing instrument (above

left), squeezing the bulb slightly to

maintain a flow of ink. With this way

of working the ink line stays wet for

longer and can often be bled with a

damp brush before it dries.

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