Learning To Draw With Pen & Ink

[notbob]

What are these Moonlight Chronicles of which you speak and what is the goodness therein?

 

IOW, are they jes empty sketchbooks with a clever cover or would I be shelling out perfectly good sheckles to view someone else's amateurish artwork, as if mine isn't pitiful enough?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Nope, they are illustrated travelogues of this guy's life that I found fascinating. He calls himself the 'hobo artist.' I like his drawings and find inspiration because it's very much an 'if I can do it so can you' thing.

 

Didn't the link work? He also has a book on 'drawing your life,' that you can get from Amazon.

 

ps! That little sketchbook which is no good for fountain pens has been 'assimilated' into a portable pencil workshop.

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2844/9291004729_b1a19bed61_z.jpg

Edited July 15, 2013 by Sailor Kenshin

[notbob]

Cute! I like the little case you have yer pencils n' pad in.

 

I'm finally gonna splurge fer a moleskine, the landscape watercolor sketchbook, to go with my Koi watercolor set. I'm using my Stillman & Birn gamma journal fer pen and ink sketching. Kinda weird using a pen in the S&B, the paper being relatively course, rough surfaced, and absorbent, this after stockpiling so much hard surfaced pen paper like CF and Tomoe River. Yet, there is zero bleed or show through. Also no sheen. Weird, but I kinda like it.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Cute! I like the little case you have yer pencils n' pad in.

 

I'm finally gonna splurge fer a moleskine, the landscape watercolor sketchbook, to go with my Koi watercolor set. I'm using my Stillman & Birn gamma journal fer pen and ink sketching. Kinda weird using a pen in the S&B, the paper being relatively course, rough surfaced, and absorbent, this after stockpiling so much hard surfaced pen paper like CF and Tomoe River. Yet, there is zero bleed or show through. Also no sheen. Weird, but I kinda like it.

 

Thanks! Post pics!

 

i think this little pad became fp-friendly due to a trick. Will sketch some more, then post.

[candidvn]

I just order a Koi watercolor set and a Noodle's bulletproof ink bottle. But now I want to back to basic learning to draw with pencil.

 

not a day without some lines.

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/9265897413_df6d506176_z.jpg

Edited July 16, 2013 by candidvn

[notbob]

But now I want to back to basic learning to draw with pencil.

 

What lovely roses, candidvm. The values/shading in the vase are perfect. Are those ink or waco washes?

 

I agree with yer drawing sentiment, 100%. Beneath all the ink and waco and brushes and pens, I'm still struggling to simply draw with a pencil. My goal is to be able to do basic pencil sketch portraits, an endeavor I abandoned 50 yrs ago. But, it's never too late and I'm reborn into the world of art and playing the fool for all it's worth. A No 2 Ticonderoga and a cheapo WallyWorld sketch pad are my daily working haunt, but all the other mediums are so much fun it's impossible to not partake of the feast.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Oh, niiiiice roses, candidvm!

[candidvn]

Thank you, Notbob and Sailor Kenshin. I firstly sketch with pencil, then I re- draw with a pigment liner because I not yet received the Noodle's bullet proof ink for my fountainpen then I used watercolour to finish.

 

Now because I am still afraid of making mistake so I have to use pencil. I hope some day I can sketch with fountain pen.

 

I'm learning how to draw people head at any angle, here is the portrait of my son that I drawed last evening.

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3755/9299115779_3d23703e9a_z.jpg

[Sailor Kenshin]

Niiiice! The pencil is a great tool for learning to draw or letter or whatever.

 

(not to carpet-bomb the thread but here I discovered the new teeny pad IS fp-friendly as long as you FIRST lay down some colored pencil. )

 

Went to nearby park. Sketch took ten minutes at site with me looking over shoulder because of a no-parking sign, lol. The slide was this weird band-aid color I couldn't really capture. Back home, I added the fp accent lines with a F-nib Safari and Lamy Black.

 

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/9301531632_7831bd4c9f_z.jpg

[candidvn]

Your kit is very convenient, Sailor Kenshin. I never try water solube pencils and brush wash. I am going to try to draw that way.

 

Yesterday, I feel little bit tired with a sore throat. I intended to go to bed early but I not yet finish the sketch of day. I found 3 mangos in the fridge as models. Here the pic

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5490/9309435139_b27c4bf6b7_z.jpg

Edited July 18, 2013 by candidvn

[Sailor Kenshin]

I LOVE that pitcher. Feel betta, candid!

[candidvn]

The bulletproof ink is not yet shipped. I'm continuing with mechanical pencil

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7330/9388447137_1ee7d2a6a7_z.jpg

[Sailor Kenshin]

Nice! The paper looks like it has a lot of texture.

[notbob]

candidvn,

 

You indicated you want to learn to draw, better. Here's some help.

 

Free Western style drawing basics, plus perspective and figure drawing. Old but timeless instruction:

 

http://illustrationage.com/2013/04/02/free-andrew-loomis-art-instruction-downloads/

 

If you prefer anime style, look to youtube and online.

 

Everyone who want to learn to draw needs to read this book:

 

http://tinyurl.com/lklwzae

 

Initially pretty wordy about the scientific aspect, but gets to the meat of drawing eventually. A must read.

 

These are my bibles and I practice every day. I've recently finished a relatively decent pencil portrait that takes me out of the 3rd grade talentless hack category, at least in my mind. A person CAN learn art. Not reserved for child prodigies only.

 

 

 

[candidvn]

Thank you, NotBob!

 

In fact, I am learning to draw by reading the same book that you mentioned. It makes me confident that I can draw.

[candidvn]

Last week, I was on vacation with my son. We went to a beach by train. In that province the fisherman use bamboo round boat to catch squids. I was busy with my son so didn't have time to draw.

 

Just a quick sketch while playing with my son

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/9391224756_e244002b96_z.jpg

[Sailor Kenshin]

Colorful and energetic!

 

 

well, this one could go back to the drawing board... did not come out the way I wanted. Yhis was a view out my window:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3796/9343474939_338a0e7a87_z.jpg

Because this traveling sketchbook doesn't take ink all that well, I hit on the idea of laying down some pencil color before adding fountain pen/ink lines.

That works. But for whatever reason, instead of laying down a vague cloud of color like I wanted, I started working the color areas in hatching and cross-hatching. Which is clearly visible.

Time for another sketch, lol.

[johnjayalvaro]

I second the suggestion to try broader nibs. I have a metal Falcon in a medium and love it. Check out this guy using the medium Falcon. http://wentsketching.blogspot.com/2011/11/pilot-falcon-and-song-of-roland.html

[notbob]

Yikes! So many options. So many paths.

 

I've been temporarily waylaid by the exotic and mysterious Asian brush pen. A very nice Kuretake nylon tipped brush pen that goes easily from .05mm to --what? ....6-8mm?-- in a heart beat. The downside, it's VERY difficult to control. No hard nib against the paper. No tactil feedback from the nib write/drawing surface. It's like ghost writing/drawing. Like holding an FP nib an 1/8th of an inch above the paper and never touching it, yet laying down monster flex lines of every conceivable width. Very spooky. Very disorienting. I hadda re-ink my Konrad and do some hard line flexing drawing jes to get my sense of touch back. Do some calligraphy to reground myself. OTOH, big fun!! I can even do crude Chinese brush painting, a facet of ink drawing I plan to explore, further. But, I may hafta try a metal fude, as Sailor K recommends. Soon as I get a bit more control, I'll post an example.

[muldi]

notbob, I found the Pentel brush pen to be like that. I have just ordered a Zebra EF brush pen from Jetpens for $2.50 that has great reviews. Altho it is supposed to be a throw away, it seems it can be re-loaded with ink using a sponge. I'll let you know what I think. I've been sick, so just getting back to drawing.