Pen
and Ink Drawing
An
Expressive Pen Drawing - 1
Pen,
Ink and Wash Drawing Of Lindisfarne Priory
View
our pen, ink and wash drawing in its actual size
Our
pen, ink and wash lesson illustrates and explains the
various stages in creating our color drawing of Lindisfarne
Priory. This is a less detailed, quicker and more expressive
drawing technique than our previous view
of Whitby. It is done on an A4 sheet of cartridge
paper using black and color Indian inks applied with
a pen and brush.
This
color ink drawing focuses on the Rainbow Arch of Lindisfarne
Priory, a monastery founded by St. Aidan in AD 635,
in North Northumberland, England. Old architectural
ruins of this type are an ideal subject for pen and
wash drawings as bold, expressive pen and brush techniques
are naturally suited to suggesting the rough textures
of bricks and crumbling stonework.
Begin
your Ink Drawing in Pencil
Our
drawing was started in pencil to establish the basic
shapes and proportions of the architecture. It was important
to be aware of the perspective
drawing of these ruins (mouse over the image
to view) to accurately create the proportions of
their receding forms.
Many
artists start their ink drawings on top of a pencil
study as it is easier to erase mistakes and make adjustments
to pencil. The support of an underlying pencil study
also lends confidence to the expressive qualities of
their ink drawing. Remember to draw your pencil image
lightly as you will be erasing it after inking.
Draw
over your Pencil Lines with Ink
After
completing your pencil study start to draw over the
lines with ink. Do not become too preoccupied with detail
and try to work with a speed and energy that gives your
drawing an expressive vitality.
As
always, it is advisable to plan your approach to an
ink drawing. If you are right-handed, start inking from
the left hand side and work towards the right. This
way you will avoid smudging sections that you have previously
drawn which may still be wet. If you are left-handed,
reverse these instructions.
Add
Pattern and Texture to Your Ink Drawing
Finally,
you can suggest the pattern and texture of the brickwork
and stone with lines, stippling and scribbles. Remember
that the lines of the brickwork should roughly follow
the rules of perspective drawing.
Pattern
and Texture Details
When
drawing expressively, you do not need to draw every
line and detail with great accuracy. It is enough to
suggest the occassional corner of a brick or section
of a line to communicate an impression of the scene.
Most spectators enjoy the economy of expressive drawing
and are engaged by the interaction of completing the
work in their own minds.
