Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you! Yes, always, but I’m working on leaning less on pencil, especially for detail work, and going directly to ink.

It’s very different from the technical pen I’m used to. Easier to make mistakes, harder to control, prone to big blobs of ink going everywhere, and the ink I use dries much more slowly which is a serious hand-smudging hazard.

That all said, I love that you can get different line qualities with the same tool. It makes what you’re drawing much more expressive.

And there’s also something appealing about the fact that a pen nib will never change or be out of stock or upgraded or updated. It’s just a metal stick with a slot cut in it. It’s cheap, and apart from slow changes in ink technology, essentially eternal.

Thank you! Comments like this are what keep them coming.

I’d offer this. If you’re given ten minutes, don’t work towards having a finished piece in ten minutes. You’ll mistime it, and focus on one detail, and end up with something only half done.

Instead, have something finished in one minute. Even if it’s just a rough pencil layout of the shape of the body: if the clock stops after one minute, you have something finished. Then if you have another minute, refine what you’ve drawn: correct the angle of an arm, make that straight line into a curve. And then you’re finished again. And then refine further, add some shading, and regime further, get those muscles better defined, and so on. And at all points, you could stop working and end up with something you’re happy with.

At least that’s how I do it!

These are brilliant! I try to go life drawing once a week and it’s my favourite part of the week. I love how studious it feels, everyone so focused on the task at hand.

Close, one down from that: third stage.

Ten points!

This is the answer that matters.

Spaaaaaaaace!

Correct, and thank you!

Bingo! As seen in Houston, TX.

Thank you! This was such a fun one to draw!

I think just trying to work out what to do with them!

Thanks! A lot to learn with this technique, but I’m having so much fun.

The pen is a simple plastic thing with interchangeable calligraphy nibs. My black is Windsor Newton India ink. The white is Rotring ink that’s been sitting on the shelf so long it’s started to sediment out, making it useless for technical pen. And the paper was 250 g/M2 grey. I loved the feel of it.

Thanks!

Thanks! I don’t normally use colour but I think it worked well here.

Well I think YOU’RE fantastic.