Pens and Inks, Continued
Basic pencil
drawing
Preparing the
pigment
Assemble tools
Special effects
materials
Brushes
Develop a drawing by sketching the outlines of the image with a pencil in the
H to 2B range. Determine tonal areas and highlights. Mask or protect areas
that you do not want to paint. You may use masking tape, rubber cement, or
a commercially prepared liquid frisket.
The pigment you use may be lampblack, inks, or watercolor. The procedure
is the same. Mix values using a large amount of water and a little pigment
for lighter tones and little water and more pigment for dark tones. Prepare a
sufficient amount of wash to complete an entire drawing. It is difficult to
remix an exact duplicate of a specific value that you have used. Save the
wash in small jars or a palette with a lid. A palette is a tray for holding and
mixing paint.
Assemble any additional tools you require before you begin painting.
Once
begun, you should not leave the wash until you finish it. Additional tools
include containers of clean water, sponges, extra jars, clean rags, special
effects materials, and brushes.
Special effect materials are items that create an effect with water and
pigment. For example, salt repels pigment leaving small white dots.
Sponges absorb pigment and water leaving a mottled effect on the paper.
You may also spray an enamel or lacquer into wet images for an interesting
reaction.
Experiment with different items to find out what effect appeals to
you.
Assemble the sable brushes you are most comfortable using. A No. 3 and
No. 5 are common wash brushes. Have a few larger sizes for those large
areas of paper. Keep the brushes clean by flushing them often with clean
water.
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