Line and Wash Painting E-Book

Liz Chaderton

• Herausgeber: The Crowood Press
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 157

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Line and wash is an exciting combination. This practical book shows you how to exploit the strength of ink with the transparency of watercolour to produce powerful and dynamic paintings. With over 170 illustrations, it covers a wide range of styles and subjects, before exploring mixed media, new surfaces and other ways to take your line and wash work to another level. Includes advice on choosing materials; exercises to hone your drawing and painting skills; gives inspiration for new approaches to line and wash and, finally, step-by-step demonstrations of ideas and projects. This book is a visual treat and an essential guide for all artists who want to try this exciting technique.

Leseprobe

Hoodie, cropped from original 40 x 40cm, ink and collage on corrugated board.

First published in 2022 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2022

© Liz Chaderton 2022

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 992 1

Cover Design

Maggie Mellett

Dedication

How exciting, my third book! It was written during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, so thank you to all at Crowood Press for their support during a tricky time. Thank you too to my family for getting through without coming to blows, and to all the essential workers who kept us safe, fed and watered.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

1MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

2EXPERIMENTING WITH INK

3WATERCOLOUR TECHNIQUE

4LINE AND WASH TECHNIQUES

5CHANGING THE SURFACE

6ADDING A TWIST

7INTRODUCING A THIRD MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

Line and wash, or pen and wash if you prefer, is an expressive and versatile way of working.

In essence, ink lines are used together with washes of colour, either transparent watercolour or ink washes. This mixing of media allows the artist to take advantage of the strengths of both. The lines are used to define edges and details, while the washes develop the colour and emotion. Tone and form may be developed with the line work or added using the watercolour depending on the artist’s preference.

The Old Post Office, Twyford, cropped from original 20 × 40cm, pen and wash in sketchbook.

This element of choice is a recurring theme. The artist can choose to develop tone with ink lines or watercolour. They can choose to start with line work or lay down washes of colour first – or switch between the two media. They can apply washes with watercolour or diluted ink, keep it monochrome or develop a full range of hues. Washes can be applied with precise control or loosely. There is not a single right or wrong way to work. It is this flexibility which allows such a range of styles within the discipline. Line and wash might be as simple as a doodle on top of watercolour, or as detailed and precise as an engraving.

The structure and strength of the ink line work contrasts beautifully with the lightness and spontaneity of the watercolour washes. At its best the sum of both media adds up to far more than either on its own.

Looser paintings may appeal to some, while more detailed and developed paintings will appeal to others. You will see from the work in this book that my natural inclination is towards a loose approach; however, I have tried to cover a variety of topics and styles to show some of the range of the media. It is fair to say, though, that if you are looking for incredibly detailed and precise work, you will not find it here!

On the other hand, if you are looking to loosen up your watercolours pen and wash can be a great stepping stone. If you want to take sketches to the next level, it can be perfect. Or you might simply enjoy the contrast between hard lines and soft washes for its own sake.

Greyhound, 39 × 39cm; detailed pen and wash carried out in the studio can help portray the essence of your subject.

Funny Face, 30 × 20cm; pen and wash is a fun way to capture a sitter’s personality.

One of the appeals of the process of line and wash is how quickly a sketch can be developed. A rapid line drawing is easily created and washes of colour can be applied at speed, ensuring a good amount of information is captured in a short space of time. Because of its immediacy, the process of line and wash is suitable for drawing and painting on location. Indeed, it has experienced a real renaissance recently, due to the popularity of urban sketching and journaling.

This traditional, versatile medium has been used by artists since ancient times, for sketches, finished drawings or ink and wash paintings. The development of pen and ink artwork in Western drawing can be traced back to the Lindisfarne Gospels and the illuminated manuscripts of the ninth century, whereas drawing ink first appeared in China, and pen and ink has long been the mainstay of Asian art and calligraphy.

The Old Post Office, Twyford, 20 × 40cm, pen and wash in sketchbook. Sketched on location, this was part of a project for Twyford’s twin town in France. Local artists each contributed a page or two in a concertina sketchbook to depict something of the locale. Working across the fold adds a sense of immediacy and energy to a sketch.

Over the centuries inks have evolved from being based on natural materials like soot and oak galls: now synthetic dyes extend the range as far as the imagination will take it.

In this book, we explore this wonderful mix of media. From the enormous range of pens we will pick out some versatile favourites and see the variety of marks they can make. We will look at the different inks – along with the advantages and disadvantages they offer. Working either with an initial ink drawing or starting with colour work, you will be able to find a style and process which suits you. Examples of quick doodles, urban sketches, portraits and more finished studio work will show the huge range of the duo.

As already stated, for me line and wash is at its best when the sum of the ink drawing and the application of the watercolour adds up to more than the individual parts. A coloured illustration is fine, but if the watercolour washes add drama and movement to the drawing, then that is so much more exciting. I like to think of the pen as the scaffolding or coathanger on which to drape the watercolour.

Whether you start with the ink drawing and add colour at the later stages, or start with the painting and add definition with ink towards the end, your aim is to make the sum worth more than the parts. While this is my underlying principle, I don’t believe in having rules in art, so this book is aimed at helping you find your own way; I’ve tried to summarize this here.

GUIDELINES, NOT RULES

• Line and wash is often considered more suitable for smaller works, especially when using a dip pen. Match the thickness of your line to the scale of your work.

• Start with line, start with colour – you choose. Line first is often more controlled, but final inking can be crisper.

• Simplify the subject – identify what attracted you in the first place and try to get to the heart of your subject.

• Avoid just colouring in your drawing or outlining your painting – each medium has a job to do but you would be wasting the opportunity to produce something that is more than the sum of the parts.

• Aim for a balance between line and colour, but not necessarily equality.

• Know where your light is coming from. Aim for a wide range of tones developed with the line work or with the washes or both.

• Loose, spontaneous lines seem to work well and broken lines are often more expressive.

• Ink cannot be erased, but don’t panic if you put in the wrong line – just put in the right one as well: the human eye will prioritize the right line.

• The wash does not need to relate to the line work at all – indeed it might make for a more energetic and exciting piece if it doesn’t.

• Use wet in wet for the wash and create a lyrical movement through your work.

• Do not fiddle about – stop too soon rather than too late.

CHAPTER ONE

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

One of the attractions of line and wash is that you do not need a huge list of supplies to get going – some paper, a pen, a brush and a small range of watercolours are all that is required.

Dancing Grebes, cropped from original 35 × 35cm, pen and wash on paper.

One of the attractions of line and wash is that you do not need a huge list of supplies to get going – paper, pen, brush and a small range of watercolours are all you need.

Part of the fun is finding exactly which pen, which colour and which paper suits you best; however, the variety can be overwhelming. Let’s have a look at the possibilities.

Pens

The range of pens is mind-blowing, from Japanese manga markers to Chinese calligraphy brush pens to technical fineliners – how do you navigate the choice and find an interesting and versatile instrument to aid you on your artistic journey?

Before fineliners became ubiquitous, technical pens such as Rotring were favoured by draughtsmen. I was lucky enough to be gifted this briefcase of goodies dating back to the 1980s. They are still popular with comic book artists.

Let’s simplify it to two basic types: dip and reservoir pens. A dip pen does not hold ink and you will need a separate bottle; reservoir pens contain ink and hence are more portable.

Before looking at examples it might be worth considering the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

We cannot hope to cover every type of pen here, but before you go and spend a fortune, take a look at some of the possibilities.

Reservoir Pens

This type of pen carries its own supply of ink in a special holder or cartridge, thus avoiding the need for ‘dipping’. These include felt-tip, fountain, ballpoint and technical pens.

You need to consider both the mark the pen makes and the ink it contains. Is it waterproof, water-resistant or soluble? Is the ink lightfast or fugitive? See the section on inks for further details.

The range of pens available can be bewildering; each has unique properties and produces a distinctive mark.

Technical Pens

The chief advantage of these is their ability to deliver a constant flow of ink regardless of the direction in which the pen is moved.

The old draftsman pens such as Rotring Rapidograph or Isograph series are still available and have a following among comic book and graphic novel artists. However, they block easily and the nibs are also vulnerable to damage, so they have largely been replaced with fineliners. These technical pens are cheap, easy to use and contain pigment ink. They are also known as micron pens.

Their popularity is justified, being convenient and readily available. They come in widths from 0.05mm up to 1mm and in different colours. Many artists use black, but sepia also gives a lovely result. The line delivered is consistent until the ink runs out, but this is also their downfall. They lack character and do not deliver much inherent interest.

You may prefer the feel and flow of a rollerball pen. Similar to the fineliners, they feel smoother to use than the fibre-tipped version but tend to come in a limited range of nib widths.

Fountain Pens

Many people think of fountain pens as inconvenient and somewhat old-fashioned. However, as instruments in their own right they can be very beautiful. The range of marks they deliver is certainly broader and more characterful than a technical pen.

Fountain pens have either ink cartridges or a refillable system, often called a converter. Cartridges come in a limited range of colours. Also, they add to waste plastic going into landfill and are expensive in the long run. You can at least refill an empty cartridge using a syringe to help prevent waste but they will eventually wear out.

The main downside of fountain pens is the possibility of leakage and that they can be a little temperamental to get the flow going. However, there are so many available they are worth a go. A great entry-level pen might be the Lamy Safari.

See the section on inks for more information; note that Platinum Carbon Black is an excellent waterproof fountain pen ink. If black is too stark, Noodler’s Lexington Grey is worth investigating.

There is a common misconception that fountain pens are problematic for left-handers. Left-handers who push, rather than pull, a pen across the page will find that the tines of a soft nib tend to separate, but they shouldn’t have this issue with modern firmer nibs. Left-handed nibs are easily available and are ground at a different angle so that the nib writes more reliably in the push motion which is more characteristic of the left-hander.

Calligraphy Pens

Specialist calligraphy fountain pens offer lots of exciting possibilities. Even a basic copper plate nib gives a variety of widths, depending on whether it is being pulled or pushed, so this can be exploited to achieve a feeling of depth in your drawing.

Pilot Parallel pens are a major change in nib design; they consist of two parallel plates, which allows the creation of much sharper lines. They come in a range of widths from 1.5mm to 6mm so are ideal for bold line work, and coloured ink cartridges are available.

Fude or bent nibs are designed to mimic oriental brushes. Fude is Japanese for ‘writing or painting brush’ and it is achieved by simply bending the end of the nib. The more it is bent, the wider the line width. They also write upside down for a very fine mark. Thus one nib gives three widths – horizontal is the widest, vertical is medium, upside down is fine. They are very popular in urban sketching.

Brush pens allow you to create beautiful line variation with a little practice. The disposable ones are usually only available with black pigment in, but brush fountain pens or refillable brush pens are a possibility and can be filled with fountain pen ink, giving access to a variety of colours.

When picking a brush pen, there are three tip types to take into consideration: felt-tip, synthetic bristle and natural hair. Felt-tip brush pens tend to be firmer and easier to control. Synthetic bristle and natural hair tips tend to be softer and more flexible, with tips made of individual hairs. These tips make strokes that are less predictable and require more practice to master.

Ballpoint Pens

You may well doodle with your ballpoint during boring meetings but they are a versatile art medium as well as an office perennial.

The humble ballpoint pen can be used for expressive artwork though it takes some time to build convincing tones.

You will need to practise to get subtlety in shading and many inks dry slowly, leading to smudging if you are careless. You will need to check whether they are waterproof or not if you intend applying ink or watercolour over the top; however, just because it is familiar, do not overlook the humble ballpoint.

Gel Pens

Although they’re intended for writing, gel pens often have intensely coloured ink that works very well for art. They are also easy to use, are usually inexpensive and can double as general-use pens. This makes them an especially good way for beginners to experiment with ink and watercolour. However, gel pens are prone to splodging, so you cannot achieve the subtlety of shading you might get with a ballpoint.

Gel pens are readily and cheaply available and make an interesting addition to your toolkit if you wish to explore coloured line in your work.

The Uni-ball Signo is an incredibly useful gel pen. Its highly pigmented ink is smooth and it comes in tip sizes ranging from 0.28mm to 1mm. Signo ink is also acid-free and lightfast, so it will not fade over time. The ink stands up well to water, but may take up to twenty-four hours to dry. The white version is one of the most opaque available and highly recommended.

Water-Soluble Pens

Fineliner and felt-tip type pens are also available containing water-soluble ink. Examples include Point 88 from Stabilo or the Elegant Writer range. The joy of this type of pen is that it can provide both the line and the wash.

The Stabilo 88 pen is water-soluble, so is perfect for sketching on location with the addition of a water brush, here at a wine tasting in Italy.

Dancing Grebes, 35 × 35cm, pen and wash on paper. An Elegant Writer water-soluble pen was used alongside a permanent pen to add movement to this painting.

Following the sketch, a quick addition of water dissolves enough of the ink to form a wash and create tone. In the case of the Elegant Writer, the ink separates into turquoise and pink, so one pen provides the black line plus a variegated wash.

The downside is that these inks are not lightfast, but for location sketching or sketchbook work they are invaluable and incredibly quick to use.

Other Pens

Watercolour pens make a good addition to the toolkit. The Tombow Dual Brush Pen has a fine tip perfect for consistent lines and tight drawings, complemented by a highly flexible brush tip. So one pen can provide the line and wash, again great for location drawing.

Tombows work like watercolour paints, are transparent and blend readily, so they are very useful in urban sketching for providing tone without adding water and consequent drying time to your work process.

Water Brushes

We touched upon brush fountain pens earlier, but of course water brushes can be filled with fountain pen ink.

Water brushes are incredibly versatile. They may not have the properties of a fine watercolour brush, but their convenience is brilliant. They can also be filled with ink or paint.

As its name suggests, a water brush is meant to be filled with water and used with watercolours. However, if you are finding you get through cartridges and converters quickly, you might find its larger reservoir a better choice. You can fill a water brush with your favourite dye- and pigment-based fountain pen inks without fear of running out of ink at an inopportune moment.

Fibre-Tipped Pens and Markers

With their consistent, quick-drying colours, modern marker pens may be more associated with graphic studios than fine art studios, but they make an excellent medium when sketching or drawing outdoors. If you intend to overlay colours, choose a solvent-based marker and, as support, use pads designed to resist colour-bleeding.

Dip Pens