Monday, October 2, 2023

On Drawing - Ink or Graphite

 On Drawing...

Stonington Spruced Up

Ink or graphite, which one to use for a quick minimal drawing before painting with watercolor?

Sometimes I'll jump right in and paint without sketching, sketching and painting with my brush, pure watercolor. But most times I sketch using a graphite pencil or using a pen with ink. My approach using graphite or ink is entirely different.


With graphite I'm doing a drawing, a realistic drawing, or I might use that approach with minimal drawing for hard edges for objects with ink. However, when using ink to draw it's not like making a coloring book's fill-in-the-outlines. I don't ink in entire outlines. My ink sketches are merely a guide. When using graphite, it's often hidden by the watercolors, though not entirely for graphite is opaque. But permanent ink, an even bolder opaque, when used loosely and sparingly becomes not only a minimal sketch but a part of the art's background.

In Stonington Spruced Up you can see how the ink-sketched drawing is quite loose and minimal. Look closely at the ink on the waterline, one minimal line, on the islands, one or two minimal lines, all giving me a guide for the watercolors. Look within the spruce. It's a minimal skeleton on which to build the body of watercolor. There are many empty spaces where the watercolor is the drawing draped over that skeletal guide, not following the edges. This is very different from drawing a realistic pictorial picture with graphite and then painting it.

I'm amused with watercolor societies when they state nothing opaque can be used, such as permanent ink, all the while overlooking opaque graphite. And with ink one must be bold, once it's on the paper, that's it. There's no erasing, drawing, erasing, drawing, niggling, like painters do with graphite, even me.

This watercolor scene is looking across the harbor in Stonington, Maine, painted plein air on June 28, 2021, 5" x 7" (w x h), using Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press, rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed,
NFS

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the image of watercolor shape being a”..drawing draped over that skeletal guide…”

NJ said...

Loved image of watercolor “draped over that skeletal guide…”