Ammonite study
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
■ How to draw accurately in detail
■ Understand your materials
■ Top tips to build confidence using ink
Pen and wash is a popular technique with many artists. It has been used for hundreds of years, at least back to the 13th century when the Chinese used transparent ink washes to paint atmospheric effects.
As this study includes a lot of detail, I divided the demonstration into a drawing and a painting session. This month, we will focus on how to draw our subject – an ammonite – in detail, while next month, we will complete the painting by adding the washes.
Your materials
A waterproof fine-tipped pen, dip pen, or specially produced drawing pens are needed to draw the image. These pens vary in nib sizes as well, from a broader tip pen to a fine detailed version. Ensure that your pen is waterproof. If it doesn’t say on the side of the barrel, simply test it out onto scrap watercolour paper. Do a little scribble, let it dry for a minute then add colour over the top and see if the ink bleeds; if it doesn’t, you are ready to go!
Choose at least a mid-range quality watercolour paper. The type, weight
