Inky fingers - Inktense and other inks

 I had a lovely day yesterday with the Friends of Ballarat Botanical Gardens FOBG; a wonderful group of talented artists who meet every Monday. The session I title 'BotanINK'; so drawing plants and botanical items in ink. Not strictly scientific drawings, more interpretative and free form. The challenge is to draw from a live specimen in ink, with NO initial pencil outline!

I use a specific method to demonstrate and teach this technique. If you would like a full description and step by step instructions, please contact me via the link on the right with your preferred email address and I will send you a pdf of the worksheet for this class.

The bare bones is to use four 'dots' to establish the top, bottom and sides of your image, then carefully draw an outline of the shape only using black ink and connect (maybe) those four dots. Once your outline is established, you infill the negative spaces and join shapes to create more defined leaves and stems. Finally, you can add detail using hatching, crosshatching, dots, sketchy lines, etc. It is challenging, but really rather fun. Each artist was given a sprig of Eucalyptus Baby Blue to draw using this technique. 

Previous Eucalyptus Baby Blue demonstration: RBGCranbourne 2023. This was repeated at Ballarat, and the final result with color addition is shown below.

Of course, then can use color inks to follow! There are many types of inks to try, and I brought along a selection to test out with the group. This included Adel and Staedtler color fine liner pens, Art Spectrum Acrylic inks, Sennilier Shellac inks, Inktense pencils, Inktense blocks, Inktense pans, and finally Prismacolor marker pens. Quite a selection!

Just some of the different types of inks that were available to try!

And of course, I did a few small demonstrations of different ways to use these inks and how they could work alongside and with the black line drawing.

Demonstration showing how different color inks work as tints, lines, and blocks of color. Each little demo took no more than 5 minutes.

To further show how color can be added to black ink drawing, I used my earlier demonstration from that morning of the Eucalyptus Baby Blue and went to town with the marker pens!

Added color with Prismacolor marker pens to black ink demonstration drawing. The black in drawing was done using Staedtler Mars fine liner pens ranging from .05 to .5 nibs. Paper used was Lana Bristol 250gsm.

Each artist then went away and experimented with the different inks using their own reference materials - from live specimens, color photos and digital tablets. They all did some fantastic work and seemed to enjoy the experience!

One artist had as specific problem; how to draw a pinecone? This is my demonstration work I did with her showing how to analyze the cone structure and then draw it with ink washes and fine liner pens (all sepia.) This was done on a Waterfords Cold Press paper, 350gsm.

It was a busy and full day with lots of fun drawing. And afterwards I had a delightful stroll through the gardens, admiring the statuary in the old conservatory, enjoying the colorful spring ranunculus display, and getting all nostalgic down the Sequoia walk. At only 160 years old they are still only youngsters!

Beautiful spring display at Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Thank you to the Friends for a wonderful day of BotanINK!

Outre Gallery

 Earlier this month I visited the Outre Gallery in Fitzroy to see Alfred Liu's 'Dream Quest' solo exhibition - and was totally blown away by the work! I told my classes about the show, and I know a few of you went to see it and were similarly impressed. If you missed it, you can still see the preview HERE. Make sure to click on the link on that page to see/listen to the interview with Alfred. His work is whimsical and moving, beautifully executed in gouache and pencils. Fairly small scale, with intimate and exacting detail. Do have a look.

Outre will also be having their international VANGUARD exhibition starting September 22 to 15 October. This is another interesting show - a group show of international artists that is interesting and eclectic... to quote from the catalogue:

"Outré Gallery is proud to announce the VANGUARD Invitational, an exhibition featuring artists who are leading the way in their creative practices and forging ahead in new frontiers. Each artist brings something totally exceptional to the table – from their execution and technique, to their innovation, creative vision and idiosyncratic flair. Many of the artists invited to this show have never exhibited with us before, and we are eager to share their work on Australian soil. We also warmly welcome back artists who have shown with us previously and delight in seeing their newest original work. 

We are so proud of the diversity on display in this veritable feast of international talent. Our artists hail from across the world: from the US to the UK, Japan to France, the Netherlands to Poland – and even here, on our very own shores. The artworks span not only terrestrial scope, but breadth of style, methodology and concept. Our artists are classically trained or completely self-taught; displaying meticulous restraint or a flurry of expression. There are works of hyperrealism and fine rendering amongst the bold and abstracted. There are mind-bending surrealist pieces amidst chiselled, architectural wonders. Pop-art infused depictions sit beside the whimsical and folkloric.

It is a melting pot of visual splendour. These are the pioneers of their craft. Prepare for the VANGUARD- you will be spellbound."

I was sent a preview catalogue there are some great pieces, and some weird and wonderful things. Of course, my favorite is Mark Seabrook, but there are many others to admire.

Not sure if my link to the preview catalogue will work, but here goes: CATALOGUE

Enjoy your school holidays everyone! I am taking a well-deserved break for a week or so - just chilling out, gardening, doodling, visiting galleries, playing video games, etc.

Just don't forget to come see 'Bestiary Mechanica' on October 4!

Serpentis Maris

 Well, I thought I was finished... but it seems I had one more work in me for my Bestiary Mechanica.

 Hope you enjoy this preview of my 'Serpentis Maris' (sea-serpent).

You can see the entire show preview HERE

But don't forget to come see the works in real life if you can, would love to see you at the opening!