A Rose … by any other name

This is, again, from my sketchbook. I have reverted to stippling for this one. I felt that hatching could be a little harsh for such soft shapes and shading.

It reminded me just how slow the stippling process is. It is a very mindful process, inasmuch as I can lose myself in the actions – just watching the form appear before my eyes. I think this one took may be 10 hours.
I start (after laying out the shape in pencil) by laying down mid-tone areas, leaving the highlight areas untouched. After that, I gradually add more dots to increase the tonal value – working one area/petal at a time.

Once I’ve finished all areas I review the whole piece and add any more if required. As with most art, the secret is knowing when to stop.

The sketchbook is a cheap one and the paper does not lend itself quite so well to the stippling technique. It is soft and quite absorbing – almost like blotting paper. This does give a soft, etherial look to the rose, but I felt a little lining was needed just to define the edges.

The leaves were a learning exercise. In order to make them fit with the rose they had to be more life-like.

Let me know what you think.

Note to self: Invest in a better quality sketchbook!

Hatching … a plan?

Continuing with my sketchbook at our Tuesday art gathering, I experimented with hatching, as opposed to stippling, for creating shape and texture in ink drawings.

I took my inspiration from old school techniques, as found in illustrated text books of the 50s and 60s, and a couple of modern ink artists.

The basic idea is for the lines to accentuate the form, creating the illusion of three dimensions, shading, and texture. One layer is called hatching, but the more layers added in different directions – called cross hatching – the more the shape is defined.

I chose to draw a peony this time. I used a 0.05 fine liner by Uni Pin.

I started with the flower. The difficulty here was to show tone, yet still have sufficient variation to give form. The leaves were simpler as they are not the main focus for the drawing. Lastly I added shadows. The principle is that shadows are darker the shaded areas, so hatching in four directions was necessary to get the required definition.

I am pleased with the image, it is dramatic with plenty of contrast. I shall be using this technique again. What do you think?

Commissions continue – Black Friday

Black Rose for Black Friday

I am pleased with progress for November. Commissions continue to come in. Three have been completed so far, and another has just been started.

Featured image is a previous commission, Black Rose. Well it is Black Friday.

There are other tasks which I hope to get time to work on – a new web page for Pen and Lens Artwork (we already have the domain name), a publicity sample for my rubber stamps (available through Chocolate Baroque), and start work on designs for cards.

The release of a second set of stamps gets ever closer!

Julie is working on cards for her colour therapy healing, and colour healing journals, as well as her flatlay photos. So there is plenty to do.

In the mean time check out Julie’s Instagram page @juliemoo1960 and my Instagram page @kpm.illustration (and @the_scratchypen for coloured works).

And if you would like to discuss a commission please contact me at kpm.writer@gmail.com 

Pen and Lens Artwork Ltd

With the success of the first set of crafting stamps, we realised it was time to make things official. So we set up our business – Pen and Lens Artwork Ltd. I’m the pen, Julie is the lens.

What we do is simple enough. Julie is a dab hand with the camera and captures images wherever she goes. These images are used either for her flowers, flatlays, or affirmation cards, or her colour therapy / psychology requirements, or by me to create the quirky houses seen on this web site.

She will also visit the site of commissioned work to record the detail for me to create a caricature of a house – so I can expose the inner character of what is sometimes a bland piece of architecture.

I hope you like what we do – email to info@penandlensartwork.com for more details.

Springy, summery time

Spring didn’t really arrive, but we are now starting to get some better weather as we run in to summer.

Our days out, and general wanderings (see @moodymeanders and @juliemoo1960 on Instagram) are a source of much inspiration. For Julie it is the flowers, gardens, and colourful shop displays. Her camera is always locked and loaded, ready to store another memory.

For me, it is the architecture, houses, shops, factories, old, new, interesting; vehicles, machinery, rusty, shiny, that set me thinking. How can I capture the soul of the object?

We will be visiting National Trust places during the summer, they cater for both our needs – and there is usually a quiet corner where one can enjoy a cup of tea and slice of cake.