 |
This art bag (an organiser bag sold by the National
Trust) has gone with me almost everywhere - travelling as far afield
as Mallorca - in the last 15 months. I've drawn it with my
Rapidoliner, currently fitted with a 0.5 nibbed
black refill. What I like most about this pen is the inkiness of
the line, what I like least about it is its over-inkiness
- particularly its celebrated habit of 'exploding' in the reduced
pressure of an aircraft cabin. On the plus side, unlike my
Rotring Art Pen, when the Rapidoliner ink is dry it is waterproof,
so I can be free with the watercolour wash.
|
Fresh Cartridge
I like the smooth, 150 gsm, acid free, slightly creamy cartridge of
the new Daler-Rowney sketchbook that I've drawn this
in: this is the first time I've tried the paper for colour. It takes a
while for the wash to dry, so I found myself wafting it with a piece of
paper so that I could turn the page.
 This
sketchbook has a stout book-style binding, which is a change from the
chunky spiral bound Pink Pig sketchbooks which I've used a lot during
the last year. It has a suitably rugged 'slate' design on the hard covers.
As it's A6 (6 x 4 inches), it's perfect for popping in my art bag when
I set off on a journey.
And I can do that again now that, at last, I have finished my garden
book. The proof of the cover should arrive tomorrow.
 |
Big Mugshot
 I
drew these under dim light, after dinner and a glass of wine, without
reading glasses, so it was interesting to put my glasses on after
I'd drawn them, to see just what the results were.
You should be seeing this drawing of the Falcon housewares
cup that I use for my paint water (it's the lid of a small
churn type of jug) at it's true size (right) of about 2
inches (5 cm) but I've enlarged it (left) to show you the
texture of line and watercolour in it. Some of the subtly and the
characteristic wobbliness of my line gets lost in the small version.
Working on scans for print for my book for the last few months
makes me realise just how much is lost in the 75 dots per inch versions
of my drawings as seen in this diary.
In print you'd be getting the drawing at it's true size, as on
the right, but incorporating all the detail and texture as seen
on the left.  |
Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk
|
