A Good Mixer

While working on the Peak District sketchbook I've been experimenting with ways of working in line and tone. When I saw these I thought I'd give them a try: Tombow ABT dual brush pens have a fine fibre-tip at one end and a flexible brush-like tip at the other. The acid free water-based inks come in 114 colours including 22 shades of grey. Grey, my favourite colour! Well, I'm using it a lot at the moment, anyway.

The art shop was doing an offer of 5 pens for £10, so I went for a selection of four of the warm greys (out of a range of 7) and a lamp black. Having used them, I think I should have gone for the lightest tones and not bothered with the lamp black: I could have done the initial drawing in another pen with waterproof ink.

Brush Pen v. Wash

I was inspired to draw this mixer after reading Michael Nobbs' latest issue of The Beany but I'm no Michael Nobbs and this has turned out looking like a Magic Marker visual.

The problem for me with these pens is that they don't give a flat, graphic look - like the Photoshop tints that Michael adds to his drawings - but nor do they give the organic feel that you'd get from sloshing on a wash of dilute Chinese ink with a brush (the method I currently use, right). I have to say I much prefer the wash drawing.

I'm sure they'll be useful though, in situations where I can't take out my pots of ink washes and start splashing about.

The food mixer is one Barbara's mum had spare. She's kindly given it to me because I want to try making recycled paper. And I didn't dare use Barbara's food processor!

Haven't tried the papermaking yet. I'll let you know how it goes.

Link

Tombow ABT brush pens colour chart

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk