The governor of NY always seems to be angry, but that makes for interesting creases and wrinkles worth sketching.
But really, this picture was just an excuse to fully try out G.C. Murphy Tarnished Nickle ink (Birmingham Pen Co.) that I used as an accent color on the Rusted Pipe. It is a complex grey ink with blue and pink undertones. I just love it! To round out the picture, I added a touch of watercolor to give his face a bit of color.
Pen & Ink on extra heavy weight 270 gsm mixed media paper (Stillman & Birn)
This is just a quick sketch but you can really see how complex the G.C. Murphy Tarnished Nickle ink. Just so much fun!
Been rereading all the Hellboy books. . .Mike Mignola is a genius. He is such a masterful storyteller. I love his use of darks, combined with Dave Stewart's (not that Dave Stewart, the other one) moody and muted colors to create the horror noir that is Hellboy.
So inspired by Mignola, I decided to try my hand at a Hellboy illustration (the tentacled horror is a bit of a swipe. . .). And I have been wanting/trying to do a comic book style page using watercolors like this one. Every time I start one, I decide to leave it as ink alone. This time, however, with the aforementioned inspiration, I was able to make the leap.
Watercolor and ink 14x10 on 200 lbs paper
And here is the pen and ink drawing before I applied the watercolor over it.
The inking was done use a folded pen (see below) from Toronto Pen Company. By varying the angle (and pressure), the nib allows for thin and very thick lines.
Another drawing based on a photo my friends photo safari in Africa. I was debating whether to sketch it with a folding pen or paint it in watercolors or both (like the Wild African Dog). I still might paint it, but not for a while.
I really do love Robert Oster Melon Tea. It is a warm sepia with some greenish tints. Just perfect for loose sketches like this one.
Folded Pen and Robert Oster Melon Tea ink 5X7 on 98 lbs paper
Dingo ate my. . . ::ahem:: Not a dingo but a wild African dog in Botswana (photo reference below). I think I captured the dog's pensive, sentinel stare.
Watercolor 7x10 on 90 lbs paper
Below is the same dog done with a folded nib (bought these really cool folded nibs that fit on a standard nib holder; from The Toronto Pen Company) as loose gestural warm up. If I was smart, I could have done it as a value study, but I am not. The eyes on this one are more cartoony and I did not quite get the shape of the muzzle and jaw. However, it was very fun to do and this sketch definitely helped me get things right in the painting.
Pen & Ink (Robert Oster Melon Tea) 7x10 on 90 lbs paper
Couple of doodles using the melon tea ink and light wash as I prepared to do the watercolor. Not sure where the bird came from.
And here is the photo reference taken by a friend of mine whilst they were in Botswana.
A cute little brown bear in Brun Ours (brown bear) ink on a cold snowy day. Brun Ours is a moderately shading ink and it has become my favorite ink for flex pen writing (it looks so old school). Both the bear and the lettering done using a folded nib pen.
I have been wanted to try out a folded nib pen for a long time. Many artists use them for calligraphy (the letters produced with this nib are kinda insane) but it can also be used for drawing. The nib can lay down lots and lots of ink, or very fine hairlines, producing pleasing line variation. I used Daniel Smith walnut ink, which is lighter than my favorite Winsor and Newton peat brown ink. However, it is capable of nice darks when layered.
walnut ink 10x7 on 140lbs paper
This is a custom, hand crafted folded nib pen created by Tim Leigh. They are works of art in and of themselves. I have pages and pages of practice lettering with my pen. It has been a joy learning and practicing with this pen.
