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TRY A NEW APPROACH TO THIS EASY-TO-USE MEDIUM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CHANGE YOUR COMPOSITIONS AS YOU WORK.
By Ron Colgrove
Developing an idea (cont’d)
Once that’s done, it’s time to transfer the drawing onto a 20 x 30 piece of heavyweight, 100 percent rag illustration board. (I prefer this rougher, cold-pressed surface because it’s non-yellowing and has a nice texture for inking.) To begin the transfer process, blacken the back of your final sketch with a soft graphite pencil. Then center the vellum drawing, face up, on top of the illustration board and trace over the sketch with a blue ballpoint pen so you can see where you’ve been. I always create 12 x 18 pen and ink drawings with a 3-inch border, but no matter what size you choose, transfer your drawing to an oversized sheet in case you want to adjust the placement later.
TRY A NEW APPROACH TO THIS EASY-TO-USE MEDIUM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CHANGE YOUR COMPOSITIONS AS YOU WORK.
By Ron Colgrove
Developing an idea (cont’d)
To decide how much of the reference photo to use in the initial sketch, I look for the most intriguing aspects of the photo to find my focal point. From there I may decide to crop out some or all of the rest of the photo and put in parts of other photos for the final pen and ink drawing. As I develop my sketches, I pay close attention to perspective and composition, or the “design of the page,” to make sure that the objects rest correctly on the ground and that my arrangement is balanced.
As you work out your compositions, you may need to make little adjustments, too. For example, if a tree in the reference photo looks as if it’s leaning too much to the left, you can add a branch on the right and let it grow a few more limbs to help balance it out. You can also improve your compositions by including extra objects, such as a figure or some bushes, or by simply suggesting textural details to be inked in later to create interesting patterns. But don’t feel as if you must work out every detail at this stage. There’ll be plenty of room for changes when you’re inking in your drawing.
Before going to your actual drawing surface, I recommend making a clean, full-size drawing—again on vellum—with just enough detail to indicate the correct position of things. If necessary, use a straightedge to pencil in any long, straight lines in your subject.
A Simple Approach Demonstration Item #2 of 5
SKETCHING THE COMPOSITION. My first goal for this preliminary sketch was to get the perspective correct, which I did by using the base of the house as my horizon line and projecting a few vanishing points. After these elements were established, I focused on my overall composition without going into too much detail.
TRY A NEW APPROACH TO THIS EASY-TO-USE MEDIUM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CHANGE YOUR COMPOSITIONS AS YOU WORK.
By Ron Colgrove
Developing an idea
I frequently come across buildings, landscapes and beach scenes whose shapes and shadows catch my eye. Sometimes I’m able to stop and do a felt-pen sketch on-site, but other times I simply shoot photos for reference. Either way, when I’m back in my studio with my reference material, I begin producing a rough preliminary sketch on vellum tracing paper. In some cases the sketch will become a strictly pen and ink drawing, but in other cases it’ll become the basis for a limited-edition silkscreen print that I enhance with various strengths of watercolor washes.
Pleasant View Road in the Summertime
Pleasant View Road in Winter
A Simple Approach Demonstration Item #1 of 5
PHOTOGRAPHING THE SUBJECT. I found the textures and shadow patterns in this abandoned old house near my home to be appealing, so I photographed it in both summer and winter. This allowed me to get good reference photos of the house and the surrounding foliage.
TRY A NEW APPROACH TO THIS EASY-TO-USE MEDIUM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CHANGE YOUR COMPOSITIONS AS YOU WORK.
By Ron Colgrove
I’ve always enjoyed pen and ink drawing because it offers unlimited opportunities for creative expression. By varying my line widths, using different types of pen strokes and accentuating my values, I’m able to create works that range from loose and lyrical to pointed and precise. The lone problem I encountered with the medium, however, was its apparent inflexibility. I felt confined, as though I had to finish a drawing exactly the way I started it. But over the years I’ve developed processes that allow me to change or restructure each drawing as I create it. These techniques have freed my creativity so that I can follow new directions and enhance the aesthetic appeal of my work.
Kelly's Place by Ron Colgrove
A stretch of the imagination
When I was mostly finished with Kelly’s Place (pen and ink, 24 x 18) I noticed that there was a big empty space in the middle. Deciding I needed to add something; in this case, a hillside and cabin, I made a sketch of it on tracing paper and then moved it around to check for placement and perspective. Then I inked it in.