Pen-and-ink drawing, like linocut block printing, is unique in that it cannot be easily duplicated by digital methods. We will look at Old Master drawings as well as artwork by celebrated artists of recent years. Students will learn how to define shape and texture with varied linework techniques. Old castles of stone lend themselves nicely to this, with their picturesque historical architecture. They appeal to our fantastical imaginations.
Returning students are welcome. We will have a new group of four castles and you will have six weeks to create four finished pieces suitable for framing. We will cover inking techniques of crosshatch, stippling, dip pens, positive and negative space, and basic perspective. Watercolor over ink is optional.
Students will have the assignment to make a pencil drawing sometime over the six weeks, sketched on site of a Victorian or similar old house in your neighborhood- to have an experience of working from life.
Optional: make an outing to Georgetown to the Dumbarton Oaks neighborhood to draw a row house, or draw our own “castle”, the Smithsonian building on the Mall (it is used for administration; built in the 19th century)
Materials Needed:
- 1 sepia pen (Suggested: Sakura Pigma Micron PN Pen – Sepia | BLICK Art Materials (dickblick.com)
- 1 black pen
- 1 bottle of ink (Suggested: Higgins Waterproof Black Ink | BLICK Art Materials (dickblick.com)
- 1 fine and 1 medium nib for dip pens
- 1 dip pen holder
- 8 sheets of drawing paper (9×12)
- 1 mat with a “window” of 9×12 (optional)
- 1 pencil
- 1 eraser
This class is for ages 14 and up.
Instruction will be provided through the Zoom platform. Students will need to have a webcam and the ability to download zoom on their computer, phone, or tablet. Once you register for the class, you will be sent an e-mail with the Zoom URL to log in to the class. Please provide a correct and viable e-mail address when registering as this is how you receive your link.
Please use the Notes section on the registration form to list any accommodations you will need during the class.
Image: Ink drawing by Maureen, a student in the fall 2021 series of this class of the Chateau Chaumont in France.