Hey hey! Welcome to my website. Here I’ll just be sharing information on some drawings I’ve been doing recently, including materials I’ve used and the thoughts behind it.
This is the drawing I’ve been working on:
Materials used for this piece:
Pen & nibs:
MANUSCRIPT Leonardt Drawing & Mapping Calligraphy Pen Set.
I also bought a job lot of 20 vintage nibs from eBay for £1 about 7 years ago, so I’m not 100% sure of the brands, but they’re all pointed nibs. I’ve genuinely had the same pen set for around 8 years now and they’re still going strong.
Ink:
Winsor & Newton inks are always my go-to.
Brushes:
Miniature round synthetic brushes: Pro Arte sizes 2/0, 3/0, and 5/0
Daler-Rowney Graduate Classic Synthetic Brush Set (pack of 5)
Paper:
Daler-Rowney Fine Grain, lightly textured, heavyweight 200gsm
I really like this paper because it absorbs ink well and the texture adds to the line work. That said, the grain can sometimes catch on finer nibs and makes super smooth lines a bit tricky. If you’re looking for very crisp, perfect lines, I’d recommend a smoother, hot-pressed paper (around 180–300gsm).
Line tests:
Here’s the scrap paper that I used to test lines on and get paper unstuck from the pen like I just mentioned:
I think it looks pretty cool in itself actually.
Here’s the pics of the materials too:
(I’ve had that blue pen for 8 years now)
Beginning process:
At the start of this drawing, I used a lot of reference photos that I take myself. I think it’s more personalised when you do. I use them more as a starting point rather than something to copy as I sorta borrowing shapes, textures, shadows, lines and structures and then letting the drawing move away from the photos into patterns as it develops.
Working at A2 also really changes how I approach a piece. I can’t finish something this size in one sitting without my hand aching like a , but it allows me to work in sections and constantly step back to see the whole image. It becomes much more physical moving around the paper (as well as my desk not being big enough to draw it up right so alot of the time I’m drawing it sidewards).
My pov drawing it sidewards:
Working with ink:
I think I prefer working with ink on paper rather than fine liners because it forces me to slow down and I also have a really weird thing where I feel like fine liners are slightly grey? It annoys me so I prefer the consistency that ink has as it’s always black. Not to mention it’s alot easier to fill whole sections in as I can use a brush rather than “colour it in”. Ink makes you very aware that you can’t rush it at all and you need a tad more patience. If the ink is too wet it smudges, if it hasn’t fully dried it becomes sticky, and it can bleed into other lines. You can’t fight it and you have to let it rest. So when I am working larger draws I tend to focus heavy on sectioning, I mean this helps with composition too.
If you’re new to ink and want to try dip pens, MANUSCRIPT sets are a great place to start. I didn’t use them for this drawing, but I’d also recommend Pro Arte Series 45 Sablesque Blended Mop Brushes for experimenting with ink and creating quick, flowing lines. I usually use these more in sketching stages. When I’m outside drawing though I use a brush pen you can fill up with ink as it’s easier to transport around.
About the piece:
I honestly really expected this piece to feel quite busy, but once it was finished it feels calmer than anticipated. Everything holds each other in place and flows really nicely.
Through my work, I like to leave space for interpretation. I enjoy not fully knowing what a piece is about while I’m making it the meaning often shows up later, or sometimes it doesn’t at all. I’ve never been the sorta person to have a meaning in mind before hand.
I much prefer to to focus on that continuous line work, allowing images to surface gradually throughout the repetition. I don’t know I think for me anyway this process always creates interesting shapes and textures and it’s a process that I find I enjoy. I’m drawn to forms that sit somewhere between delicacy and intensity, and to the way everything becomes tangled together maybe it’s similar to how thoughts usually are?
Either way I particularly enjoy combining natural forms with human figures and focusing on impressions and outlines rather than overly defined detail.
Mistakes:
A really important part I think of my drawing is letting mistakes become texture
This drawing is absolutely covered in mistakes like ink smudges and wrong lines and most of them I just re work and cover up by going back into the lines and new patterns. My entire style of drawing developed from embracing the mistakes I make and I find those moments are usually where the more interesting parts of the work come from. Ink is unforgiving it is what it is and mistakes are unavoidable, I think it’s important to respond to them. Some of my favourite areas started as something going wrong!
Halfway:
Meaning:
I wasn’t aiming for a specific symbol or story,
I don’t usually begin with a fixed meaning in mind, I’ll be honest I think it is all down to interpretation. For me, the value of this piece sits in the process itself repetition and allowing forms to emerge. Whatever the drawing becomes emotionally tends to reveal itself later, both to me and to the viewer.
Inspiration:
A lot of my inspiration comes from places rather than specific images. For example recently I bought a National Trust memberships as they have really interestimg buildings full of unique art and historical things and I absolutely love nature so the gardens are perfect for taking my own reference photos. I usually take photos of things like stones and rocks, pathways,, plant forms and overgrown plants. I usually go for natural forms that have some kinda repetition found in, petals, wings, veins, and layered textures.
Another thing, I have been doing some drawings outside recently and and I’m enjoying nature and quite spaces which I think that feeds into it too. I think it may add to that subconscious way I draw as I do try to stay from a clear final image as I find it helps me be abit less of a perfectionist and embrace mistakes.
Thanks for reading about my drawing anyway! Id love to hear what you think its about or any opinions too ❤
Inside my pencil case:
On my instagram you can see time lapses of the drawing too!
Nicki Amy Designs 