Pattern and Texture

Two simple little drawings. The first one, the view from my front steps. The next one, a pair of shoes. In both, I’m drawing stuff I’d usually look past as too mundane or too simple, and I’m attempting to bring a sense of energy and interest through texture, all created with a single tool.

This is the Duke 551 Confucius Fountain Pen. I love the line it makes but it is SO heavy, it hurts my hand after a while. Also, if you take it out into the field and sketch a lot, you know you run out of a reservoir of ink pretty quickly. But it works well for a quick sketch from my front steps. To make it juicier, I use it as a dip pen. (See the bottle of ink in the corner of the photo?)

This sketch is with a single colored pencil, inspired by a sketch from Van Gogh’s sketchbook.

Things are slowly opening up but I am sketching a lot more at home and nearby and expect to continue to in the near future. And to keep it interesting and inspiring, I lean a lot on taking an idea or technique and applying it to familiar objects and scenes.

What has kept you inspired and making art through the pandemic? What’s worked for you and what hasn’t? I’d love to hear from you.