I read that if you soak the reed pens in water for a couple of hours then they hold more ink so I gave this a try and it seemed to work. I started with the poppy seeds and then moved on to a sunflower head which I lay on its side
The sunflower was really complicated with lots of dead petals leaves and seeds. The idea for these sketches is to work fairly quickly so I tried to get down enough information in less than 10 minutes. I'm pleased with the result.
Time for a change of subject matter.....found this man reading in the conservatory.....just perfect for my next sketch. I concentrated on the head only this time. By now I was feeling more confident with the pens and I could judge the amount of ink they held which helped with the mark making. I was pleased with this sketch. I did think about adding more marks but felt that the composition worked well as it was.
I have to admit it's immensely satisfying working with tools that you have made yourself. The whole experience felt more organic, almost like the pen was an extension of my own fingers. Some may find having to renew the ink an interruption to the flow but you just have to look at the drawings of Van Gogh and wonder at the fluidity of his mark making.
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