Inktober day 1 Organic Piano
Oct. 1st, 2019 07:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellerSo this is day 1, using my own prompt list.
That was fun! Actually, my first idea for the prompt was something NSFW but I decided against drawing it (too many RL contacts, including family members, read this...) so I'm really gladaliax_alexandre did that instead! :D I went for slightly more conventional fantasy stuff: a tree with leaves that are ominously arranged like piano keys... I wonder what that sounds like?
Also, here's the material I used:
The Cappuccino Book (and its twin, the Grey Book) and I are old friends - I really like the slightly toned paper that's not quite as dark (or as yellowish) as Kraft paper but allows the use of white highlights. With 120 gsm (55 lbs), it's a bit thin for large-area ink washes, but it's the only toned paper I know with a surface sizing optimized for fountain pens, so I just have to live with that. (I'd LOVE a paper with identical surface but three times as thick. Unfortunately, no one manufactures that kind of thing.)
For drawing, I again used the Duke Confucius fountain pen with Fude nib, which I've discussed here at length.
The pen is filled with Noodler's "bulletproof" black, an ink I don't like much for writing (I prefer non-waterproof inks for that, they're easier to remove in case a pen dries out), but which works extremely well for artistic purposes. It's a light, warm black that dries with a matte finish, which makes it easier to scan or to take photos of. It's also archival, so it doesn't smudge once dry, and I don't have to worry about fading. Useful stuff.
For shading, I picked up a Faber Castell watercolor marker with pigment ink in Warm Grey III. These pens are a fairly new launch so this is the first time I have one. I found the shade a pleasant tone for shading in the book, cooler than the paper itself (which is appropriate for shadows, anyway) but not too contrasting. I have not used the watercoloring option of that pen yet, so I'm probably wasting good material here, but whatever. (EDIT: I have now, later, tried this: the watercolor effect works just fine, but as expected, only on watercolor paper. In the Cappuccino Book, watercoloring it gets a bit blotchy.)
The white ink was an emergency buy because I discovered my old bottle had dried out... This is a brand I haven't used before, Kuretake White Ink 30, which so far does what it's supposed to do, and (nice!) is waterproof after drying. A good product, and one that (unless it does something horrible in the meantime) I'll probably buy again. I'm using the ink with a waterbrush (Pentel).
The white highlighter pen, Neopiko Line White, is a bit too transparent for my taste. Whatever. It works. And to be fair, I haven't found a white pen that's actually, really, opaque anywhere yet, so at least it's not worse than all the rest. ^^ It's not perfect but the best one I've found so far.
Not in the picture are a mechanical pencil (Pentel Energize in 0.7; my favorite sketching tool, very old and very worn, broken clip and everything) and an eraser (perfectly generic; I don't remember the brand) for preliminary sketching.
That was fun! Actually, my first idea for the prompt was something NSFW but I decided against drawing it (too many RL contacts, including family members, read this...) so I'm really glad
aliax_alexandre did that instead! :D I went for slightly more conventional fantasy stuff: a tree with leaves that are ominously arranged like piano keys... I wonder what that sounds like?Also, here's the material I used:
The Cappuccino Book (and its twin, the Grey Book) and I are old friends - I really like the slightly toned paper that's not quite as dark (or as yellowish) as Kraft paper but allows the use of white highlights. With 120 gsm (55 lbs), it's a bit thin for large-area ink washes, but it's the only toned paper I know with a surface sizing optimized for fountain pens, so I just have to live with that. (I'd LOVE a paper with identical surface but three times as thick. Unfortunately, no one manufactures that kind of thing.)
For drawing, I again used the Duke Confucius fountain pen with Fude nib, which I've discussed here at length.
The pen is filled with Noodler's "bulletproof" black, an ink I don't like much for writing (I prefer non-waterproof inks for that, they're easier to remove in case a pen dries out), but which works extremely well for artistic purposes. It's a light, warm black that dries with a matte finish, which makes it easier to scan or to take photos of. It's also archival, so it doesn't smudge once dry, and I don't have to worry about fading. Useful stuff.
For shading, I picked up a Faber Castell watercolor marker with pigment ink in Warm Grey III. These pens are a fairly new launch so this is the first time I have one. I found the shade a pleasant tone for shading in the book, cooler than the paper itself (which is appropriate for shadows, anyway) but not too contrasting. I have not used the watercoloring option of that pen yet, so I'm probably wasting good material here, but whatever. (EDIT: I have now, later, tried this: the watercolor effect works just fine, but as expected, only on watercolor paper. In the Cappuccino Book, watercoloring it gets a bit blotchy.)
The white ink was an emergency buy because I discovered my old bottle had dried out... This is a brand I haven't used before, Kuretake White Ink 30, which so far does what it's supposed to do, and (nice!) is waterproof after drying. A good product, and one that (unless it does something horrible in the meantime) I'll probably buy again. I'm using the ink with a waterbrush (Pentel).
The white highlighter pen, Neopiko Line White, is a bit too transparent for my taste. Whatever. It works. And to be fair, I haven't found a white pen that's actually, really, opaque anywhere yet, so at least it's not worse than all the rest. ^^ It's not perfect but the best one I've found so far.
Not in the picture are a mechanical pencil (Pentel Energize in 0.7; my favorite sketching tool, very old and very worn, broken clip and everything) and an eraser (perfectly generic; I don't remember the brand) for preliminary sketching.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-01 08:50 pm (UTC)Not as absurd as you seem to think. Wearing a mask is necessary when using hazardous stuff like airbrush, anyway. (And yes, my boyfriend's apartment does have an airbrush room.) Still, it's something I prefer to avoid. Watercolors are just so practical and convenient!
no subject
Date: 2019-10-01 09:07 pm (UTC)I had no idea O.o ! Then again, my knowledge of airbrushing comes from a few Youtube videos where they would have a bigger incentive not to wear a mask.
And yes, my boyfriend's apartment does have an airbrush room.
A room just for airbrushing O.o !? Is he an artist too, by the way?
Watercolors are just so practical and convenient!
And pretty! Don't forget pretty! ... Especially when you make them sparkle :D
no subject
Date: 2019-10-01 09:19 pm (UTC)Ugh. Let's just say tiny droplets of liquid acrylic are not the thing I want in my lungs?!? I'd always wear a mask for things like airbrush, or even just fixative, spray varnish, all that stuff.
A room just for airbrushing O.o !? Is he an artist too, by the way?
Yeah, every apartment needs one of those. XD I think the architects intended it as storage space, but... Creative people will be creative. (And yeah... He's also a scientist but he does art https://www.deviantart.com/kamikaye and I'm occasionally very, very envious. Also, his pictures sparkle even more than mine!)
And pretty! Don't forget pretty! ... Especially when you make them sparkle :D
Yep, pretty and sparkly! :3