Last Thursday (13 Sept) went to the V&A's Print and Drawing study room (top floor). Well worth a visit, looked at four very large boxes of original book illustrations. You can't beat seeing the real artwork for figuring out 'how-on-earth' these pictures were produced. The originals by Anthony Meeuwissen and Mike Wilks were stunning, both were gouache with some subtle over shading and texturing. They have loads of Kate Greenaway originals in pen and watercolour, I was surprised how small they are. Loved the details in the scenes like the brooms, grain sacks and farmhouse brickwork.
Found out something else whilst on-route to the museum. I stopped off in Green & Stone (Chelsea) to look at pens, for drawing and inking in. They're very helpful and I now know that mapping (dip) pen nibs are graded by their flexibility, not their tip size. So the 303 is springy and will splay out quite a lot, so giving a wide range of line weights from thin to thick. For a more consistent line you need a rigid nib such as the 1068, which I bought. Somehow I expect I'll end up sticking to a fountain pen or using a fibre tip! However the 303 is a great nib – a classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment