The Artists’ Toolbox: Drawing with Ink Lines and Wash

Pre-requisites for enrolment

Some basic drawing skills and experience of art and design is required.

Special Information

Materials you will need to bring to the first class:

• A range of dip pen nibs and holders

• 2-3 watercolour wash brushes either sable or acrylic fibre

• Bottle of Indian ink – black and sepia (or other dark brown)

• Kitchen towel

• Masking tape

Essential materials and equipment students must provide themselves:

• A range of dip pens

• A range Indian ink colours

• A range of gouache paint colours

• Black Quink ink

• A range of ink containers

• Ink droppers

• A range of small and wash brushes

• Kitchen towel

• Putty rubber

• Masking tape

• Sketchbook

Content of Course

This courses will focus on two main areas; a range of specific drawing skills and approaches using dip pens, ink and wash, and pictorial compositional design derived from primary and secondary source material.

Students will learn specific drawing techniques and approaches through initial demonstration and practical exercises. Students will work from a studio set up, given and found secondary sources such as photographs and their own drawings and photographs. Through group discussion and presentation the notion of compositional design as a tool to develop a more inventive and imaginative approach to subject matter will be a major consideration. The final sessions of the course, students will be challenged to create at least three more resolved and complex drawings using the techniques and approaches within the course.

1. Introduction to using a dip pen and ink techniques.

2. What is pictorial composition and what makes it work?

3. Using primary sources and studio set ups to trigger an imaginative and inventive responses through drawing and composition.

4. How to record compositional ideas in a sketchbook.

5. Introduction to using ink lines with wash with muted colour.

6. Developing compositions using chalk pastels from sketchbook thumbnails and given secondary sources.

7. How to consider light sources, tone and introduce muted colour.

8. How to collect and develop secondary sources as visual research

9. Introduction to combined line and wash with muted colour and limited palette

10. Use secondary source materials and sketchbook drawings to develop more imaginative and inventive compositions.

11. Consider mood, subject and context of compositional drawings.

12. Develop a series of related, ambitious and complex compositional drawings.

Teaching method(s)

This course will be based and delivered in specialist art and design studios. Students’ progress will be monitored and supported by the tutor with individual advice given to each student. Teaching will include practical demonstration of technique, one to one tuition, group discussions and critiques.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Use dip pen, sticks and brushes to make line and wash drawings effectively and with confidence

• Use drawing to develop a range of complex compositions derived primary and secondary source materials

• Resolve and present a series of intensive and coherent compositional drawings.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:

• Laughton, B. 1991. The drawings of Daumier and Millet, Yale University Press.

• Kertess, K. 1998. William de Kooning : drawings seeing/seeing drawing., Santa Fe : Arena Editions.

• Flanagan, B. 2001. European artist : seeing round corners. 1941-2009. Waddington Galleries. London : Waddington Galleries

• Luckhardt U., and Melia, p. 1995, David Hockney - A Drawing Retrospective. 1st ed. London: Thames and Hudson.

• Bernice, R., 1982. A century of modern drawing from the Museum of Modern Art, New York British Museum. Trustees.; Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Mass.); Cleveland Museum of Art.

Web Sources

Will be provided with class handouts.

Class Handouts

Handouts will be available within a course wiki.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.