Developing Ink Sketches

Today I developed yesterday’s more incomplete sketch. I started this sketch out with the modded Carbon pen but finished it with my trusty spoon nib dip pen and my bottle of thick, traditional Japanese Sumi ink, using the Tachikawa pen here and there. (I suspect the Tachikawa pen will be mentioned a lot on this blog ere long; it’s quickly worming its way into that void in my heart that was left behind by the blue Noodler’s Nib Creaper pen!)

I made a few changes once I’d snapped it with my phone and taken it into Procreate on my iPad; not many, because with traditional work I feel like doing no more than finishing touches when I take it digital, but some; used digital white ink to carve into the solid blacks in the trees in the foreground. I feel like this piece, which started out as a study sketch of a Pinterest photograph, could have developed into a full blown ink illustration if I had the mental stamina for it. It can still become that digitally, but for now I want to return to my pens.

As with yesterday, I worked on this while listening to the Lord of the Rings audiobook, and just now finished Part 1 of The Return of the King. I had completely forgotten that this part ended with Pippin apparently dying; coming to the books after the films, I knew he’d survive- but dear god if it weren’t for the films Tolkien had me there.