Pen and Ink illustrations

Many people tell me that they never learned to paint or deal with color because working is just black and white is so much better. That's a cop-out. It's easier. However reducing color to shades of gray can be rewarding and sometimes challenging.

I love working in pen and ink, not the new markers. They are nice but there is something to be said for dipping your nib into an ink well and scratching for a bit then having to return to the ink well. There is something basic, nostalgic, creative, even spiritual. You have to develop patience. It isn't quick and easy. There is the possibility of disaster if you should skip a step and drip on the picture. There is always the possibility of spilling. A scenario I know well having spilled ink on my mothers carpet while working on a picture I won an award for. No one seems to mention the award... just the fact that we had to replace the carpet.

Here are just a few of my pen and ink pieces. I loved doing the dots and the cross-hatching.