007 - Draw a view out of a window

Mixing daily practise with exploring my materials.

I drew this with my new Rotring ArtPen - I paid about 20-25 euro for it, with two ink cartridges, so it's not an expensive pen, but there is a lovely feel to it. A bit scratchy, but I tried it on really basic paper, and it still feels lively and fun! I chose the medium nib. Maybe I should also get a fine nib?

I was told by the lady in the lovely art shop in Bruges that the ink was waterproof, but clearly something got lost in translation. That said, the colour of the black is so gorgeous that it adds something very rich when it mixes with water or watercolours.

The watercolours I added are from the mini set from Sennelier. A limited palette (eight colours, two of which are green), but as you can see here, I am not disappointed!! This was painted on Strathmore Sketch paper, not designed for water media, and the colours sing out brighter than I would have expected!

The other two pens I tried at the bottom of the page are:

• my trusted Manuscript fountain pen - so smooth and easy to use - the ink is watersoluble as you can see. But the line glides so easily, and I like to use the ink itself for shading - just add a dab of water.
• my lovely Sakura Pigma Micron pen - a very different feel of course, much more precise. This is not a fountain pen after all, but more a fine marker. The big advantage is that it's fully waterproof. And I used it on a flight recently and it didn't leak at all (unlike my Uniball pen), so probably would be my first choice for travelling.