Exercise: Ink Swatches

I was feeling a bit blocked with my sketchbook and decided to create a page of experimental swatches using black quink ink and a range of other materials: chalk, charcoal, cigarette ash, watercolour pastels, felt tip, coloured pencil, gold marker pen, watercolour paint, water, bleach and lemon juice.

I used a range of tools to apply the ink: different nibs in a pen, toothbrush, paper towel, feather, paintbrushes of different width and texture.

I also tried different surfaces: watercolour paper, handmade paper, crepe paper, masking tape, tracing paper.
It was totally absorbing and great fun and some of the results were really and surprisingly beautiful. Mysterious even....

My favorites: felt pen over ink applied with paper towel, washed with water, brushed on bleach
dry-brushed ink over charcoal or cigarette ash with chalk

ink over white chalk

wide nib over masking tape then blotted

I'd love to do this again, experimenting with the same combinations on bigger swatches and trying new combinations.