The break is over

After the Winter break from Lynmouth, I am back there this week.  It makes sense to have a rest from it over winter time.  There are fewer visitors for one thing, but also the weather plays a part.  Lynmouth is in a gorge, definitely a no go for driving if it happens to be icy.

This week there were lots of visitors, it’s half term here, so it was manic with parents and children.  Even so, a lot of people stopped to chat to me.  Some just pass the time of day and others ask about my paintings.  They also ask about techniques.  Think in all, I seem to do what could be described as a Walk In Tutorial, they go away happy with some painting insights they weren’t aware of, hopefully encouraged to pick up a sketchbook and pen, then do a 10 minute sketch each day. Meanwhile during the day I continue with the painting on the easel.  

Back in the studio, I have several paintings that are considered a Work-in-Progress, a bit frustrating having to wait for them to dry.  Worth the wait though.  When I look at them after a few weeks, I can see where I need to work on them.  Another method I use is to store them for drying upside down. That way, if I happen to glance at them, I’m not getting used to constantly seeing the scene I’ve painted.  When I get around to them again, I turn them back the right way up and That’s when I see them A Fresh.

This is now waiting to dry and I’ll get back to it in a few weeks …Click the image for the video

Title:  “Seeing is Believing on Exmoor”

Sailor Fude and the Lumos pens

As per my previous post, I’m now doing a blogpost showing something about the pens.  Obviously the previous post shows what they can do drawing wise, so I won’t repeat that.  This post is about the workings of the pens, how they are put together and my opinion of them.

Firstly the Sailor Fude seen on the left in the image below with the Lumos next to it … as you see both pens are the same length, I haven’t measured them, they’re pen length!

The main, and striking feature of the Fude is the turned up nib.  It looks almost broken and potentially impossible to write/draw with.   Nothing could be further from the truth.  The key to results, certainly from a drawing aspect, is the pressure applied to outlines.  It will write/draw like any conventional pen when pressure is normal, but if you need a stronger/thicker outline, then just apply a little more pressure and it will give you a thicker line.  

Not only does it allow this, but also gives you fine lines.  This is where the turned up nib comes into its own.

Simply turn the pen over, so the nib is facing down and start to write/draw with it, you will get those fine lines.

The thicker lines are seen in the drawing below…

What ink?

I use cartridge ink.  Back in the day when I had my long lost Fude they had a shorter barrel, so you can imagine how pleased I was to find that the longer barrel allows room for a spare cartridge to be stored.  What a great idea.

Now for the Lumos, which came from Tom’s Studio : 

Link here

The nib I have been using so far is the smallest one, the 0.1.  The pen came with a set of eleven nibs of varying styles and sizes.  These can be changed easily.

I have the Lumos Pro, which turns into two pens by separating the barrel half way down,  you can then add another nib, so basically you have two pens in one.  Take a look at the link where all the pens are explained, including the Lumos.

Ink and filling the pen:

This is where the Lumos is different.  There’s a reservoir that when attached to the nib is filled using capillary action.  Take a look at the link above, or via Youtube Here

I keep these pens, plus water brushes in a simple box for studio work and on-the-go sketching.

Tom’s Studio do a pen called the Wren, which looks very similar to the Lumos, all explained on their website, I might try the Wren one of these days.

~ Hope you found this blogpost interesting ~

                                                                ann :)

Sketches

I was lucky at Christmas and got two new pens.  The Lumos Pro and a Sailor Fude.

The Lumos is from a Dorset firm, www.tomsstudio.com  -  the pen has interchangeable nibs and is filled with ink using capillary action.  The reservoir can be washed out with water and refilled using another ink, very handy.

The Sailor Fude is one I’ve used over the years and needed a new one.  The design has improved too, with a longer barrel, that allows for a spare cartridge to be stored, what a great idea.  With its unusual nib, it makes very useful mark making and like the Lumos is good for sketching, which is exactly what I’ve been doing.  

So far I’ve done a couple of sketches and will get round to more next week.  

Finally finished

It has been a while, a month in fact, but then we have had Christmas and New Year in between…

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL

The donkey painting has dried enough for me to add more detail and tweaks, so here it is via my Youtube.

Click the image below - hope you enjoy seeing it.