Perfect post for me on this day that I begin a commission piece that I’ve been envisioning in this style. I’m not accomplished with watercolor, but that was the request. Have done some ink and wash with black ink and watercolor (black lines too bold for the work I envision), but your examples and ink recommendations are spot on! Thanks for such clear writing and inspiring photos. Your work is so very beautiful and now I’m feeling more confident about approaching my own. Thank you! P. S. I have ALWAYS loved illustration!
Oh, your comment made my day... thank you so much, Dell! 🥹 I'm incredibly happy to hear that the info was helpful and timely. I can't think of a better reason to spend time writing these posts and feel amazingly encouraged. 💕 Good luck with your commission!!!
Beautiful work and I like your commentary. Line and wash is what inspired me to want to learn watercolor to begin with -- Beatrix Potter as a child, illustrations in The Little Golden Books, etc. Your technique is so exquisite that I hardly even see any lines at all. I am curious what pen and ink type you use for the greys. Thank you!
Thanks so much! I mean, who doesn't love Peter Rabbit? 🐰 Let's see, so I have a lot of grey pens 🫣 because each brand offers different shades/values/line weights and I'm very fussy about my greys. I prefer very fine to fine lines, which helps keep things light and integrated. Here's the list:
I feel you on so many fronts here, Jean. I am a massive fan of line and wash! Yours are lovely! Thank you for sharing your process and your tool kit information. I think it helps many of us who are creating and do not necessarily know right from wrong or what’s best and what’s not. Exploration is the key though no matter how you outline it! xo
Thank you so much, Maureen! ❤️ It really is all exploration, isn't it? I find it fantastic that art supplies are so readily available that we can do this.
I've been noticing lately that many great painters use an artificial outline, as if they were doing line and wash, in their paintings. Here's Michelangelo's iconic "Hand of God" fresco from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel:
There's a dark outline establishing the entirety of the edges of each hand. In the lit areas on the tops of the hands, it's totally contrary to the lighting of the painting, but is used to separate those areas from the light background. There are tons of other examples of painters using artificial outlines like this throughout the history of art.
Oooooh... thanks so much for pointing this out, I never noticed! For the Sistine Chapel, I wonder whether the line work was emphasized more than usual because the paintings would be so far away from the viewers. There's so much skill entailed in making outlines look natural like this.
This really goes against all those teachers who say never outline work if you want it to look realistic. I will repeat it until I'm blue in the face, there are no rules, only what works and doesn't! Thanks again! 💕
What beautiful paintings. Your work has such a delicate quality, line and wash seems like the perfect medium for it. The little chipmunk on the wood stump is adorable; well, they all are! I love thé way that you capture the softness of the fur on the kitten. I liked the mixing of two styles with the heron: good tip re providing more of a white background for the heron as the work progressed. It’s certainly not a problem working slowly if the result is such lovely work. I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.
Ha, I can tell you definitely take lots of time for these art pieces. They are so detailed and lovely... Nothing like my quick 30 mins or less sketches... It's also line and wash, but it looks so different. I would also never have thought of alternating ink and wash... I love how delicate your line and wash drawings look, very different from what my idea of line and wash is (from the urban sketching side, where the lines tend to be dark, and very loose)
Thanks so much! 😊💕 My heron is probably closest to the urban sketching style you’re referring to, though it’s not as loose. Expressive lines and splashy washes make so much sense when you’re trying to capture a locale quickly. I love the look! But the beauty of any technique is the infinite variety of styles it can spawn and it’s part of what makes painting so fun for me.
Indeed! To be frank I would never have thought to call these "line and wash" as well, but of course it only makes sense that it's of the same name 🤣 I love the ultra loose line and wash look so that's what I've been experimenting with recently!
It is always great to read your posts whether every week or month, whenever you feel ready to put your words together. You are always full of great information for the uninitiated, and your artwork is superb, and reading previous responses it was great to see the list of pens used, I may have some of them, so should give them a try.
Thank you so much, Sally! ❤️ It makes me so happy to hear that my posts are useful… they have obvious value to my own practice but helping others along their own journey is very rewarding.
I never knew about line and wash! So that's what gives Rackham's style that distinctive air of both precision and ethereal loveliness. Your art is a delight, thank you for sharing your experiments with this. Inspiring!
Gorgeous paintings! But I feel that sharing the experimental pieces is worthwhile as well. I honestly prefer that part - "One of the side effects of committing to experimentation over finished works is that my shareable output is starting to decrease a bit"
Thanks very much, Tania! 😊 And absolutely, most of what I shared in this post are experiments to me. When I’m trying new things it just takes me longer to get to a place where I can process what I’ve learned and then write about it cogently.
Perfect post for me on this day that I begin a commission piece that I’ve been envisioning in this style. I’m not accomplished with watercolor, but that was the request. Have done some ink and wash with black ink and watercolor (black lines too bold for the work I envision), but your examples and ink recommendations are spot on! Thanks for such clear writing and inspiring photos. Your work is so very beautiful and now I’m feeling more confident about approaching my own. Thank you! P. S. I have ALWAYS loved illustration!
Oh, your comment made my day... thank you so much, Dell! 🥹 I'm incredibly happy to hear that the info was helpful and timely. I can't think of a better reason to spend time writing these posts and feel amazingly encouraged. 💕 Good luck with your commission!!!
I just hoped to return the gift that reading your post gave to me, Jean. So helpful to have a thoughtful artist share her discoveries! Thanks again!!
❤️❤️❤️
Beautiful work and I like your commentary. Line and wash is what inspired me to want to learn watercolor to begin with -- Beatrix Potter as a child, illustrations in The Little Golden Books, etc. Your technique is so exquisite that I hardly even see any lines at all. I am curious what pen and ink type you use for the greys. Thank you!
Thanks so much! I mean, who doesn't love Peter Rabbit? 🐰 Let's see, so I have a lot of grey pens 🫣 because each brand offers different shades/values/line weights and I'm very fussy about my greys. I prefer very fine to fine lines, which helps keep things light and integrated. Here's the list:
* Pigma Micron 01 (0.25mm) - Cool Gray
* Pigma Micron 01 (0.25mm) - Light Cool Gray
* Copic Multiliner 0.03 mm, 0.1mm - Cool Gray
* Copic Multiliner 0.03mm, 0.05mm, 0.1 mm, 0.3mm - Warm Gray
* Winsor & Newton 0.1mm - Cool Gray
I probably use the finest Copic Multiliner Warm Grays and the Pigma Micron Light Cool Gray the most. Hope this helps!
Very helpful! Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome!
I feel you on so many fronts here, Jean. I am a massive fan of line and wash! Yours are lovely! Thank you for sharing your process and your tool kit information. I think it helps many of us who are creating and do not necessarily know right from wrong or what’s best and what’s not. Exploration is the key though no matter how you outline it! xo
Thank you so much, Maureen! ❤️ It really is all exploration, isn't it? I find it fantastic that art supplies are so readily available that we can do this.
I've been noticing lately that many great painters use an artificial outline, as if they were doing line and wash, in their paintings. Here's Michelangelo's iconic "Hand of God" fresco from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallery_of_the_Sistine_Chapel_ceiling#/media/File:Hands_of_God_and_Adam.jpg
There's a dark outline establishing the entirety of the edges of each hand. In the lit areas on the tops of the hands, it's totally contrary to the lighting of the painting, but is used to separate those areas from the light background. There are tons of other examples of painters using artificial outlines like this throughout the history of art.
Oooooh... thanks so much for pointing this out, I never noticed! For the Sistine Chapel, I wonder whether the line work was emphasized more than usual because the paintings would be so far away from the viewers. There's so much skill entailed in making outlines look natural like this.
This really goes against all those teachers who say never outline work if you want it to look realistic. I will repeat it until I'm blue in the face, there are no rules, only what works and doesn't! Thanks again! 💕
Lovely! The birds are wonderful, and I love the berries in the titmouse painting—they look good enough to eat. 😋
Thanks so much, Margaret! 😊 🍒 I really appreciate it.
What beautiful paintings. Your work has such a delicate quality, line and wash seems like the perfect medium for it. The little chipmunk on the wood stump is adorable; well, they all are! I love thé way that you capture the softness of the fur on the kitten. I liked the mixing of two styles with the heron: good tip re providing more of a white background for the heron as the work progressed. It’s certainly not a problem working slowly if the result is such lovely work. I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.
Thanks so much, Jacqueline! 💕 I really appreciate your comment... and even if I'm not as fast as others, I'll keep posting!
That Carolina wren is fabulous! 👏
Thank you, Baird! 😄
My favorite today.
Thanks so much! Wrens are amazing birds!
Pauline Baynes
CS Lewis illustrations free and expressive!
Yes! They are SO many great illustrators! 😄
I adore your style !
Thank you so much! 😊
That’s beautiful.
Thanks so much, Lola! 😊
Those are really beautiful works!
Ha, I can tell you definitely take lots of time for these art pieces. They are so detailed and lovely... Nothing like my quick 30 mins or less sketches... It's also line and wash, but it looks so different. I would also never have thought of alternating ink and wash... I love how delicate your line and wash drawings look, very different from what my idea of line and wash is (from the urban sketching side, where the lines tend to be dark, and very loose)
Thanks so much! 😊💕 My heron is probably closest to the urban sketching style you’re referring to, though it’s not as loose. Expressive lines and splashy washes make so much sense when you’re trying to capture a locale quickly. I love the look! But the beauty of any technique is the infinite variety of styles it can spawn and it’s part of what makes painting so fun for me.
Indeed! To be frank I would never have thought to call these "line and wash" as well, but of course it only makes sense that it's of the same name 🤣 I love the ultra loose line and wash look so that's what I've been experimenting with recently!
Please keep “plodding”. I love your work and it is worth waiting for.
Thanks so much, Michelle! I really appreciate it… and I will. 💕
It is always great to read your posts whether every week or month, whenever you feel ready to put your words together. You are always full of great information for the uninitiated, and your artwork is superb, and reading previous responses it was great to see the list of pens used, I may have some of them, so should give them a try.
Thank you so much, Sally! ❤️ It makes me so happy to hear that my posts are useful… they have obvious value to my own practice but helping others along their own journey is very rewarding.
I never knew about line and wash! So that's what gives Rackham's style that distinctive air of both precision and ethereal loveliness. Your art is a delight, thank you for sharing your experiments with this. Inspiring!
Thank you and you’re very welcome! 😊 It’s one of my favorite styles to look at and there are so many wonderful illustrators.
Gorgeous paintings! But I feel that sharing the experimental pieces is worthwhile as well. I honestly prefer that part - "One of the side effects of committing to experimentation over finished works is that my shareable output is starting to decrease a bit"
Thanks very much, Tania! 😊 And absolutely, most of what I shared in this post are experiments to me. When I’m trying new things it just takes me longer to get to a place where I can process what I’ve learned and then write about it cogently.
Hmmm, I consider these pieces masterpieces.
You are being very generous, thank you!
I really like the "Queen in Her Domain"
Beautiful work, thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, Colin! 😊