Blue Heron Pen & Ink

[Meisie]

What I've been working on. The way it looks now, I feel for a start I need to reduce the amount of stark white, especially on the cheek. That will be my next step.

Bristol Vellum, Dip pen and India Ink. 7" x 9 1/2" From a ref in the WC IL by ceilioq

C&C welcome.

Meisie

[lene]

Hi Meisie
looks great so far, nice tight composition. I'll watch it develope :clap:

[Meisie]

Thanks Lene, I did crop it tightly, hoping for an 'intimate' portrait. :)

Meisie

[Rose]

Meisie, I love your pen and ink drawings! This is no exception. I think it looks great just as it is... but you're the artist here! :-) :D

[Meisie]

Thank you Rose...I always like to hear what others think :)

Meisie

[Toni]

Hey Meisie

I like this! Your nib work is wonderful. Nuthin like using a dip pen is there?

If you feel the need to reduce the stark white on the cheek I wouldn't do it to much. right now that patch draws us to the head. I would prefer to see the back of the head/neck/back receed a bit more. Right now it's sort of hard to tell where each is seperated at.

Either darken the back or soften the shading/values/lines there so they receed. Some of those feathers there are just as stark as the cheek patch. If that makes the back to dark, you might have to put a few darkest patches in your leaves to complete your value scale.

I like the background, love the dark, shadowy feel. Watch the leaves at the top edge, at that value they can easily lead us out of the pic.

This crop works for me too..

good job dearie :D

TJ

[Cleo]

That's amazing Meisie




Cleo

[Meisie]

Thanks Cleo!

Gotcha Toni, thanks a mil!

Meisie

[Dave.R]

This is gorgeous penwork Meisie....... a lovely composition and great tonal range.
Toni's advice is spot on.

[Meisie]

Thanks Dave!

I didn't even get to look at this weekend....hopefully by Tuesday/ Wednesday I'll be able to :rolleyes:

Meisie

[Meisie]

ha! I think I already like this more....will upload and see if needs more work. I may need to make the small portion of his back a little darker....

I'll post them both side by side for easier comparison.

When framing : do you think I should crop that uneven edge, or leave it showing ? (as I intended)

TIA!

Meisie

[Meisie]

Here is the area of back feathers that I'm referring too. I won't be able to do much with it, or it'll be as dark as the bg....which is close to black there.

Meisie

[lene]

Hi Meisie
Great job :clap: The latest darkening really makes your eyes go to his face ;)
is a dip pen the old fashioned ones with a shaft and changeable nibs ? and is the paper you use smooth or extra smooth ?
concerning the question on framing with or without the edges; I think the sides and bottum looks great for that, perhaps the upper side slides a bit too much (going down on right side) - this could be the scan. If all sides are basically vertical the uneven edges looks great, and I would make them seen :) Hope this is understandable :o

[Meisie]

Lene, thank you...it made an amazing difference, I agree. I'll check that angle on the edges ;)

The dip pen is the old fashioned type, with the changing nibs....except that some ink flowed in around this nib....and it'll be a job to get it out. I think I'll need to replace it soon, it is getting rather blunt. Fine for bg, but no good for careful work anymore.

The paper is a vellum finish, so although smooth it does have a texture. More than hp wc paper, but less that cp. make sense? :o :D

I did notice an area where I'll be adding a bit more work to make a smoother transition. It looks too abrupt to me. Comments?

TIA

Meisie

[Katydid]

great work with a dip pen!

[Meisie]

Thank you Katydid!

Here is the final...I think ;)

Meisie

[Cleo]

Great stuff Meisie....

I especially like the recession in the background.



Cleo

[Meisie]

Thank you Cleo! :bye1:

Meisie

[Katydid]

perfect - now put it in a frame, before you get an urge to do one more thing. it would be a shame to get an ink blob now!

[Rose]

Super job Katy! You're a pro at this pen & ink stuff! I love herons, they are in my back yard ALL the time! :-)

[Meisie]

Thanks Katy! I'm going to stick it behind glass again tomorrow ;)

Thanks Rose (I think :D) have you taken any pics of them?

Meisie

[Norma69]

Oh goody another one I can visit at Uptown - any time for tea? :D

Just love it !!!

Did you take the pic?

Norma

[Toni]

Meisie this turned out wonderful!

Pen work is awsome, nice value range, and you got those adjustments and then some.

well done

TJ

[Meisie]

Norma, thank you! Not framing this one yet...no $$$$ right now :D I scanned this one...did you mean the ref? That's from the WC ref library. :)

TJ, thanks a mil! :D

Meisie