Speed sketching with a fountain pen - simple urban sketching
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- Опубликовано: 28 янв 2023
- The Dollar 717i piston fountain pen cost the princely sum of £7.99 for ten. At 80p a pen, I wanted to see how it would perform in a speed test. Seeing what you can sketch in 10, 15 or 20 minutes, is a great exercise. It makes you cut out anything unnecessary, it makes you decisive, it really focuses you on the essentials and proves once and for all, that you really do have time to sketch. In this high street scene from Cirencester, I see how much I can do in 10, 15 or 20 minutes.
A piston fountain pen has a larger ink capacity than a normal pen - especially if you double fill it (I show you how in the film). This makes them great for urban sketching. This cheap pen performed remarkably well to start with and was pleasant to use, but I found that it started to write lighter towards the end. I am guessing less ink was flowing, so it appeared paler. Whether this is a fault with the pen or my technique, I am not yet sure. I will continue to investigate. I got round the problem by grabbing a fineliner to strengthen some lines.
This film also proves how forgiving this style of sketching is. I didn't use a pencil guide and made quite a few mistakes, but I hope you agree that they are not really noticeable in the final sketch. What do you think?
Please note I had to remove the timer I had on this film. It was causing some sort of conflict in the editing software and making the whole film flicker. If anyone is an expert on iMovies on iPad and can tell me why, I would appreciate it!!
If you enjoyed this, please like and subscribe and hit the notification bell to be emailed when I release the next film. I try to do one per week. If you want to see more urban sketching there are both simple and more detailed ones on this channel. If you are interested in learning far more about Line and Wash, why not take a look at my course over at www.lizchadertonstudio.co.uk. I also run a facebook group which is a lovely place to meet artists from around the world, share your ideas and tips and show your work. You are welcome to join us here: groups/watercolourstudiowithlizchaderton/
#lizchaderton #lineandwash #urbansketching 
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Wonderful video and you are so good at explaining how you approach and execute such a difficult looking street scene piece by piece! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks, Liz. I’ve been using Platinum Carbon ink in a Lamy fountain pen. It hasn’t clogged yet and seems to go on forever on a single fill. I’m addicted to your channel. Started painting a year ago at 65 so need to get my skates on.
yes, I love the Platinum ink too. I use it in next weeks film!
I can’t wait! 😅
@@LizChadertonArt I’ve had trouble with the Quink ink stopping up my Sailor Fude pens… I plan on switching to carbon Platinum.
@@gayleselby1665 I’m surprised about Quink,as i thought it is water soluble..good luck finding the best pen/ink combo
Sometimes after using a fountain pen for awhile the ink gets thinner - the flow might pick up bits of paper. I wrap the nib loosely with a tissue or paper towel and give a few strong jerks to push some ink down. Or, when you are letting something dry, lean your pen upside down so the gravity drags the ink down.
that’s a good idea, thanks!
Thank you for your lovely sketch of Cirencester. It’s a lovely town😊
I love all the Roman ruins
As a kid, I got intimidated by fountain pens and never learned to use them, even though I have had the cartridge versions and never one to fill it manually. But now, watching your videos where you use them, I just want to give them a try for drawing.
Nothing to be intimidated by! You can try all sorts of exciting inks and they don’t have to be expensive.
I started an "Adventures in Architecture" class which started us off with continuous line sketches and this really takes the fussiness and perfection attitude away and allows me to enjoy the process. You give me even more encouragement here and I appreciate the tips you share along the way. I'm newly subscribed. Thank you Liz!
That sounds good. Who is the class with?
I feel like such a copycat but having watched this I was intrigued and having lost my Lamy Safari last year was "in need" (!) of a fountain pen for sketching. Let's not talk about the variety box of fineliners queued up to test and use...
They came today and I am delighted with how easy they are to fill and lovely to write with, even for a leftie. The box I ordered has five grey cases, three blue and two red so I plan on filling them with black, sepia, blue and violet ink, soluble and non soluble. Because they're so cheap I don't mind sticking labels on them either. Thank you for introducing us to them!
They are such good value, aren’t they? Glad they work for a left handed. That hadn’t occurred to me.
Love the video Liz. I am going to grab sketchbook and give it a try! You’re an inspiration ❤
Yay, thank you!
I thought I recognised it I lived near Cirencester until we moved to near Cambridge 19 years ago. Great video I was looking at piston pens the other day now I will buy some🙂
I’m really taken with piston pens
Thank you for sharing. Always insightful!
My pleasure!
I had a lot of fun and learnt a lot as a beginner watching and then having a go at this Liz. I just used a fineliner but I have ordered some cheap fountain pens like you used to give it a go on my next project. There's so much stuff on your website I can experiment to find what style I like best and what works for me with my limited artistic talent - lol!
Glad it was helpful!
This is a great video ! Makes me want to try sketching again!! Thank you so much!
Go for it!
I loved this Liz. You covered so many basic principles and tips in one video so a newbie like me learned a lot. I also like your style. I have been following Toby Urbansketch too who has a similar, if even looser style. For someone like me who feels they have neither the patience or skill for a "proper" detailed drawing I think this is the way to go. Thanks again Martin 👍
glad you enjoyed it. I sometimes do more detailed work, but as a daily sketch or a travel piece you are not going to sit for hours…. well I’m not!
Thanks Liz. You can buy an ink for fountain pens to use in drawing (permanent ink) called De Atramentis which doesn't clog and doesn't run.
yes indeed! the next video uses Platinum Carbon ink and I have a film lined up comparing fountain inks
I love this!!! Thank you so much!
I love the sidewalk!
You're so welcome!
Thank you so much for your delightful videos. I'm a absolute beginner, and wonder how you would handle reflections, say in Bureno houses reflecting in the canal. Is it preferable to ignore reflections? Liz B. From Victoria Canada
I would put in reflections as they are so much part of the character. let the colour do most of the work, but put in some line to connect the two halves.
Once more greetings, dear Lady !
I wonder that there are such cheap fountain pens.
I would prefer those old-fashioned piston pens, although they sometimes may be messy.
( Don´t mess with the mess ??? )
I like sketching with fountain pens, too.
I have 6, with different colours.
But my favorite is a dark brown one, something like caput mortuum.
And when washed it becames a nice warm red-brownish colour of rust.
When I go to the doctor and have to wait, I get my scetchbook, the pen and begin to scetch very loosely.
What do I scetch ?
Now, the room, obviously, and people there sitting, but no portrait.
I use to wash the drawing (once more: very very loose ) with a waterbrush.
Sometimes I add some light colours, I pick them from a piece of cardboard with water soluble crayon added on the cardboard.
Because it´s dry, I can transport it in my pocket.
You suggested drawing with continious outlining.
I was so impressed by the continous drawing of your nosehorn ( I know that is not english 🙂 ) that I decided to do so, too.
Oh, I forgot, I must remember to do in the near future !
Best greetings !
yes, I too use tge watercolour crayons on paper as a palette when sketching. so easy to carry. I am guessing a nose horn is a rhinoceros! Glad you liked it
@@LizChadertonArt Yes, a nosehorn has a horn on top of its nose.
It´s a silly translation of our "Nashorn".. 🙂
We know Rhinoceros, too.
As I mentioned:
I like your scribbled drawing of that rhino so much !
More than the elephant or the Gorilla.
I have noticed the number of various styles you draw and paint with.
It never becomes boring.
@@swyntopia I like trying different styles, for sure!
Where did you get the pens, Liz? I can't find the pack online. Love your loose and fast sketching, will give it a try.
where are you Bev? I got them from eBay in the uk, but they had them on Amazon too
@@LizChadertonArt I'm in the UK too, Wales. Will check eBay right now 👍 Thank you. X
@@Alignedwithmyself they were an utter bargain!
@@LizChadertonArt Found them on eBay. Thank you!
I've just ordered a pack on eBay
I'm not cheap but I draw the line when an artist recomends a fountain pen that costs $80 US that's over $100. To us poor canadians. I'm using a piston type fountain that cost me $1.25.2 years later it's going strong. I no longer follow that artist, good as he is.
I like value for money! I got given a TWSBI Eco pen for Christmas and I’ve done a comparison for a few weeks time. You can tell the quality, but will it make my drawings any better? It needs to be pretty special to be worth the extra and no, none of my pens cost $80!