LESSON XIX
PEN AND INK LINES. FRENCH WASH. BEN DAY MACHINE
By this time the student must desire to ink in a drawing. Ink work is extremely interesting, but it requires much practice. You may be able to render a nice drawing in pencil and be afraid to touch your pen to it. Many feel this way, and many good drawings have been spoiled because the student did not practice the lines on a separate piece of paper. The very idea that you are afraid will cause your hand to be unsteady, and a very steady hand is required.
The idea is not to draw just an ink line over the pencil line but to draw the right kind of a line. Lines should be thick or thin, straight or wavy, as the nature of the picture requires. In the first place a pen line should be made with one clean-cut stroke and not patched up. A line should be of even width, unless shading is called for.
A line should be professional, that is, it must be the right kind of a line in the right place, and the artist must know beforehand, just what he wishes to do. A long, continuous line may be joined, but when beginning again, place the pen point back of the end and do not press on the pen until the end of the line has been reached.
In this lesson are given some of the lines used in fashions and the student must become very familiar with them. When one can draw these lines well on a separate paper, he is in condition to ink in his work. Fine lines should be used for faces, arms, hands, etc., and very fine lines for eyelashes. Several fine lines instead of one wider line give the eye a soft expression. Study these lines in the fashion papers.
Use a suitable pen for the work in hand.
In the shadow, lines are often wider, as underneath parts that project; as belts, collars, cuffs, etc. The greater the projection, the wider the shadow.
Ink lines should be rendered on hard finished paper, bristol board, plate finish being the best. Bad finished bristol is also used. This board will take a wash of water-color paint. As bristol board is expensive for practice work, buy a good quality of shelf paper. This will take the ink, and on this paper, the student must practice practice practice PRACTICE.
Cut out a sheet of bristol board, a little larger than the chart, and with pencil copy all lines carefully. In this way you will become familiar with the lines. Refer to Lesson I on how to study with a sharp point.
On your practice paper make two dots a distance apart, grip your penholder tightly, fairly near the point, and connect the dots, keeping the eye in advance of the pen-point. Do not forget this when drawing long lines.
Draw slowly, keeping the wrist well pressed on the board. Draw horizontal, parallel lines, also vertical ones. Practice all lines with pen only, using the knowledge gained by drawing them in pencil. Fill sheets with these fines until you feel perfectly free and have control over your pen. When crossing diagonal lines, allow the first set to dry before crossing them. Lastly, ink in your drawing of lines and if the result is satisfactory, you are ready to ink in a fashion figure.