Demo - Paul Robinson: Pen, Line and Wash

To introduce his demo, Paul explained his background in architecture and his enduring love for buildings of all kinds. During a demo sprinkled with anecdotes about his travels and adventures tracking down the very best viewpoints for sketching, he showed us how to portray urban scenes in pen, line and wash.

A good, accurate drawing on site was key; paying attention to perspective and noting all the beautiful detail to be found on the most mundane of buildings. He felt that using drawing aids such as rulers and set was occasionally helpful. Good reference photographs were also useful.

Once working on the final drawing, he used both permanent and soluble fine ink pens (he preferred Rotring but really, it was best to find what works for you), which he overlaid with delicate washes of good watercolour on cartridge paper. Occasionally, he used sepia washes, which blended well with the soluble inks. He advised some planning when it came to the choice of permanent or soluble inks, as there were some lines you would not want to blur when the washes were added. Soluble was good for foliage, for example, while permanent was good for detail work. Biro was good both for working in the field and for adding detail to the final drawing.

For all those artists who enjoy working in watercolour, line and wash, along with those who sometimes find working on buildings a bit of a challenge, Paul’s workshop is on Saturday, 29th October, 10.00-4.00 and should be a real confidence-builder.

It’s easy to book on the website, or, if you prefer, just email Sally.