This is my favorite type of drawing. Ink, a simple nib pen, and contour line. I love the visceral scratch and scritch of the ink nib on the paper. I love the moment when you must pause to dip the pen into the ink bottle and while you are dipping the pen you must think and make a decision where to place the pen next and what you want to describe and just how much or little in the next few strokes. And then your pen runs out of the little bit of ink and you must stop, dip again and decide what to leave out, and what to describe with an economy of line.
We did this type of line work in the life drawing class I attend this past week. I enjoyed the group of students and how beautifully their own drawings turned out.
When I was a student at The Art Center College, I spent weeks and months immersed in this technique. And I couldn't get enough then or now.
Drawing above is from Art Center student days, drawing below is from yesterday's life drawing class.
