Pen and Wash in Suffolk

pen and wash of old Norfolk barn
Old Barn near Ringstead – pen and wash. 15ins x 22ins on Waterford 140lb NOT paper.

Just before Easter I was at Clare in Suffolk for a pen and wash demonstration evening. I’ve been to Clare Art Club before but not for a long time. A very friendly group, it was good to be back!

I always enjoy the challenge of demonstrating in pen and wash. It’s a little tricky because the medium works best at a fairly small size, whereas art clun demonstration pieces are usually quite large, so that people can properly see them. I did this painting on a half-imperial sheet of Waterford NOT surface paper with a weight of 140lb or 300gsm. When I’m outside sketching in pen and wash I usually have a spiral-bound Bockingford sketchbook, about A4 in size.

ink sketch of old Norfolk barn
The pen drawing

I chose a scene of an old Norfolk barn, not too far from my Dersingham studio. I sketched it in ink, using an Edding 1800 series pen, with an 0.7 tip. You can see the ink sketch here, although this one I did earlier in the day in my studio. You can’t have too much practice!

Sketching the subject occupied me until the coffee break, after which I got busy with my paints. I used a simple palette of French Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, and Cadmium Yellow Pale. For the roof of the barn I used a mixture of Brown Madder with a tiny touch of Ultramarine, as I wanted it to contrast with the rest of the barn. All these paints were Winsor and Newton artists quality. I used a 3/4 inch flat brush for muck of the work, only dropping down to a number 8 round for some of the more detailed areas. If in doubt, use the biggest brush you feel comfortable with, it keeps your work feeling fresh and free.

Total working time was about half an hour or so with the pen and the same with the painting. Pen and wash should be a quick, lively medium. A very enjoyable evening and a big thank you to Clare Art Club for making Margaret and myself so welcome. See you again in the future!

Stephen Martyn demonstrating pen and wash
A view of the back of my head! The demonstration painting is on the easel, with a projection screen behind me.