Sketchbook 2/18/16 - Woman on the Bus

2016-02-18 - Bus Ride Home, 9"x12" Ink on Paper.

When your back is to the wall what else can you do but fall back on what you know?

I was out of ink in my fountain pen. My sketching has been furious in the past few days. I've been having to refill my fountain pen every couple days.

I was riding home and there was a woman on the bus that I wanted to sketch, there was something about her coat and her stance that I had to sketch.

But my poor planning almost stopped my creative desire. In addition to my fountain pen being out of ink my light brown Tombow was dead dry. I have been keeping my Tombow pens around for long periods of time after I should toss them because there is a line texture and almost dead pen gives a drawing that is really fun to play with. But when I wanted to sketch I had a completely dead pen. I adapted from my normal process and drew with the sepia. It's a little cold.

This drawing is done with sepia and black.

I have to be so sparing with the black because it is so powerful and intense.

"An artist is alone with the brush."
Maggie Murphy