Title: Time for me
Medium: Acrylic
Type: Mixed Media Paper
Size: 9×6
Artist: Aikoi Sugoi
The more effort I put into a piece the more time it takes me to finish them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I don’t see myself publishing more than two posts a month on my blog. So if you happen to randomly stumble on my blog and notice I haven’t published in while, don’t worry! I’m probably just working on a new drawing.
But let’s get into it. This newest piece titled “Time for me” was my second drawing done in perspective. Like the previous one, it was done in 1-point perspective and I also used the grid method. But this painting is actually a big deal compared to my previous works, because this painting was the first one I ever completed using only paintbrushes. That’s right, not a
single Posca pen was used during the inking process. And this will be the way it is for now on, because honestly I haven’t been happy with Posca pens for a long time. Also seeing professional artists on YouTube paint perfect lines using only a brush has inspired me to do it too. But in case you’re curious, here are a few reasons why I’m ready to ditch the Poscas:
The white pens are problematic
The first white pen I owned dried out quickly, despite minimal use (I only used it for corrections). I thought the nub was defective but when I removed it, the pen was empty. Meanwhile the black pen from the same set, which I used regularly, was still going strong. I replaced it with two additional white pens – a size ‘fine’ and a size ‘extra fine’. Both have been massive disappointments. They are incredibly watery. Endless shaking does nothing to fix them. And yes, they are stored the same way as my other Posca pens, so external factors can’t be blamed on their issues. I would understand if I had bad luck with one pen but three? It’s inexcusable.
They are prone to leaking
The doodles on the floating shelf in my last painting were ruined when my black, extra fine Posca pen sprung a leak out of nowhere. I had to slap some white over them and attempt to redraw them, but the damage was done. I tested the pen again before painting “Time for me” but the paint ran out so fast I refused to use it.
They peel my paper
Unfortunately Posca pens don’t work so well on my mixed media paper. They cause the paper to pill (form small balls of fluff) when used. At first I thought I was drawing too hard, but soon discovered even the lightest touch still causes pilling. This probably doesn’t happen on canvas, but paper is my primary medium and I’m not ready to switch to canvas now.
They sometimes splatter
Occasionally, when I’m using a Posca, the nib will catch on the surface, causing a little paint to spray out. Again, I thought I was pushing the pen too hard but a lighter touch did not solve the issue, much to my dismay. And yes, the issue could also be the fault of the mixed media paper but I can’t keep worrying about what’s going to happen every time I pick up a Posca.
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With these issues, I was unwilling to use a Posca pen with “Time for Me”. That only left the paintbrushes. It was finally time to break out my new Jerry Q fineliner paintbrushes and start practicing! I first began by attempting to ink coloring book pages, but it felt like I had jumped the gun too fast. I needed to practice the basics. I took a step back and decided to focus on lines. With the aid of a ruler I drew random pencil lines on printing paper and inked them. Later I added squares and circles. I’m awful with the longer brushes. Quite frankly they intimidate me! But I’m improving with the smallest brush, a round 10/0. Now, a few days a week, I practice inking penciled lines, squares and circles with the various Jerry Q brush sizes. I also try to watch painting videos to see how others are holding and using their brushes to create cleaner lines.
I had less than two weeks of practice when the time came to ink “Time for me”. Most people probably would’ve waited a little longer to acquire more practice, but that’s not how I work. For me, inking my painting was also part of my practice, mistakes in all. I also wanted to just go for it. I’m a perfectionist by nature, but I’ve learned that sometimes pushing myself a little before I’m ready sparks incredibly growth. And that was the case with “Time for me”.
Turns out I’m not as bad as I thought I would be with freehand brush inking. Sure some of my lines are shaky but for the most part they are straight. I have to work on my line weight, but I’m not worried about that for now. In the painting video I posted on YouTube, you will notice that I’m using a paint shield to help with painting straight lines. It was helpful in some cases and not so much in other cases. Sometimes I had clean lines and other times I had bleed through. And sometimes it felt more like a hindrance then help. By the time I was inking the final parts of the painting, I had abandoned it completely and went fully freehand. It was the right move. Even with a few mistakes, I felt my lines came out better than if I had relied on the paint shield alone. It also gave me more confidence.
I’m now more determined than ever to master inking with the longer brushes. My Posca pens failing me turned out to be one of the best things to happen to me on this journey.
Watch me paint it on YouTube
Materials Used
*Mechanical pencil
*Craft Smart acrylic paint
*Canson Mixed Media Paper (9×6)
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