Inktense/Ink Landscape

[Joy]

This is in Inktense (which is water soluble) and ink, so I hope this “qualifies”. It is 12 x 9, in a Strathmore Visual Journal, 140CP, which I will never buy again. I am still getting the hang of the Inktense, and not very good at landscapes in general. I put some wax resist stick on the water to retain some sparkle, but maybe I didn’t use enough, so the Intense just painted over it. The foreground trees do not look very natural, as I just wanted to finish with this. To me, it seems as if there is no advantage to using that to watercolor. One must make sure all of the pigment is dissolved, so it does not lift upon application of additional layers. They do not dry nearly as intense as when wet. To get very intense color, one must leave pigment undissolved.

Any and all

tips greatly appreciated.

 

[ams]

Looks nice Joy. I have found all of the same observations about Inktense that you did. For the most part, I have gone back to watercolor over my ink drawings. I have found that if I touch a damp brush directly on the tip of the inktense pencil and use it more like a pan watercolor, I can get more intense color.

I like how your sky came out on this. I love the varied colors.

 

[Joy]

Thanks, Anne. Blick had free shipping starting at $39 recently, and I needed a few items. (Actually needed, not just wanted.) So I am also getting a Caran d'Ache palette to scribble the pencil to, then lift of with water filled brush. They are not expensive and can be used for other mixing.

 

[Bartc]

Joy, I found Inktense worked fine, but you may well have to use more than one coat of it for saturated color. That's what a lot of the instructional YouTube videos show. Not all the colors are 100% indelible all the time. But the stuff works. So when I used to use it, I would use it as a drawing medium to lay down the line for line and wash paintings, and go over that with the watercolor wash.
I suppose like all media, it depends on your intended effect.

 

[Joy]

Thanks, Bart! I did do several thin layers, as I wanted to make sure the existing pigment was fully activated.

 

[Bartc]

Thanks, Bart! I did do several thin layers, as I wanted to make sure the existing pigment was fully activated.

Works better with thick layers if you want saturation of the colors, I think.

 

[ams]

Thanks, Anne. Blick had free shipping starting at $39 recently, and I needed a few items. (Actually needed, not just wanted.) So I am also getting a Caran d'Ache palette to scribble the pencil to, then lift of with water filled brush. They are not expensive and can be used for other mixing.

I bought that palette too. It works pretty well.

 

[Terri]

I like this, Joy, and think it turned out nicely! Your sky is beautifully done, and I think you're too critical of the foreground trees - I like the shapes and colors. The whole thing is a nicely balanced composition.

I'm sorry you had to struggle trying this product. I don't work with water-based media, but imagine it must be maddening to work with a product that implies that it's "intense," only to have to layer it over and over. Boo!

 

[Bartc]

To those who think you need to buy the Caran D'Ache palette, all you need is a plastic sheet of any suitable size and/or plastic cutting board. Take some rough sandpaper to it on one side, leave the other slick side alone. I did this with at TAP Plastics scrap and it works exactly like the palette.

 

[Joy]

To those who think you need to buy the Caran D'Ache palette, all you need is a plastic sheet of any suitable size and/or plastic cutting board. Take some rough sandpaper to it on one side, leave the other slick side alone. I did this with at TAP Plastics scrap and it works exactly like the palette.

Yeah, Bart, I know I could have done that, but when I thought about finding the right size and weight of sheet, then modifying it to be an appropriate surface, it was worth the seven bucks and change to just buy it. Cutting boards have a tendency to be thick and weighty.

Terri, thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Bartc]

Joy, I have a lifelong DIY fetish. If I can make something reasonably well and to my own tastes, I find that very satisfying in any hobby or work situation. Particularly if it allows me to customize and improve on existing items. I'm an inveterate tinkerer and inventor. So don't mind me! Yes, for $7, especially if you get free shipping, it's worth the price.

 

[Jo Castillo]

Joy, pretty painting. I like the colors and the ink lines. I can't critique water media. I had trouble with Strathmore pastel paper, not good.

 

[Triduana]

This is a lovely painting Joy and I really like your trees! I love how you picked out the background detail with the ink too. I've never used Inktense, I kept telling myself I have enough art supplies already (!), I just love using watercolour. Thank you for sharing your experiences with them

 

[Artyczar]

I have never worked with Inktense, but I like how your sky turned out. I do like the entire piece actually. It's very pretty and well done, but you don't encourage me to want to try this. Ha ha. I'm sorry it was frustrating. At least it's beautiful!

 

[Joy]

Thanks, Ayin. Everything looks so easy on YT!

 

[Balaji]

I like your painting. I think it is attractive and well painted.

 

[Joy]

Thank you, Balaji!

 

[jmfletch]

I really like the way you did the trees and the water.

 

[Joy]

Jim, thank you!

 

[KreativeK]

I'm not a fan of Inktense at all and have tried to like it, adjust to it, and make it do what is necessary to no avail. But do like how you've done your landscape. You could add a heavier medium (fluid acrylics, acrylic gouache, gouache) later on to enhance it just for practice.