Been getting some questions about how I use the inks and/or watercolor. I try and put under each submission, what I used specifically for each piece, but I think sometimes there's confusion (or my write up is so short it gets missed.)

Most of the stuff I do with India Ink, is done as an ink wash: inks applied with a brush, usually diluted with water, though sometimes not. The more water, the more muted, or soft the colors are. For bright vivid colors, its either less diluted inks -or- a build up of many diluted layers of ink. I like using inks more than actual watercolors because I can build up layers without worrying the under layer will lift and bleed. Watercolors tend to lift and bleed (for me at least, possibly because of the brand of paper I use.)

The paper I use is watercolor paper, which may be throwing in some confusion that I primarily use watercolors. I'll use watercolor sometimes, but its not that often. Its a safe bet, its always India ink these days. Sometimes I do combinations, but the watercolor will be an an accent, usually applied after the main ink wash area but before any ink pen additions. (My paper brand is Strathmore Ready-Cut, coldpress. There are plenty of better papers out there but this is a decent paper that won't break the bank!)

Some of my art has some ink pen in there for more dramatic lines. I don't like to use them all the time, especially not if the subject matter should remain on the delicate side, cause the ink pen adds a LOT of contrast and makes the subject sort of pop up from the background. Good for some scenes, not so much for others. The pen I use is a .005 Micron. If they made them smaller, I'd probably use that instead!

The best thing I can recommend for anyone looking to play around with colored inks is to do just that - play around with them. I picked up neat little effects by experimentation with water amounts, layering different colors or even letting two color areas stay wet so they'd bleed into one another before they dry.

To start experimenting, all you really need is a single bottle of ink, a brush, some water and some watercolor paper. You'll get a good feel for how it moves, dries and layers. If its something you find you like, you can then invest in some other colors. That's how I got into them anyway. Mistakes will happen. Ink will get where you don't want it, but part of doing ink washes is to let go of having control and working -with- the mistakes and allow them to add to the piece.

Dunno if that helps answer some questions, but maybe it will! :) If anyone else wants to chime in with tricks, additions and other methods of ink madness, go for it!

Also. It seems to help keep the paper from warping permanently if you tape it down. I use blue painter's tape and pressboard clipboards. All the white boarder areas in my posted art is where the tape was.