Drawin' like Morty

After doing the crappy Mort Drucker impression last night I decided it would actually make sense to copy him and then try to draw like him. It's clear he's fully trained in anatomy etc and could easily draw realistically if he chose - in fact he very nearly does - just with a little distortion and some simplification and those nifty squiggly lines. And I've decided to base the Mouser on Michael York, or at least partly.

I also decided to go ahead and treat myself to a Namiki Falcon fountain pen for Christmas - the choice of Glenn Vilppu and probably the finest fountain pen that's made for drawing (there are very few). A little research into inks turns up that the Higgins sepia calligraphy ink I've been using is terrible for fountain pens - even though that's what they market it for - apparently it clogs them up something awful. But the Pelikan Brilliant Brown is excellent. I also ordered some Pilot/Namiki black ink in case I want to try mixing it with the brown or just drawing in black from time to time.

I've been discovering just how much you can manipulate the washes, and the lines too - after everything is dry. A little clear water over a too-hard edge of wash and a quick finger-swipe in the right direction can soften an edge beautifully. Going in for washes a few minutes after the ink is dry will make much lighter washes, much more controllable. And an X-Acto knife is a great eraser - for lines or washes really. Just be careful, keep the blade as close to flat as possible, and scrape gently so as not to tear up the surface.

Now I just need to keep drawing like this and copying the Maestro until I gradually learn where to put lines and where not to - or maybe I can pick that up just from experience.

This is the beginning of a special study of heads hands and feet - my weakest points in figure drawing. I also think it's a great idea for me to be finally doing some careful, finished drawing rather than loose sketching. That precision and carefulness is what's been lacking in my work. Thank you fountain pens!