ZMACS: APR: Value Added!

It's tax season in the United States -- what better excuse could exist to celebrate the concept of "value" in pen and ink drawings??

With pencil drawing, changes in pressure can create different shades of darkness, giving the drawing dimension. When using pen, artists rely on linear hatching, cross-hatching, linear contour, cross-contour, stippling and sometimes ink washes and ink splatters as well! How fun would it be to try out all these techniques out in one postcard?

Let's create a little value out of a piece of scrap cardboard! Using only card-weight board such as that from a box containing cereal or tea, create a drawing that fills the cardboard space (front of postcard) using an ink pen - and/ or ink wash and brush if you desire - and the value techniques that you can find in the tutorials below (or other classes/ tutorials of your choosing). Finding a book at your local library, or chatting up someone who can teach you some mad pen drawing skills is also of course a possibility.

1. Creating Value: Art is Fun

2. Craftsy pen and ink techniques

3. Library of textures from drawsketchabout

4. 9 Ways to Shade an Egg video -- one of many by Alphonso Dunn .. check out the other ones as well!

6. Rob Adams with some great background textures using the techniques listed above

7. Many more value ideas...

If you are stuck for ideas, try creating one object at a time and then connecting them as in this exercise with some amazing examples of art by Edward Gorey and Timothy Burton.

So, one postcard on thin cardboard/ card stock (use a paper backing to write the address and a note on, but the drawing should be on the cardboard itself), incorporating some fun pen techniques for shading / adding value, sent to one partner. Sender's choice for theme and size of postcard. Minimal space that is not in some way inked up ("white space"). No fear to experiment and be brave here, and no perfection expected .. just added value! It's cardboard, go ahead and indulge your inner artist with a capital drawing :)

Open to all ZMACS members in good standing. I will ink up something if a swap is not sent by your partner! Keeping with the money theme, Keith Witmer's money art is the swap image ...