Pen, ink & watercolor

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

I like to draw with a pencil, pretty much any kind of pencil. These days there are charcoal, conte, colored and even watercolor pencils. Within graphite alone there is quite a range from hard to soft pencils. For the last year I have preferred using a brand called cretacolor. I have been primarily using their HB and B pencils which make a mark that is scratchy but does not smear so much as to be bothersome.

However, I like to draw with a pen too. I have drawn with fountain, technical and micron pens which come in a wide range of colors. I actually sign my watercolor paintings with a micron pen. I try to find a color which is harmonious with the colors in the painting so the signature does not stand out. 

I have drawn as long as I can remember. The above image is from a watercolor sketchbook going back nearly ten years. The combination of pen with watercolor can be quite pleasing. With the addition of color you can introduce atmospheric effects and temperature into a picture, even a simple sketch.

The above watercolor drawings are of imaginary landscapes full of life with lots of activity. There are fountains with spraying water, lots of bird life and an abundance of vegetation with long-blooming fragrant flowers. Water is what unites all the spaces and determines what plants are used and where.