Capture the textures of the landscape with Helen Hanson and discover new ways of using ink and coloured pencils
As I experimented post printmaking, a chance combination of ink and coloured pencil delivered a new look that was reminiscent of my work as an etcher. The stark black ink recalled the etched line, and coloured pencil could reproduce the velvety textures and tones of aquatint. I felt uninspired by landscape work in coloured pencil, and missed the ‘bite’ of etching; this combination allowed me to continue working in a way that suited my personal style. I started developing techniques for integrating the two media without drawing in ink and ‘colouring in’. I had used a range of printmaking devices to interpret the landscape, so did the same for ink and coloured pencil, incorporating embossing, lifting out, and a range of mark-making methods in ink. Many artists use pen and wash, and some use watercolour pencils; my approach is different in that I use dry coloured pencils and work them in tandem with ink. There is no preliminary ink drawing waiting to be ‘washed’.
For my second article (the first, in which Helen demonstrated a spring landscape in ink and coloured pencil, appeared in The Artist May 2023) I have chosen a more complex image, looking out to sea from the island of Colonsay. I was there in time to catch the first of the thrift and the yellow flag, and the last of the bluebells. Many of my etchings were of Scotland and the Isles, and I have continued to find inspiration there for my ink and coloured pencil pieces. Rough terrain and rocks and mountains offer opportunities for more dramatic mark-making, lifting out and embossing.
The starting point when using ink and coloured pencil depends on the picture content, and each one is a new jigsaw puzzle. I try not to be too prescriptive, as the combination feels like my own invention, and I have no set rules other than to work in a way suited to each image. I always tell my students that the aim is not to produce a photo-perfect representation, but to interpret the landscape using both media and their associated techniques.
As an etcher, I was accustomed to working on separate areas and pulling the image together in the final stages. I still think like a printmaker rather than a painter, and work in sections. Establishing the background, as in painting, is not a consideration. Ink is for ever, and the most important question is always ‘What’s in front?’ – a little reminder I always pin to the wall wherever I am teaching.
Preliminaries
Thinking in two media is challenging, and involves asking a
