“Learning to Drive the Pentel Brush” with Ailsa Fergusson

A session learning to push the brush to extremes, and then refining your techniques to your chosen area, either for patterns, image making or calligraphic mark making.

For this you need the largest of the Pental brushes and must be the pointed one. Top brush in the image below. ( I have found some cheaper brands do not form the fine point.) A large brush can always be used for thin lines, but a small brush can only make small lines.

I can supply Chinese/Sumi ink to those that do not have their own, and ask participants to bring an A2 size sheet of cartridge paper. We will cover one side of it with a very wide range of marks over the morning, and after lunch the sheet will be folded into a booklet for the afternoon work to be done page by page. The morning will be spent getting familiar with the physical moves needed for a range of marks, while in the afternoon these moves can be used for lettering or drawing.

The next most important thing required for this workshop is enough cushions to make sure your elbows are much higher then the table when sitting. Otherwise you will be standing all day, as the arms not able to move freely when sitting too low. I know we are all different proportions, but I need to be raised by 15- 20 cm at most tables.

I will supply some scrap paper for testing ink and brush strokes on.

Additional gear

Ruler
pencil
paper towel
Atomiser of water (I use empty spray bottle from optometrists) I will have one to share if you do not have one
Water jar and small dishes for ink to be diluted into.
A larger brush for use with water only – putting a wash on paper.
A2 sheet of cartridge paper

$40 members/$50 non members