Project by: Lulu Fleming-Benite (11th Grade)
Project Advisor: James French
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Michele Blackwell

Description of the Project: 

In this project, I hoped to reinvigorate my interest in the pen-and-ink medium by challenging myself to work solely with this medium for the duration of my honors project. I decided to create at least two small pieces a week, testing different styles and techniques, and following different prompts. I ended up trying out different kinds of pens (a globe nib and a reed pen), different kinds of shading (hatching, cross-hatching, ink wash), and different subject matter. Each week, James assigned me two drawings, specifying what elements I should incorporate into my work.

Final Product: 

Final Reflection on Learning: 

Pen and ink has long been one of my favorite artistic mediums, both to look at and to work with. I remember first getting into working with it when I was in middle school and the exhilaration of discovering something new that I loved. As I transitioned into high school, I continued to work with pen and ink, but as homework accumulated and time ran out, I found myself working with it less and less, until I eventually stopped using it altogether. This year, I decided to have another stab at it, and I figured that an honors project would be the perfect way to get back into the groove of it. Indeed, this project kept me consistent and productive. With James’ advising, I was able to re-familiarize myself with pen and ink and explore new ways to work with it. Though the beginning of my project felt hopeless— I hated everything I made— by its end, I felt fulfilled and happy with my finished collection of work. This project has proven to me that practice makes a huge difference when trying to improve technical skills. I know it’s something that we hear over and over again, but literally seeing it through my drawings affirmed it and reminded me that regular practice pays off.

Special thanks to James French for advising me and overseeing my project.

Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3: 

My first few weeks of work felt like a rough start. I used to be so comfortable working with pen and ink, but now it feels totally foreign. I tried to lessen the pressure on myself, and draw anyway.

Week One: I spent week one of my project discussing a plan of action with James.

Week Two: By week two, I had my very first mission. I was prompted to draw two still lives, each time doing two iterations: one using just pen, and one using a combination of pen and ink wash. I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of these drawings. I had no idea of what direction I was taking them in. Luckily, these were just short warm-up exercises, and I would have a chance at redemption next week.

Week Three: My following week’s mission was to draw two self-portraits, spending 20 to 30 minutes on each one. Again, I worked on one of them in pen, and one in ink wash. I wasn’t super satisfied with these either— I don’t think they bore any resemblance to myself other than the tidily-kept middle-parted hair— but they were a useful exercise to spend time on nonetheless.

Update on Progress from Weeks 4-6:

Week Four: By week four of my project, I began to feel a little more comfortable working. I referenced some of Van Gogh’s ink work and decided to experiment with wash again, working on two iterations of the view from my window since I had no other landscape to draw from. I did a pen one and an ink wash one, the latter of which turned out somewhat catastrophic as I had terrible control over my brush. Despite feeling apprehensive about the final results, it was fun trying to make my pieces look as Gotham as possible.

Week Five: By the time I got to week five of my project, things seemed to begin getting a little more optimistic. I was prompted to combine both wash and pen, varying the tone used with the pen (at this point I had switched from working with reed pen to using a globe nib), and referencing the work of Tyler Crook and Rafael Alburquerque. I was given the liberty to pick whichever subject matter I pleased, so I indulged myself in a landscape of the Aran Islands in Ireland and a portrait of my literary goddess Virginia Woolf. I think that you can tell I was beginning to feel much more comfortable.

Week Six: At week six of my project, I stuck in the groove of combining pen with wash, but switched up my subject matter. I drew another Irish landscape, which featured an anatomically incorrect car, as well as a still life of my favorite oxford shoes that I wore every day in freshman year.

Update on Progress from Weeks 7-9:

Week Seven: For week seven of my project, I changed up my method by working with watercolor in conjunction with the pen. I produced two pieces, each of them Irish landscapes. The first one I created using three different hues of blue. The second one I created using three analogous colors from my palette.

Week Eight: For week eight of my project, I created my final piece (no time for two this week— my workload was a bit heavier with the last day of school right around the corner). It was, yet again, an Irish landscape. I worked with the watercolor and ink wash combination once more, though this time I used a full range of colors from my palette. I paid careful attention to the preservation of the white in my paper to keep a sense of light in my work.

Week Nine: During week nine of my project, I looked over all of my work and reflected on my evolution since the beginning of the trimester. I wrote up my blog post and concluded that though this project may have come to an end, I still have a long way to go with my pen and ink practice.