Project by: Lulu Fleming-Benite (12th Grade)
Project Advisor: James French
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Michele Blackwell
Description of the Project:
In this project, I revisited the project I worked on last year in the third trimester. I hoped to continue 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 work on different pieces each 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. Towards the middle of my project, work shifted towards creating artwork for this year’s admissions holiday card.
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 continue the work that I started last year with the medium, knowing that an honors project would be the perfect way to continue working consistently. Indeed, this project kept me regular and productive. With James’ advising, I was able to continue re-familiarizing myself with pen and ink and explore new ways to work with it. I was also excited to work on the holiday card this year, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Special thanks to James French for advising me and overseeing my project.
Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3:
I was excited to get back into working with pen and ink over the first few weeks of my project.
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 a self-portrait with the pen using black ink. I worked from a mirror.
Week Three: My following week’s mission was to draw another self-portrait, this time using a brush and ink wash instead of the pen. I worked from a mirror again.
Update on Progress from Weeks 4-6:
Week Four: At week four of my project, James let me know that my next assignment was to work towards creating a holiday card for the school’s admissions office. I brainstormed different winter scenes and looked on Pinterest for examples of snowy pictures of the Village. I then did my first page of thumbnailing in my sketchbook.
Week Five: For week six of my project, I picked out my two favorite scenes from my thumbnailing and decided to sketch out larger drawings of them. I worked on a picture of Washington Square Park with some dogs in it and a picture of Christopher street snowed over.
Week Six: At week six of my project, I worked on a quick ink wash sketch of my favorite scene between my two final picks, which ended up being the one of the park.
Update on Progress from Weeks 7-9:
Week Seven: For week seven of my project, I worked on a newer, bigger version of my ink wash sketch, still in my sketchbook, taking into consideration the placement of different elements and beginning to develop detail in the picture.
Week Eight: For week eight of my project, I created my final piece for the holiday card. Up until then, I had been working with black ink, but James and I decided that working with walnut ink would bring a more festive sense of warmth into the image. I worked on a large piece of watercolor paper, and gave my work to James so that it could be made into a card.
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.
