Playmobil Viking in Ink
This was created in light pencil lines and black ink on a very large piece of sketch paper based off of life observation of a playmobil.
I began by creating thumbnail sketches of the playmobil, to practice getting down the proportions.
This also allowed me to test the ink, get a grasp on how it interacted with water, and experiment with gradations.
Once I'd gotten an idea of how to work with the ink, I created large-scale sketches in light pencil lines to help guide me when I applied the ink. These lines captured not only the form of the playmobil, but also the way light reflected off of it. Once I began painting, these lines acted as markers, reminding me to be mindful about where I placed the ink.
I applied the black ink with a paintbrush, mixing ink with varying amounts of water. I worked from dark to light, since the brush lost ink as I painted, getting lighter as I went along. Working with water and ink meant that some of the fine gradation almost created itself, and also allowed me to pull away ink from some areas while adding it to others.
The decision to draw the playmobil from three angles allowed me to depict the way that the lighting of the playmobil changes depending on its position in comparison to the light. It also allowed me to capture details that would have otherwise been hidden by the solid nature of the playmobil, such as the worn paint on its side, the angle of its mustache, and the way he holds his shield almost carelessly behind him.