InkTober, Week 1: Brush Markers

 

10/2/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood. When I was cleaning out the Miata
for her detailing a few weeks ago, I found a tin of Hahnemuhle watercolor postcards 
that I had left under the seat "just in case" I was spontaneously inspired to make
someone a card (you can imagine how many times that happened -- zero). I thought
I'd give the toothy paper a try with these markers, and I'm pleased that it was fine. It 
means I can use my favorite Hahnemuhle sketchbook with markers, too. All other sketches
shown here are in a Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook.

I’ve been so busy reporting on my trip to the Bay Area that I’m only now getting around to InkTober! When I made a dry run last month, I was trepidatious about using waterproof Staedtler Pigment Arts brush pens exclusively, mainly because I have never liked the marker-ish marks that markers make (say that five times fast). That’s also true of Faber-Castell Pitt Artist brush pens, which I’ve used sporadically for years.

Markers are difficult to modulate: They are either off or on, with none of the subtle gradations that I love so much about colored pencils – and that are easy to get with colored pencils. They also can’t be blended like pencils or water-soluble materials; they must be layered like watercolors are glazed. And yet the boldness and directness of brush markers are appealing and seductive – that’s why I keep going back to them sporadically.

My hope is that using these markers for 31 consecutive days will either teach me to find a way to use them so that the results are satisfying or convince me to quit using them, content that they just aren’t for me.

10/3/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

As I mentioned in the dry-run post, using a limited palette that has been curated for me by a set is unusual – I’m so used to having a full range of colors to pick from. Sometimes I feel frustrated (I want a darker green, for example, and the set could use another midtone), but the palette has been mostly working out OK so far.

One thing I’m especially happy about this InkTober is that my chosen ink is colored! Although at least one year I used a variety of colors of fountain pen inks, I typically choose black ink for InkTober. That means I’m often frustrated that my black line drawings prevail during the most colorful season of the year! (Yes, of course, I could color the black line drawings, and sometimes have, but then what would I be learning? It seems pointless to participate in an art challenge if I don’t push myself to try something new.)

My biggest learning so far is that size matters, at least where scale of the page is concerned (I mentioned this a couple of days ago). Now that I’m using an A5 sketchbook instead of trying to use up a pocket-size sketchbook, the bold brush markers feel comfortable.

One thing I have always liked about markers is how easy it is to get high value contrasts immediately. That’s always been one of the most seductive aspects of markers (as well as a drawback, if subtlety is desired).

10/5/26 Crown Hill neighborhood. I'm pleased by how easy and efficient it was to get those bold darks in. It takes a lot more work to get high value contrasts with colored pencils. The odd mix of colors on the foreground car is regrettable. That green was the best midtone, but I didn't like the color for this car, so I colored over it with indigo.

I’m still working on not fighting the marker-ish look and instead embracing the mark-making that markers are good at.

(Days 1 and 4 were included in previous posts; today’s post shows the rest of the first week.)

10/6/26 Roosevelt neighborhood

10/7/26 Green Lake