The final challenge was deliberately different: draw Pont Neuf without step-by-step instructions and make the sketch my own rather than reproduce the reference photograph.
I used a Pilot Custom 823 F with waterproof ink for the main drawing and a Platinum 3776 UEF for some of the finer lines and stonework. I also included the buildings beyond the bridge, even though they weren’t necessary to the exercise, because I felt they gave the bridge some context. I am pleased with the result and, perhaps more importantly, it feels like my drawing.
The repeated and broken lines around the arches are becoming part of the way I naturally sketch, although I can still see places where I went further with the pen than I needed to. The shadow on the far side of the river is too heavy; taking ink directly from a nib with a wet brush makes the strength difficult to judge, and this time I picked up too much. The lesson from the final day is not that I need to become looser, but that I need to become more selective: knowing which parts deserve another line and which have already said enough.
Score: 9/10.
However, a new scoring system was introduced today and my sketch only achieved a 6.0/10! See the new scoring system here.
The Loose Nib 
Leave a comment