Charles Russell

Brothers of Briar

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Richard Burley

Richard Burley

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I like the paintings of cowboy artist Charles Russell, but I LOVE his pen and ink drawings--especially the ones in his letters to friends, and especially the ones he filled in with watercolor. They are so cool, don'tcha think? They say the age of letter writing is past, and it probably is, at least until an electro-magnetic pulse wipes things out. But even more so, how about illustrated letters? Anyone do this or similar? I think these are ultra-cool (gotta stop using that word). And these aren't even good examples:



 
Hmm...the more I look at those the more I think they're not quite representative of exactly what I mean. The upper isn't even pen and ink, is it? Strange paucity of those letters on Google.
 
They look like gouache, pastel or maybe watercolor. Interesting though. I think the modern equivalent would be "sketchbook" art. I have a Pinterest page dedicated to sketchbook art...some of which is very cool. Of course, that form collects them all for retention by the artist...these are sent off one by one as they are finished. I love both Russell and Remington. They really captured a special time and place.
 
arkansaspiper":u1c3fg11 said:
Yout telling me that's all ink
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The one looks like watercolor paint but basically yes, there are some very talented people in the world.   A lot of comic books were and some are still drawn with a nib and holder.
 
They do that and much more. They will lay down a line of ink and then while still wet or even after it's dried they go in with a water brush and do a "wash". Very common method.
 
Blackhorse":hof8qfoo said:
They do that and much more. They will lay down a line of ink and then while still wet or even after it's dried they go in with a water brush and do a "wash". Very common method.
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I no kidding just watched a YouTube video on that technique... the nib looks like a mini shovel.  Very very cool to watch it
 
Just to give you a feel for what can be done by someone with talent...here are four nice pen and wash drawings. All are characteristic of slightly differing techniques. Can you guess which one was done by one of the greatest masters...Michelangelo? Pretty obvious I guess.





 
It's the 3rd one. But apparently my wife has pens or a pen and is familiar with this.  My wife is a amazing artist I mean tops.  She is just not fast enought at it to make a living but tops none the less.  I showed them.to her and was not surprised.  I think with any one in there own hobby or job, you can get to a point where you see how amazing it is but it no longer surprised you. Like with me being in a music world so long I see amazing si ger song wrighters and guitar player that i kmow it's amazing but it dose not surprise me any more. In art of any format I believe it happens. But when a person like me a music Guy sees a form of art I'm not familiar with, or something I have never seen or knew could be or was it get surprise, filled with gittyness to study it look it up as I don't know.about it, but for a artist or some one familer they get a understanding a grasp as I do with music so the gittyness is not there as much.
 
So...understanding but not surprise. Got it.


I had no idea your wife was an artist! Cool. Can we see one of her works? I haven't dabbled in metalsmithing for years but I still have one piece I could show...the same for my pen and watercolor drawings. Surely you have just one thing she's done. Please!
 
Russell's humorous ones are the best. Or the poignant ones. They often illustrate the text of the letter. I have a book of them, better ones, but I suppose there are copyright issues re the internet, etc.

Hey, I like any pen and ink drawings, and probably any youse guys post. Don't know why, unless it's being envious of a kid in school with an I.Q. of 180 who could outdraw me. He could draw scenes from The Untouchables in about 30 seconds, machine guns going off, bodies twisted, etc. Freaked me how he could easily draw hands doing this and that. His materials: any crap piece of paper, any crap pen or pencil. Ticked me off until he was expelled for deliberately mixing up a sulphur dioxide-emitting substance in the lab (or was it hydrogen sulphide?) and it went into the ventilation ducts, causing an evacuation.

 
Yeah, there was a kid in my grade school class that was incredible with pencil drawings...easily professional grade. But he disparaged of his own work. Weird. But the only guy that outdrew me that I worried about was a guy in a bar with a .45. Very worrisome indeed. Actually happened.
 
Did you ever see the classic Kung Fu Hustle? One of my favorite comedies of all time. There's a Looney Tune kind of sequence where the hero is running down the road like Daffy or the Road Runner, the legs just an oval blur? That's me when a drtunk pulls a .45.
 
Blackhorse":1y0l1ip8 said:
Did you ever see the classic Kung Fu Hustle? One of my favorite comedies of all time. There's a Looney Tune kind of sequence where the hero is running down the road like Daffy or the Road Runner, the legs just an oval blur?  That's me when a drtunk pulls a .45.
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That is actually one of my all time favorite movies!  Thank you for sharing those pen and ink drawings.  Have you ever noticed the nib holder for this style of art are over sized?  Also I could see an Oblique nib holder needing to be used in some of these.
 
Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing. Absolutely stunning work!!            I use too also enjoy drawing with different types of pastel pencils or fountain pens with different size nibs.  These three pictures I used only a #2 pencil and did any of the shading you see in the three pictures with a dry Q-Tip. American Indian with Full Headdress: Geronimo, American Indian Cochise wearing the Tribal Peace Band and an American Indian Scout on his horse. Sorry for the poor quality picture, they're hanging on a wall in my bedroom and I took this picture with my iPad.  
If anyone wants to see an individual shot of any of the three drawings just ask.


KEEP ON PUFFING!!!
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