The Power of Pen and Ink

I find as an artist that pen and ink is one of the most unforgiving artistic mediums. There is no hiding behind heavy paint or layered correction. Every mark i make needs to be intentional. Every line carries weight and not always intentional.

For wildlife art, the pen creates an extraordinary connection between the subject and myself.

The texture of an elephant’s skin.
The tension in a lion’s stance.
The softness around a rhino’s eye.
The scattered light across a leopard’s fur.

Each detail I have to research and observe and my pen translates this into thousands of individual ink marks. The process becomes less about drawing and more about understanding the animal itself.

When I create an INK, discipline is central to the work, every mark I make is a commitment to the paper. I love working broadly within a monochromatic approach, I hope my art leaves the viewer of an INK feeling the emotion, character and behaviour of the animal as the key focus.