The small area became once more very apparent to me when using pastels which were tricky to maneouvre properly, but easier if used on the side of the flat end.
Added interest and lift, I think was produced by adding colour contrasts and harmonies to some designs.
For certain types of marks in this exercise, I found the most enjoyable tools and techniques to use were:
Gel pen – for thin scratchy marks
Feather and ink (top end) held near opposite end, lightly twisted and flicked
Ink – with feather, homemade stick pens such as teasel and course grass stems and bamboo were all enjoyable for easily producing a wide variety of lines with, an often unpredictable outcome
Ballpoint pen – energetic and whispy
Watercolour crayons – grainy and smooth with the addition of a damp brush on some areas
Oil pastel – resist and scratching out
Soft media (charcoal, pastels etc.) - stipples for speed of coverage and relatively large scale
Soft pastels – easy to blend
Homemade sticks and ink ie. bamboo, teasel, reed, feather, coarse grass - a diverse range of marks and lines.
