Ink Experiments I

 

Ink is fascinating.

Liquid, running ink.

I think that, unlike using a pencil or a pen, ink contains a high level of unpredictability that adds a unique character to a piece. No two marks are identical.

My experience with ink is limited, but recently I decided to do an earnest effort to experiment with it, trying to figure out some of the almost endless possibilities of this medium.

In particular, I tried to play between sharpness and diffusion. To accomplish this, I wet the blade of an exacto knife with ink and “cut through” the paper to make very thin lines that also have a texture to them. Along the path of my cut lines, I damped the paper with water so that as soon as the ink went through the area, it would spread in unpredictable ways. These are some of the results:

Shadow Tectonics

Tectonics (architecture): “the science or art of construction, both in relation to use and artistic design.”
Shadow: “An area were light from a light source is obstructed by an object.”