Mark-Making Tool: Shell Pen

description

This was our first assignement in Drawing I class, where we had to create our own mark-making tool using what we had to hand.

It just so happens that I keep a craft box with all kinds of odd bits in it... including spiral shells, scraps of leather, and fake sinew.... thus the shell pen was born!

the key part of making this pen work is breaking off the tip of the shell, giving it an almost fountain pen like quality. The further up you break the tip, the larger the marks will be.

ink and some sort of absorbant material for wipping off exess ink is required (it just so happend that my craft box had a scrap of immitation fur in it too).

To see how well our mark-making tool functioned, we had to draw a crumpled piece of paper with it. To draw with my tool, I found it was most effective to use large (but controled) amounts of ink, in short, sharp strokes. Shading was best done by scratching and spreading the ink out from the lines before it dried.