Wildlife art and illustration: drawing in ink - some experiments in Auroville, India

M Eric Ramanujam,S Joss Brooks

doi:10.11609/jott.o3717.5343-56

Abstract

The various styles employed by some artists at the Pitchandikulam studio in Auroville International Township are discussed and some works analysed and commented upon. The basic history and applications of pen and ink drawing and black and white illustration are touched upon and the various schools of thought mentioned and discussed - from it simply being technically accurate and easily printed, to the conundrums with which it is beset.

Highlights

The various styles employed by some artists at the Pitchandikulam studio in Auroville International Township are discussed and some works analysed and commented upon
An all time favourite is the drawing of a reclining Barbary Lion Panthera leo leo by the master draftsman of his time, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669), whose pen and wash rendering, in the Louvre, is a masterpiece— for its sense of poise, proportion and exactitude, but more so for its spontaneity, speed of execution and abject simplicity. It is these two artists who can be credited with introducing the concept of drawing wild animals in ink into the maelstrom of the art world at a time when painters, sculptors and draftsmen were striving to define the essence of realism
Before multicolour printing/reproduction was possible, drawing in pen and ink was the only recourse for the science-based author/publisher

Summary

Introduction

The various styles employed by some artists at the Pitchandikulam studio in Auroville International Township are discussed and some works analysed and commented upon. Wildlife art and illustration: drawing in ink Monochrome imagery on parchment can be traced back to ancient Egypt where, for example in the hieroglyphic scripts, scribes used reed pens from the Sea Rush Juncas maritimus as long ago as 3,000BC (Fischer 2003).

Results

Conclusion