1. I show how to use crow quill pens and brushes, and show some techniques that are possible with ink:
cross hatching
parallel lines
different textures
washes
thick/thin line
2. I also mention ways of describing space, besides the obvious use of mathematical perspective:
overlapping (very obvious but very important)
contrast of size (larger=closer, smaller=further)
placement (high=far, low=near)
Aerial perspective (greater contrasts=closer, lesser contrasts=further)
THE EXERCISE
Draw a room, any room, with anything you like in it. Have fun; make it as nonsensical as you care to. Fill the room with objects people, whatever. But think of how to describe objects in space. Use 14 x 17 Bristol board or drawing paper.
The first 45 minutes, you must use a crow quill pen and ink. The second 45 minutes, you must use a brush and ink.
This exercise is helpful to connect the students with having fun with the material. It is meant to emphasize the sensuality of the act of drawing. I am surprised how many students are not accustomed to thinking this way. They seem overly preoccupied with rendering instead of drawing. After they loosen up a bit, they seem to really enjoy this exercise because I am encouraging them play, which directly encourages them to experiment with the ink, without fear of “messing up.”