Originals in this selection, Painting, Pen and Ink.
Line over color
Ink over a painted ground is a rare pairing because it unites two ways of painting: the flowing quality of color and the decisiveness of line. Painterly mixed media with pen and ink is for sale if you want both in one picture.
In painting, a color field first sets the picture, then the nib draws into it. On dry acrylic or gouache the ink stays sharp, on a glaze it spreads softly. The results are works where outlines sit on color like script on a sky. Canvas and wood also carry an ink line, as long as the ground is not too greasy.
Read more
Support, varnish, hanging
With painterly works it pays to read the description: was it made on canvas, paper or wood, and is the ink line fixed or varnished? Under varnish the ink sinks slightly into depth, without it stays matte. Hang such pieces in soft light so that color and ink age evenly.
Check the color ground
Ask which paint made the ground: acrylic, gouache and watercolor react differently to ink. On canvas the line should be fixed so it does not rub. Photos of the surface under raking light show best how the layers lie.