Drawing a Dungeon-Delving Possum (India Ink Wash & Gouache)
While I was manning my illustration booth in the artist alley of the 2023 Gamehole Con RPG Convention, I drew linework of a silly possum in armor with a sword and a shield. I prepared the inked artwork just in case I needed something to color in during Charles Urbach's colored pencil workshop during the convention.
We wound up not needing any artwork to color in, as the instruction was more about color theory. But I did learn the value of how an underpainting can enhance the value of a colored artwork, whether in pencil, ink or paint.
When I got back from the TTRPG convention, I put my new-found artistic skill to use by creating an inkwash underpainting over the linework I had prepped.
Once that dried, I colored the drawing in with cheap powdered gouache. I enjoy using gouache to color my drawings because you can alter the transparency by regulating the ratio of water to medium on your brush. It's an enjoyable way to layer colors.
Once the color layer was in, I went back at the drawing with India ink on a brush (and a little bit on a Japanese brush pen) to bring the bold, black linework back to life. Finally, I used white India ink for highlights and to draw in the dungeon-exporing possum's whiskers.
I love the way it came out.
This drawing was a gift for my friend Dan, who is such a pro-active supporter of myself and other artists, writers, and game designers in the tabletop role playing game industry. I hope you enjoy the time-lapse video of this silly little fantasy marsupial.
