Garden, Monoliths #128 - Pen-plotter drawing - edition 1 - 50 x 50 cm
This video documents the creation of a dense pen-plotted drawing.
Within the Garden, Monoliths series, iteration #128 is special: it is one of only two artworks featuring the “Circle Crop” trait, where the garden is contained within a circular composition.
Unlike many other iterations, this piece contains no colour layer and is composed entirely of line work, making it particularly well suited to pen plotting. The drawing still contains a high level of detail, which requires careful choices in pen size and ink density so that the lines remain readable in the more complex areas, especially near the upper part of the sheet.
The drawing is executed on smooth, aged-yellow 300 gsm paper using Rotring Isograph technical pens in 0.8 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm and 0.2 mm.
- 0'00"We begin with the boldest strokes, using a 0.8 mm Rotring Isograph. It’s not immediately obvious that this iteration contains monoliths, but the SVG file tells us they are there—completely hidden beneath the lush vegetation.
- 0'12"Drawing the fern leaves with a Rotring Isograph 0.4 mm.
- 0'24"The flower stems are traced with the same pen. Their thicker appearance is achieved by drawing several parallel lines, a much more precise technique than simply using a larger pen tip.
- 0'41"A flyover view of the work completed so far, as we approach the end of these first layers after several hours of work.
- 0'52"Starting a new layer for the leaves of another plant species, beginning at the bottom of the sheet. These larger shapes, with their long, smooth curves, create some visual breathing room despite the overall density of the composition.
- 1'30"Still using the Rotring 0.4 mm, we now trace the outlines of the poppies.
- 1'53"Tracing the contours of the branches. These long, delicate tubular shapes require extra precision, so we switch to a Rotring Isograph 0.3 mm.
- 2'16"Using a very fine 0.2 mm pen, we add the centerlines of the leaves.
- 2'33"The plotter quietly continues performing its score, while the sunlight filtering through the fig tree above the studio’s roof window casts warm patches of light onto the plotting table.
- 2'40"Tracing the fern stems with a Rotring 0.3 mm. Here we can observe the occlusion algorithm at work, producing bold-looking strokes with a very fine pen tip.
- 2'55"The plot is finished! Let’s take a closer look.
- 3'07"Titling and signing the piece in pencil.
