2nd entry for May 31, 2013

These are two 15-minute studies above, and a 20-minute one below. The markers, especially when used fast, show their distinct strokes, so ideally they need to be used in some interesting way. Flat passages are possible but take a little bit longer to build.
Having a light gray makes it fairly easy to make highlights stronger by taking down the general light a notch. Three steps of value and black read as fairly graduated values at some distance, but aren't too many choices to be fiddling between.
These are done on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson 1557 heavier-weight drawing paper. It is a very nice soft surface and has a soft light about it, but it does absorb a lot of ink and the ink spreads a bit owing to its absorbency.