Bamboo dip-pen pen with dilute Lexington grey ink, water-brush with acrylic ink, A4 – two hours

This is probably the last drawing there’ll be of the hyacinth that I’ve been documenting since Christmas. Although the leaves have now collapsed under their own weight and the flowers have shrivelled, this has been the most satisfying phase of its life to draw; lots of long curves, twists and folds, and sinuous shadows.

(I can’t really call this a sketch as it took about two hours, with an initial pencil drawing for the overall shape, then bamboo dip-pen for all the line work, and finally the shading in brown acrylic ink…)