As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed the slow evolution of my wardrobe into various shades of black. Not intentionally, but with every purchase it’s the familiar “but black will go with more” and soon enough you find yourself blending into the night…

Not only does this carry through my clothing, but my illustrations too - I replenish my black inks much more than any other. There are advantages and disadvantages to this - it’s much harder to distinguish textures and details when you’re working with one colour. However, it’s also taught me to be more skilled with my brush strokes and how to achieve certain techniques with the ink - do I want a solid black or the more watercolour “bleeding” look? It’s a surefire way to train your eye to focus on detail.

Here are some of my favourite illustrations where I’ve only used a single bottle of black ink.