I really like the un-predictable results with the ink blot technique so after doing some leaf inkblots last week I revisited the technique to draw this Small tortoiseshell visiting the allotment in the sunshine.

I planned out some of the markings on tracing paper, concentrating on the dark areas and a layer for the reddish orange. The trace was drawn in soft pencil and then burnished from the back onto cartridge paper just to give a faint outline.

I experimented with block printing ink, slightly thinned so I could draw with a pipette. It worked better for blotting the thicker it was, I also let the thinner ink dry a bit before blotting, I could experiment infinitely.

Once dry these ink blots were copied to photoshop for editing, initially playing with the blots not worrying too much how close it was to the original photograph. Partly this was because these blots were done quite small and it is difficult to get details, in the past I have done larger scale images like the one below trying to more faithfully replicate the markings, these were originally done in ink at A3 size paper.