London based illustrator Fee Greening specializes in dip pen and ink – a somewhat uncommon method in this digital day and age. “It is a very slow process, the pen can only draw 1/2cm before you need to re-dip it,” explained Fee in an interview with the Papier blog. “I also have to wait for it to dry for a couple of minutes so I don’t smudge or drag my long hair across the wet ink.”
The long and hard work seems to have paid off, and with more than 15 thousand followers on Instagram, it’s clear we aren’t the only one who’s smitten by her work. Inspired by Medieval, Gothic and Flemish art, her illustrations seem to be out of time and out of place, with one theme constant throughout her work: hands.
“I love the dramatic gestures of hands in Renaissance paintings and how you can decode the narrative by reading them,” she said. “I am really interested in symbolism as well, I love an evil snake or an apple of temptation and I draw a lot of curiosities – corals, shells, jewels, etc. I have always been interested in magic and Medieval illuminated manuscripts.”
“Although there are many wonderful aspects of living in a digital age, it has given us very short attention spans,” Fee concluded. “I think we crave traditional analog outlets to balance out our scrolling culture. A detailed drawing is not only precious because of its beauty but also because of the time dedicated to making it.”
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