MARCH CHALLENGE DRAWINGS 1, 2 & 3

I was anxious to try out my challenge, so this afternoon I went looking for some interesting materials to draw with. I used walnut ink drawing with a stick, sharpened wooden match, Japanese Brush Pen with a black ink cartridge and then I discovered the oiler boiler (finest tip) from Cheap Joe's.

The first image is on Cold Pressed Arches. I wetted the paper and then started drawing with the stick. It fuzzed out quite a bit. I went back into the drawing with the Japanese brush pen. I used a flat brush and started adding some value, painting with the walnut ink. I drew back in with the sharpened match stick. Finally, I loaded an oiler boiler with the walnut ink and made some additional lines. I had a real "Eureka" moment when I saw that the oiler boiler was making such an interesting line. I also spritzed the paper for texture as well as dropping small dots of walnut ink into the wet areas for textural interest. I tried to be conscious of the light and dark pattern I learned in Geo. James' workshop. I had fun trying different tools for drawing and experimenting with the walnut ink. It lifts fairly easily. This came in handy!

I loved how the oiler boiler worked in the first painting. I thought I would try to draw with it on dry watercolor paper. WOW!! It became a 3 dimensional line as I drew. The ink was just sitting on top of the paper. It surprised me how the sensation of making a 3 dimensional line was so exciting to me. It looked like a fine wire sitting on my paper. I wish I could figure out how to keep it like that when it dried. Anything that would hold its shape when dry will clog the fine needle. Eventually the ink gets absorbed but it took a long time. The nature of the fine needle and bottle creates an irregular line on textural paper and these little "dots" of ink when you pause ever so slightly. This is my favorite piece of the day.

Now I was running around trying to find different papers to see how the oiler boiler would work on other surfaces. I got out my sketch book from Summer with the parchment like paper. The ink was instantly absorbed as I drew so I had a wider line and totally different look. This is the 3rd drawing in the post. Next I tried it on Tyvek, first on a dry surface and second on a damp surface. Again, totally different look. It dried looking a little like a reed pen....darker on the edges of the line and slightly lighter in the middle. I just wrote my name on a scrap of paper and then dampened a spot where I made a few marks just to see what would happen, Lastly, I took a piece of scrap YUPO and drew on that. Loved the look on YUPO and Tyvek.

Now I have to order more oiler boilers so I can have them loaded with different colors so I don't have to empty and clean the one I have every time I want to work with a different color.

Today was a perfect art day...having fun, discovering new things and generating ideas for future paintings. The joy of art is in the "doing"

FIRST FEBRUARY PAINTING CHALLENGE COMPLETED!

I am pleased to be able to announce I have finally finished a painting for this month. It is already the 17th!!!! This is on Arches cold pressed block 12 x 16. It looks different than any painting I have ever done. I'm not totally satisfied with the result but I like a lot of what is happening and I decided to make this a painting where I was going to experiment with different ideas and see what happens. With all my value studies, I just dove in and didn't use any of them. I was considering value as I went along but it really is a better idea to have it planned out in advance. After reviewing the slide show again, I was struck how the value pattern of this stone was so similar to the painting I did today. I have no idea if this image was in my subconscious while I was painting.

One of the things I wanted to discover is whether Stretch and Cling wrap would make a good masking material. I did a light wet into wet wash all over the paper and let it dry. Then I stretched the wrap over the painting as tight as I could get it. It didn't quite cover the whole sheet so some of the bottom was uncovered Then I took my drawing (it was on tracing paper) and transfered the outline of the 3 figures onto the cling wrap. On the back of my tracing paper drawing I use a heavy line made from a watercolor crayon over the drawing lines. I turn it over and place it on my paper and using a mechanical pencil retrace the lines. This transfers a thin line of water soluble crayon on the paper and usually disappears by the time I have finished the painting. I used this method to transfer the outline of the figures onto the cling wrap. Then I used a tool I had purchased awhile ago but never used. It is a stencil cutter.... like a wood burning tool but has a very fine metal needle-like end that heats up and melts through stencil plastic. It worked great on the cling wrap. I'm not sure if the heat sealed the edge or not but I got a decent seal with the plastic wrap. Next I will try this tool on clear tape to see if it cuts through it. I am not very agile with an exacto knife going around curves not to mention I usually cut into the paper so this handy dandy instrument is very exciting! I got it at Michael's Craft Store with one of my 40% off coupons.
I started putting darker washes in the background sweeping right over the figures which were masked off. Then I took off the cling wrap and started working on the figures. Eventually, I decided to use the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (found in the Grocery Store in the cleaning products isle) I tore it into small pieces and lifted color and swept it across certain passages. This has real potential for interesting blending of colors and edges as well as lifting color. I think I may have found a way to paint shapes and still have lost and found edges (a personal favorite of mine)

Tomorrow starts the George James workshop on Yupo. I will attempt to post each day and share his wisdom.
Now, time to tackle those damn taxes.