Cardinal in Ballpoint Pen
11″ x 15″, Jetstream ballpoint pen on Stonehenge 90 lb. paper
Whooping Cranes in Ink
And on paper and Ampersand Claybord.
9″x12″, ink on watercolor paper, probably Hahnemuhle Bamboo
The above is my favorite, but I’m also fond of the Claybord version, which is more stylized.
8″x10″, ink on Ampersand Claybord
(If you look closely at the above piece, you may be able to spot a Blue Crab in the water.)
My goal was to depict a family of Whooping Cranes. I used three different reference photos I had taken, all of the same bird. Another goal was to use what’s called a mother color to create a harmonious color scheme. Instead of relying on only one color to add to everything else I used, I created a triad “mother color” group with three primaries, and I added a small amount to everything. The paper version was all around more successful with that experiment, as the paper absorbed some of the intensity.
Beeswax Paint
9″ x 12″, Ceracolors on wooden panel
I had a fairly quiet year spent mostly using ink and I more or less had decided that ink was my medium, but then I stumbled upon a Youtube video about Ceracolors water soluble paint made from pigment and beeswax, and I was super intrigued. I suddenly felt like experimenting with something new. I’m not much of a painter, but that didn’t stop me from buying a sample kit with a few extras including fluid medium.
I decided to layer the paint on wooden supports to see how they perform using scratchboard techniques. That way, I could spend most of my time drawing with a little painting thrown in here and there. The first drawingI completed was the farm scene, a familiar farm that I’ve drawn before. I went overboard and scratched out far too much, using all of my scratchboard tools and then some. (With the bird drawing, my favorite tool was a wooden tool with both a sharp and blunt end. It created the most expressive marks of anything I used.) I decided to put in some color to help things along, and in the end, it was okay. It’s interesting to consider that all of the dark lines and marks on both works are the bottom layer showing through after scratching.
8″ x 10″, Ceracolors on wooden panel
My next try was the Goldfinch.This time, I kept my expectations a little lower, deciding on black-and-white color scheme, and I liked how it ended up.
This is how I prepped my panels. I brushed on a layer of Gac100 on the back (only), and then I sanded the front. I then put on a layer of dark Ceracolors paint that was thinned with the fluid medium. At first, I tried the paint straight out of the tube, but it’s on the thick side, and I probably would have used far too much for a small work. I “set” the layer using a hair dryer, and then I put on a second layer. After that one was dry and set, I decided how to handle the top layer. With the farm, I went with straight white and fluid medium, but with the bird, I tinted the white with yellow ochre. Each time I painted a layer, I used the hair dryer as heat helps cure it. From what I understand, heat isn’t truly needed with Ceracolors, but most videos I watched seemed to do this step. Unlike encaustic, heat isn’t the main purpose of this paint. It’s more about using a wax-based paint without fumes, chemicals, blowtorches, etc.
The paint itself feels like watercolor. In fact, you can use it exactly like watercolor, which is why I was interested in it. However, the fluid medium creates a lovely smoothness that I quickly preferred. When finished, you can use a soft cloth to buff your painting, and it really starts to glow. I loved using these paints. They’re complex but forgiving–and fun.
Oil Pastel Urban Landscape
8″ x 10″, oil pastel on wood panel
I’m challenging myself to draw more freely and not rely so heavily on photos. I always use my own reference photos and generally draw with my laptop in front of me, referring to the image and zooming in to analyze details. Some part of me has had enough of that approach, however, but I know I’m not an imaginative artist and prefer references. So, I went back in time, thinking about film photography and considering using references that are small. Perhaps they capture the composition, the season, a particular mood, but they’ll leave room to improvise and loosen up a bit. I’ve leaned toward this more and more this past year with my drawings, but I decided to test myself.
I bought an Instax wide instant camera, and now I can take photos that can’t really be blown up to obsess on detail. The quality is mediocre, but the process is delightful. Having the photo develop right in front of you creates a certain kind of nostalgic magic. Although some photos turn out very nice, especially with bright lighting, most are kind of crooked and murky. I know I could also rely upon a plein air sketch, but I’m not quite that ambitious. Yet.
With this particular drawing/painting, I put down a coat of Gac100 as a sealant and then a coat of black gesso so I’d have a dark layer. I covered everything with a moody layer of oil pastel and scratched out my drawing. Everything that’s dark is scratched out.
I love the idea of using the scratchboards that come with a pre-applied layer of black, but that process is to scratch out highlights. I’m more interested in scratching out the darkest areas. I’m now in a period of exploration. What’s coming in the mail? Water soluble beeswax paints.