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.