Tag: claybord

Whooping Cranes in Ink

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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.

American Tree Sparrow on Claybord

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6”x6”, ink on Ampersand Claybord

Once again, I drew a bird on Claybord using ink (mostly fountain pens and Faber Castell Pitt Pens) and scratchboard techniques. This time, it’s an American Tree Sparrow, one of my favorite backyard birds.

I sprayed several coats of Spectrafix Final Fixative and then poured Natural Glass Varnish over it. When it comes to pouring, I’m a novice. I found it’s easier to tape the panel to a plastic cup so I can hold it and tilt it this way and that while pouring the varnish. I catch the excess in a container. This method creates a fairly thick layer, and it takes about five or six hours to dry. I always find some dust particles in the surface, but if I truly minded, I’d sand it and do another coat.

I tried to replicate the lighting from one day to the next to show the difference between unvarnished (left) and varnished (right), but it was a little darker today, but the color is a bit richer overall. The end result has a light gloss which I love.

Goldfinch on Claybord

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6”x6”, ink on Claybord

I’m so pleased with this one, not because I like the image—I think the bird is a wee bit wonky—but because I varnished it and it turned out great. I reached out to the Spectrafix company and asked about some of their products and also asked what I could do to diminish brush marks when using Natural Glass. Delia wrote me back with a variety of thoughts, one of which was pouring the varnish instead of brushing. I gave it a try (over three coats of Final Fixative) and held my breath and it worked! I’m very happy with having this option for finishing these Claybords so I can frame them without glass.

Categories: Art Ink

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