Click the picture just see a larger version.
This week I tried new approaches to monotypes and sketching. The nasturtiums are still blooming. So, I photographed them with my phone and used the photos as reference for a crayon sketch and a monotype. I then tackled a larger monotype of Ankeny wetland using what I’ve learned so far. Then mid-week I got a new set of Qor watercolors and tried them out on a series of small sketches, and finally today I did another monotype of the Painted Hills in Eastern Oregon using a new technique.
I did a number of sketches from the car while running errands this week. I did this first one while waiting in a below ground parking lot. I had some crayons and colored pencils with me, but no subject. So, I used a picture on my iPhone as a reference.
Click the picture to see a larger version.
Moleskine 5×8.25 inch notebook, Neocolor II crayons. Image is 3.75×6 inches (9.5×15 cm).
After I got home, I did a monotype of the same subject. I used some of the line techniques I experimented with previously to do the vines and stems.
Click the picture just see a larger version.
Canson Mix Media paper 7×10 inches (17.8×25.4 cm), Holbein Acryla Gouache on a Saran Warp plate. Image is 5×7 inches (12.5×17.8 cm).
Next I wanted to try something larger, perhaps a long narrow landscape. I did this one from memory of Ankeny Wildlife Refuge wetland. I applied paint to the plate using my fingers and a palette knife. I worked in several layers and used a hairdryer to dry each layer before printing the next one. I started with the sky and worked my way down to the foreground.
Click the picture to see a larger version.
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper, Holbein Acryla Gouache, Golden Soft Gel Matte medium and Retarder on a Saran Wrap plate. Image is 4×10 inches (10.3×25.3 cm).
I bought a 12 half pan mini set of Qor watercolors. Of course I had to try them out.
Click the picture to see a larger version.
They are nice and rich and come to life with the touch of a wet brush. You don’t have to pre-wet them. Unfortunately I used a water soluble ink that bled into the color.
Fabriano Hot Press Watercolor paper, Koh-I-Noor Fount India Drawing ink, and Golden Qor watercolors.
The next day I did another test sketch sitting on the back porch in the sun. This time I used waterproof ink.
Click the picture to see a larger version.
Canson Mix Media paper 7×10 inches (17.8×25.4 cm), Platinum Carbon Black ink, and Golden Qor watercolors.
Later I went to the bank and the store and took my watercolors with me. I did a couple of sketches from the car.
Click the picture to see a larger version.
Click the picture to see a larger version.
I tried a sketching technique called “Taking a line for a walk”. You just start somewhere and follow the outline of a shape. Then you use black and color to slightly define the shape more and call it quits. It’s fun and fast and does manage to capture the essence of a scene.
Canson Mix Media paper 7×10 inches (17.8×25.4 cm), Platinum Carbon Black ink, and Golden Qor watercolors.
Today I had another idea for doing a landscape monotype. I wanted to try using paper masks to block off sections of a scene and print each section with different colors and textures.
Click the picture to see a larger version.
I also wanted to try a different paint and plate. I used Golden High Flow Acrylics instead of Holbein Acryla Gouache. It’s like an acrylic ink. I didn’t have many colors. So, I chose a scene to match the colors I had or could mix. I drew a very rough sketch on a piece of inkjet printer paper and cut the scene into strips which I hinged on one side over the printmaking paper with tape so that I could fold one back at a time to expose a section for printing. It worked pretty well and I like how it turned out, but it was time consuming and took all afternoon.
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper, Golden High Flow Acrylics on a Gelli Arts 8×10 inch plate. Image is 4×10 inches (10.3×25.3 cm).
Jim
