I was a little stymied at the art store, unable to find the drawing pad I wanted. When I got home I remembered a classmate, Pete, used recycled paper from his printer. He said it had a similar feel to rice paper with his brush and ink one minute sketches. I have TONS of paper for the printer. I have a lovely vellum UV/ULTRA II Translucent Printing Paper, Radiant White no less, from the days when Rich and I were in business.
 |
| Gesture: 2 min warmup w/ sumi wash, pen brush |
I offered Pete a few sheets. He declined saying it was too smooth for ink but perfect for charcoal. So I took out my charcoal. Lovely feel. Great effect. Then I went back to my sumi, partly because as fun as charcoal is, it is a big dark mess. Sumi can be too if you splatter the way I do and have gotten on myself too. But I love the brush, the bamboo pen too... the implement, the tool, as well as the medium.
 |
| Gesture: 5 min top charcoal_bottom sumi |
Back to charcoal... add the ground first, erase highlights, additive charcoal for shadow. On drawing paper I dug out of my historical stash, a decent 18x24" paper pad.
 |
2, 20's (2 sittings, 20 min each)
one pose_ 3, 20's |
 |
| Neocrayon and water |
 |
| Wax, sumi, brush, bamboo |
 |
| Pencil |
The last 20 minutes of the pose I thought I'd go back to my intention to develop volume with line. I started with a charcoal pencil with the hand / hip area, working up and down on one side of the body.
Another artist, Mitch, handed me his
Koh-I-Noor Mechanical Lead Holder with a 6B Lead. The feel of the tool is as important as the tool itself in making art. I quickly sketched in the other side of the model.
Altogether it was good that I went to class. The passion of the teacher, the talent of the model, passing on tools and information, as well as experience, to one another.
