I bought some hotpress watercolor paper to try out. I’m not sure how I feel about the surface; it will take some getting used to. Coldpress paper seems to allow me more time for “wiggle room” before leaving an indelible mark. Also, coldpress paper seems to take more abuse and “scrubbing” before the paper’s surface starts to disintegrate. I painted this rose, but I mangled the leaves badly so I cut them off with the paper cutter.
It’s frustrating to have something turn out badly, especially when I don’t get to paint whenever I want anymore. I know that it is to be expected though, and I’m glad I experimented with this new paper.
Dick Blick was running a sale awhile back and I took the opportunity to order some more blue paints. Above is the result of my experimentations with my new colors.
Previously, the only blues I had on my palette were cerulean blue and phthalo blue. I bought some M Graham cobalt blue, ultramarine blue and prussian blue. I’m not too impressed with the prussian blue though, because it seems like it’s just a darker version of phthalo blue. I really love the cobalt blue though, and I think this might be my new favorite blue.
As promised in my last post, here are my thoughts on the Noodler’s Inks that I recently purchased. I bought the Lexington Gray and the Bulletproof Black, both of which claim to be waterproof. Here are my conclusions:
I really love the Lexington Gray and think that this will be the main ink that I’m going to be using. It looks almost black, especially when I use a lot of flex, and it is really waterproof.
The Bulletproof Black is advertised to be waterproof on cellulose. Apparently my watercolor moleskine is not the correct paper because the ink did not want to “soak in” or even dry quickly. I actually even smeared some parts when I accidentally dragged my hand through the wet ink (I tried to cover it up).
When I went over it with a watercolor wash after several minutes of drying time, the ink proved to be water-soluble, especially on the parts that had more ink. You can see this on parts of the tree bark in my drawing above. The watercolor moleskine is the only paper that I have tested it on so far, but I have a feeling that any watercolor paper is not going to work with this ink because of the sizing.
I have read similar complaints about this ink elsewhere, so I had my suspicions from the start. People really love Platinum Carbon Black ink, but I was wary because of warnings that it might clog the pen without frequent use and a lot of maintenance. For now, I will only use the Bulletproof Black for drawings not involving watercolor and I will use the Lexington Gray for my pen and wash drawings.
A few weeks ago I ordered the Noodler’s Flex Nib pen after reading a number of reviews online (see reviews from Nina Johansson, Cathy Johnson, and Roz Stendahl). I actually ordered two pens, in Lapis Inferno and Vulcan’s Coral, mainly because I wanted to be able to use two different colored inks. Also, so many people are going gaga over these pens that they are selling out very quickly and I wanted to make sure I got what I wanted.
My main reason for getting this pen is that I wanted something that could replicate the lines that you can get with a dip pen, but portable. As you can see from my sketch (click to enlarge), a large degree of line width is possible, which is really different from the Lamy fountain pen I use for writing. I am still not really used to controlling the flex and I find that I have to concentrate and go slower than normal when I want a thicker line. The pen is also sensitive to the angle at which you hold the pen. To get more flex you need to hold the pen more horizontally to the paper.
I did find the instructions that came with the pen a bit odd. Besides the bizarre drawing of “The Nib Creaper,” the instructions are one solid block of text that I had to reread several times before figuring out how to fill the pen. I had previously watched a video showing the pen assembly, so I was able to figure it out, but I wished there were some kind of diagram as well as the text. I still had some trouble filling the pen the first time (I got mostly air and very little ink), but I had better luck the next time. Once I fill the pen a few times, I think it will be easy for me.
For detailed info on this pen, I recommend the videos that Brian Goulet has posted to his blog Ink Nouveau. I haven’t tried it yet, but the whole pen can be disassembled for cleaning. The nib and feed can also be adjusted to allow for more or less flex and ink flow according to preference.
Some people complained about the smell of the pen (from the resin material that the pen body is made from), but I don’t mind it. It is noticable, but I think it is a pleasant smell, like scented soap or something similar.
I purchased Noodler’s Lexington Gray and Bulletproof Black ink to fill these pens. I will write a seperate blog post about these inks after I test them further. The sketch above is of the two pieces of pottery that I made in my recent workshop and a mini ceramic pitcher that I bought at the Old Deerfield Craft Fair last weekend. I bought the pitcher just because it is cute, and I’m still not sure what I will do with the other two dishes.
I feel really good to be making progress after such a long time doing nothing. I’ve still been working on Every Day in May, having only skipped two days because the topics weren’t something I had access to (and I didn’t feel like drawing from a photo).
One benefit of this project is that I’ve been able to quickly fill up the remaining pages of my Pen and Ink | watercolor brand sketchbook. The paper of this book didn’t really suit me, as it disintegrated with washes and buckled a lot.
The top painting was done in the old sketchbook and the bottom one was done in my new watercolor moleskine. Even though I know there are people who complain about the watercolor moleskine paper, I am a lot happier with it. The paper surface is much better to work on, and there is less buckling (as you can see from the scan).
A 15 ml tube of M. Graham cerulean blue paint, squeezed out.
I thought I’d share an interesting issue I had recently, in case the same thing happens to anyone reading. About a year ago I purchased some tubes of M. Graham watercolor paints which I have been, on the whole, really happy with. The only issue I had is one tube of cerulean blue that separated in the tube. Every time I squeezed any out, it would be mostly binder and very little pigment. This caused issues with the paint being very sticky and not wanting to dry (as well as the color not being as intense).
On the advice of Jane Freeman of Watercolor Mania, I squeezed out the entire tube into a small saucer and mixed it up really well. Thankfully, M. Graham paint rewets very well because from now on I am going to be using this saucer like a giant pan of watercolor paint. I am planning on storing this flat in a zip-lock bag to avoid dust becoming embedded in the paint. This could become very cumbersome if other tubes develop this same issue! Apparently, M. Graham paints have honey as one of the ingredients in their binder, although I am not sure if this is what caused it to separate. Has anyone else had similar problems with watercolor paints separating in the tube?
I was able to find out a solution to my problem via the facebook group Artists’ Tips and Tricks, which I highly recommend. Incidentally, Jane recommended Daniel Smith watercolors. I think I will try these out when I use up my current paints, as a number of other artists I have come across say they use Daniel Smith as well.
This is my most accurate self portrait, at least to how I look in the mirror. I really tried to get the proportions right, and I even drew in my unusual (and not matching) eyes. I started it late at night and stayed up so late working on it that I had trouble staying awake. I finished it up the next day, and am generally pleased with how it came out. I have mixed feelings about the lighting though. I drew it from a photo I took of myself in my bedroom with only an overhead light, hence the odd shadows. I think it makes me look a little moody or depressed or something. This was not how I was feeling at all though. In fact, I was feeling really inspired and energetic.
This was the first drawing that I made without using my favorite 2B pencil. It had grown so short that I could no longer insert it into my pencil sharpener. And it wouldn’t fit into my pencil extender, so I couldn’t use it anymore. I have another 2B now of the same brand (Derwent), but doesn’t feel as smooth and I’m not used to having something so long in my hands!
Backyard Tree Sketch, pen and colored pencil in moleskine, 4/24/09
On Friday I went down to Jerry’s Artarama and picked up some supplies for my class this week. When I got home I couldn’t resist trying them out. I was using my new Staedtler pigment liners and trying my new pencil sharpener on some colored pencils. It was nice outside so it felt good to do some sketching outdoors.
Today I’m getting all packed and ready to head out for my class at Snow Farm. I will meet some new art friends, confront some of my biggest art fears (figures and watercolor) and not have my computer to distract me. I am looking forward to it. For this week, I have prescheduled a few posts to publish which feature some random sketches that I’ve done this month but never posted. I’m sure I will have a lot to talk about when I get back.
Swan Sketch #2, colored pencil in sketchbook, 4/13/09
Swan Sketch #1, colored pencil in sketchbook, 4/5/09
These are some sketches I made from some photos that a friend took for me. I did both of these in colored pencil and I tried to keep my color selection to a minimum. I did enjoy myself and I felt free and expressive. Drawing the water was the most fun. I’m considering doing a version of one of these in watercolor.
I had the urge to go out shopping and buy colorful skirts and new sandals today, but I decided to stay in (to save money). I depend on myself these days and I need to be responsible. When doing the cost benefit analysis, I tend to think that the money would be better spent on some tubes of gouache or some high tech crayons. Making art is way more important to me these days than fashion. I’m not letting myself go entirely though. I’m going to the gym and eating better. So even if my clothes are not in style, I will look good without any on!
Bread Assortment, Tombow Pens in sketchbook, January 2009
Pottery on Marble Pedestal, Tombow Pens in sketchbook, January 2009
Markers are a fast way to get some really bright colors in your sketchbook and the permanence of them is also an exciting challenge. These are some recent sketches done with my Tombow dual brush pens. I really love the range of colors that these markers come in. I bought the entire set over 5 years ago, and they are just starting to get worn and frayed tips. I usually use the brush tip, although there is also a fine line tip on the other side. There is a colorless blender available, but I find that the best way to work is to test the colors you are going to use on a seperate piece of paper to avoid mishaps caused by choosing the wrong color. These are available in open stock, as well as sets of various colors so you can replace individual markers as they get worn. If you are looking for a good brand of watersoluble markers, I would consider these.
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