 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Step by Step
With Mike Dorsey |
List of Supplies
Arches 140 lb. Rough Watercolor Paper
Dr. Martins Watercolor Concentrate
Jacquard Silk Paint (Black)
#6 Liner Brush
#3 Brush
Windsor & Newton #6 (Filbert Tip)
Windsor & Newton #2 Round
Dynasty 000 Chinese
I know a lot of people believe that you must use sable brushes and what not, but I just use whatever I have around. Most of the brushes I use for lining are soft nylon, but for coloring I use a pretty stiff brush and "scrub" the color in. That's why I use rough watercolor paper, it stays wetter longer, and holds up to the abuse I put on the paper. I rework an area 3 or 4 times (working up the layer beneath) or until I get the fade I am looking for. Building it up slowly, with multiple washes also helps me control how dark it gets. I rarely ever use a straight black, but a dark gray wash, and build it to an off-black. I also just have a basic idea of what I want the image to look like. I am a bit scatter- brained and paint very loosely. I build off my main image as I go, developing the composition, changing colors, and adding new images to bring the eye through the painting.
I tend to look at a painting by the temperature of the colors; warm colors proceed, cool colors recede. You can change the temperature of a color by adding another, such as cooling a warm brown with a green for shadowing. Also layering washes of different colors for a cool effect like shading an area with violet and washing the whole area with a golden brown, turning the violet into an orange, and a reddish-orange where the violet was strongest. Try layering different colors - you come up w some cool effects just by monkeying around.
The way I paint more than likely isn't the "proper" way to do it, but I am doing this for fun, not to get the look of approval from an art teacher who couldn't paint a good greeting card on their best day. So just have fun.
First thing I do is tape off the area with black acid free tape. Then normally I draw it directly on the watercolor paper unless it's really complicated, then I work it out on tracing paper and use and x-ray box as a light box and trace it off onto watercolor paper.
1. I draw the Oni on the paper (I know I scribble more than I draw). I for the life of me can't draw finger waves from left to right so I draw those on tracing paper and flip it over and trace it off on a light box.
2. Once I have the drawing the way I like it I do the thinner out lines with a #3 brush and the #6 liner brush for longer lines outlining with rapidograph ink for film. Holds up well with water though Talens does the trick in a pinch but does have a sheen to it.
3. Next I block in the bolder thicker lines with the Chinese style brush very loosely. I like the mixture of a bold rough outline mixed with the finer lines, it also brings yer eye right to the Oni since its lines are the strongest.
4. Next I do the waves in the foreground the same way as I did the Oni, but I am leaving the front wave unlined till I figure out how I want to do them, It seems like a big dead area to me at this point and I should put something in there but not sure what I want there so I leave it open till I figure it out.
5. Now it's time to start putting in the color. I use Jacquard silk paint for black and gray. It kinda' smells like sulfur and goes on more of a green gray when wet, but dries a nice cold gray. First, I lay a wet area were I want the fade to begin and end. Next I block in the color working from the line over the dry paper into the wet area until the fade is back to water then back and forth. I will do this probably two more times till I have built it up to the tone I am looking for, letting the paper dry between. There definitely is a "sweet spot" when the paper isn't too wet or too dry. If I have wet it too much, you can lift the water from the paper with a brush dry it with a paper towel and repeat until the paper is at the wet point you want. Too watery, and it's hard to control the paint when it touches the water, too dry, and it doesn't travel at all.
** If you want a longer working time, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to your spread water (something I picked up while tinting my car windows to give you more time to mess w the tint film and smooth it out) **
6. I repeat this throughout the background and work it over a few times till it's as dark as I want. After the first time blocking of an area, I rewet the entire section and add more watercolor. Again starting where I want it to be darkest and working out to the lightest area.
7. Next I blocked in the moon. This was kind of a pain in the ass, because you have to keep working off a wet edge and trying to get between the finger waves as keeping a wet edge takes some speed. I just try and block it in at this point. I will go back about 3 times and refine it and smooth out the fade to the moon. Again, this isn't black, it's a dark gray. Sometimes if you use straight black, it tends to leave a film that isn't in the paper but seems to be riding on top of the paper and gets a sheen to it and stands out like B.J. Betts in a bikini.
8. Next I move to the hat. I used Alpine rose (Dr. Martin's) and faded the edge. Later I worked crimson into the darkest area and violet in the darkest area. I could have just used violet to crimson to pink but it would have looked like a rainbow. By layering the colors with a base color underneath it, it seems to carry as a tone for the pink and not as the color by itself. The pink was too warm so the crimson cooled it a bit and the violet made the crimson a bit darker.
9. On the moss from the turtle in the hat, I laid in a wash of green on the outer edges and worked green on dry paper into the wash green and fade it out.
10. This whole process is repeated, working one little area at a time until the painting is complete. I won't bore you with every section... I just repeat what I did about a million times until I am happy that everything is built up to what I'm looking for (or until I'm tired of looking at the damn thing).
11. As in the body I used Dr Martin's gamboges yellow, washed in some ochre for shadow and violet for the darkest areas.
12. In the cloth, I used turquoise and juniper green for the darkest parts.
13. I had a lot of trouble deciding what color to make the beard on the Oni, so I put it off until I decided. Two packs of cigarettes later, I'm finishing the foreground and refining small fades and what not - I choose violet. I figured the front right hand corner needed something so I left a circle ... and yet another dilemma for me .... What do I put in it?
14. On the beads I washed in a gold, let it dry and straight brown for the centers.
15. I figured I would do a monotone clam and pearl (to go with the pearl on his hat). I did it monotone because I didn't want it to stand out too much, and compete with the main image. But wanted something to draw your eye, and not make it so top- heavy. A cool idea I stole from Kore Flatmo.
16. Finally, I thought the moon was a big empty area that drew my eye too much, and the fade was sloppy, so I stuck some clouds in to take care of both problems.
17. Next, after all is said and done, Dr. Martins is not very lightfast. The HYDRUS is more lightfast but works more like ink to me. It's intended for quick production, so it's not very archival. But you can't beat the colors' vibrancy with anything else. It won't "chalk" like tubes will when doing solid color. So I mist the whole painting with a UV-clear, then more of it. The misting is so you don't make the paint run, and then you can coat the shiat out of it! This will help the painting hold the color. And cause I'm paranoid, I suggest framing it in UV-resistant glass, just to be safe.
If I haven't explained thoroughly or have missed something feel free to email me at permanentproductions@yahoo.com. Any suggestions are welcome as well.
As I said, I am totally self-taught here, so the way I paint isn't necessarily the "right way" to do it. But it's fun, damnit! Besides, my mom thinks I make pretty pictures and in the grand scheme of things, isn't that all that matters?
|
|
|
| |
|
