Hand Study Enhanced

After staring at that hand study for over a week, I decided to add to it and make it more of a finished piece.

As I was adding the water to the orange Neocolors in the background, I noticed the black ink was bleeding. Turns out I didn't use a permanent pen for it. So I went with it and added water to the whole hand.

For something that took less than 5 minutes to enhance, I'm happy with it.

Hand Study

 

Crosshatching in Pen

All About Texture - After

This is a project I did with my Advanced Art II class.

They were to take random items that I had collected from the dollar store and garage sales and create a non-objective composition focusing on texture and the principles of design. It was then going to be painted white with gesso. 

Here's my piece after I painted it: 

(see the "before" here)

I am generally happy with the real thing. There's more doily texture that doesn't show up in this picture. It's really subtle. I did have to go back and add several more layers of things to get the texture to show. The paint ended up filling in the texture so it appeared flat. Plus the orange vertical lines and the blue dots of yarn still show through though, which is annoying.

So I would do things a little differently next time:

1. Definitely no crepe paper, tinsel, or anything else where the color bleeds when gesso is applied. It was a beating having to do SEVERAL coats of gesso and still have the color showing through.

2. Use spray paint not gesso. It covered much easier but still needed a few coats.

3. Because of #1 and 2 above, use all white items. Just plain easier!

All About Texture

Before...

Back Shading

I am trying to get my students to understand what back shading is (well, at least that's what I call it. Is there another official word for it?)

So while this is not EXACTLY what they were to do for their assignment, it's close. 

This a drawing of flowers in pencil with red ball point pen back shading.

Their project was to draw flowers shaded (and back shaded) on a painted watercolor surface. It was my first attempt at this assignment, but I'd say it was successful!

Stamp Making

I'm currently teaching my advanced class how to make stamps.

We are making square designs that can be rotated to create larger designs, but I had a long strip of the speedy cut left over and thought I'd make a pseudo-chevron stamp out of it since the chevron (aka zig-zag) pattern is super popular right now.

It doesn't line up perfectly when repeated in a row like this, but I don't mind. It's not supposed to be a finished piece. Just to be used as pattern and texture in non-focal point areas.

I'm happy with it and it only took about 40 minutes to complete from initial design to what you see here.