More Layering, More Pretty.

Another of the random heads I drew recently a few days ago, with some additional drawing layered over it with my home-made walnut ink (bottom right). Like the head I posted yesterday, I scanned and loaded it into Adobe Photoshop and tried out a couple of different Gradient Map options (left and top right). And there’s moreContinue reading “More Layering, More Pretty.”

Layering Some Pretty Stuff.

I drew a random head a few days ago (top right) and today I drew into it a bit more with my home-made walnut ink (top left), not planning anything, just emptying my head of thoughts and letting my hand and the brush do their own thing. I wasn’t sure whether to carry on addingContinue reading “Layering Some Pretty Stuff.”

Forest Face: 1

Building on the outline sketch I did yesterday, I worked into it with a large watercolour brush and some home-made walnut ink, thinned with water to give a paler wash. While I tried to suspend any directive thoughts, I held the images of the woodland walk through Ilston, and I just let my hand workContinue reading “Forest Face: 1”

The Faces Emerge.

I grabbed the twigs I picked up from the path on my recent walk at Ilston and some square Khadi paper that I’d “attacked” with some of my home-made walnut ink. I also have a bottle of Indian ink that had dried out over the years but I added some water and left it toContinue reading “The Faces Emerge.”

Heavy Paper!

I have a block of 20 sheets of heavy textured Khadi hand-made Indian paper. I’ve had it around the place for a few years now, not sure what to do with it. I took a similar block with me on my recent  residency in Germany  and started drawing onto it with twigs dipped in ink.Continue reading “Heavy Paper!”

Dribbling Bideford Black.

I had a little bit left of the Bideford Black paint I made recently. It wasn’t a lot so I tried thinning it down with water and took a fairly wide, flat brush to make stripes across one of the sheets of paper I’d prepared with gesso and walnut ink. The Bideford Black wash broke up on the surfaceContinue reading “Dribbling Bideford Black.”

Surrealist Swirls.

I used the Bideford Black paint I made yesterday. I didn’t have any idea what to do. I’m trying to get away from always working representationally and letting my imagination take over. It’s way out of my comfort zone! I took a fairly wide, flat brush and made swirls over one of the sheets ofContinue reading “Surrealist Swirls.”

Bashing Bideford Black.

After coating some sheets of paper with my home-made walnut ink yesterday, I decided to stay with natural pigments and make paint with some lumps of Bideford Black I’ve had lurking in a box for years. I’d made paint with it before, using water (here). This time I mixed it with Nori paste and vodka.Continue reading “Bashing Bideford Black.”

#StandingStoneSunday 17

It’s #StandingStoneSunday again and here’s a gate stone in a place called Parc Y Meirw (Field of the Dead) that I visited a while back with Dewi Bowen and Melvyn Williams. Sometimes ancient stones can be found in hedges and used as gateposts and this is one of a group in a hedge that aligns with theContinue reading “#StandingStoneSunday 17”

#StandingStoneSunday 16

It’s #StandingStoneSunday again and here’s a drawing I made during a 2 day trip to Pembrokeshire to draw more ancient Neolithic monuments on my quest across South Wales with Rhondda-born archaeologist Dewi Bowen and Swansea film maker Melvyn Williams, hunting the wild megalith, accompanied by my portable drawing board, portfolio of Fabriano paper and a bag fullContinue reading “#StandingStoneSunday 16”