a few different trials over the past couple of weeks
bite-size things that can be done in the between times of yard and house work
first was layers of ice in tinted charcoal with a flat brush
not a planned study, more a way of using up leftover paint on the palette, but I do like it... it's another forward movement in my effort to get interesting ice
after that I used a darker grey to try for a rock wall/fence
I think I need to do a whole page or two of these sorts of trials, to explore the marks further, and really set the motion of making them into my hands
in addition to that I finally tried doing some image transfer on to linen cloth using black & white laser prints of photos taken up north last year
the first is ice on the Yukon River using clear gesso for the transfer medium
it worked quite well though I may have been a bit heavy-handed when rubbing off the paper
as well, the clear gesso I used isn't exactly clear, more of a pale amber and it has lent that slight tint to the transfer
it gives a slight effect similar to that of sepia-toned photographs
the second try was with an image of the clay cliffs that line the river through much of Whitehorse
this time I used Liquitex Matte Medium - this worked especially well, the transfer is clear and sharp, very little detail was lost and the fabric has kept much of it's drape, still feeling soft and flexible in the hand
it's good to do things like this, experimenting and focusing on simple things
it may not seem like much but there's good learning here that I'll be using in the days and weeks ahead as I continue working with the winter river
never mind that it's just great fun!
3 comments:
I often find that the marks I make when I am just using up paint and cleaning off my brush are the ones I am most enamoured with. Your transfers are brilliant... my favourite is the one where the image has been partly rubbed off. It gives a sense of history ... Wabi Sabi.... a memory you are trying to capture. "It might not seem much". I disagree... if it moves you forward and you have learned then it is an achievement. Beautiful images as usual.
This is interesting! I'm currently working on a landscape that uses a road map as the background. I'm working with a paper version of the map which I've tried to make 'softer' with the use of gel medium. I think it will work in the long run but the 'hand' isn't soft enough for my liking. Now you have me wondering if I could manage to transfer the map onto fabric using a medium...would the detail of the roads/water/etc be blurred too much. Hmmm....pondering....and off to research Liquitex Matte Medium and the technique.
I like your ice - believeable but abstracted.
It's interesting to hear that there are now transfer media that don't ruin the drape and handle of a fabric - everything I've tried has resulted in something I don't really want to see again! I'm glad to read that technology has moved on!
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