Thursday, March 24, 2011

play

gouache, colored pencil and ink

the other thing that i've been doing (besides figuring out what i want to do in te's book) is finishing up my pocket 'hand book'. i wanted to finish it before i leave next week so i can start fresh in a new book on my trip.

'the bard parker' really belongs farther down the post (chronologically speaking), but its bright colors demanded that it go at the top... it's a painting of the tool my dentist used in my mouth a few weeks ago. i may have exaggerated its size and shape, ha! but not much


my thoughts on the paper in the 'hand book' are that it's pretty good for just about all media, and really good for none. i didn't mind the buckling so much when using watercolors (and granted i'm not capable of 'light washes'), but i didn't like that it didn't take much paint before you could see the shadow of it on the other side. it's also a little too rough for colored pencils... oh you can use them, but they don't want to blend easily and tiny details may or may not work because of the subtle bumpiness of the paper.

i did do a lot of light colored pencil pages though, mostly because i liked the way the colored pencils worked on the pages better than watercolors, and they didn't show through on the other side of the page.


i got on a clothing jag... i think there's something really satisfying about drawing clothes without bodies in them.


i drew a lot of pale faces... practicing different things and seeing what happens to the expression when you do this or that.


glued some magazine pages in... i added an old stamp to the page on the left.


finally i decided that i'd just cover the pages up! ha! take that 'hand book' paper! the page on the right is from an old thesaurus that roxanne gave me... first i traced the shape of the page onto the old book page, cut it out, brushed gel medium on the back side and brayered onto the journal page.


i was off and running then!

instead of listing the 'ingredients' below each image, i'll just say here that i used some combination of gouache, watercolors, colored pencils, casein paint, and oil pastels on the rest of the pages. if you have any questions about a particular page, please ask! i'll post the answer in the comments section as well as in an e-mail...


i painted these pages after watching 'jean-michel basquiat: the radiant child'...


i'm painting with watercolors on top of oil pastels a lot on these pages... in the way that i learned to do with the creek people. i'm also using white gouache with wild abandon - it's like miracle stuff... this page was a map from an old atlas.


'alice' was painted after watching a documentary about alice neel's life. from now on the pages are covered with paper from an old wildflower book (pub. 1924).


this page and the one below were done only with colored pencils, and they don't show up well in the pics, but in person they're subtle and some of my favorites.


first i draw some things on the page, then i put down a very light layer of matte gel medium and draw again on that. liquitex matte gel medium creates a wonderful surface for colored pencils...


here i drew on the page with colored pencils, put a very thin layer of gel medium down, and then used watercolors and oil pastels...


same here...


behind each of these faces is the drawing of another person...


here's a page in progress... on the left is colored pencil directly on the page, and on the right is what i drew with colored pencils on the gel medium. then i must have put another layer of gel medium down (heh, i can't remember) ...


then i drew the face and painted it. for new readers, i draw with my left (non-dominant) hand...


this is a page from 'of cabbages and kings' (pub. 1902) that i glued in. the face is a stamp i carved and then painted over (heavily!). a lot of white gouache here... her hair had gone beyond repair, so white goauche to the rescue. she sorta looks like she just stepped out of the shower (except not really ).


this is what i'm working on now - gotta finish the bottom row...


this is the last thing glued into the book; she's on 100# bristol board that i got a few days ago. oh! colored pencil heaven!!


and the book itself! i took out the centerfolds of the last three signatures to make room for the added paper. it's puffed up, but not much... i only have a few pages left...

* * *

It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character.

~ camille pissarro

XO

24 comments:

  1. I just LOVED this post. Such an incredible visual journey.... thank you.

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  2. Oh wonderful stuff! I have to back and look and read again! Thank you!

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  3. How wonderful, thank you for taking the time to post such a delicious spread. I love to see how you play.

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  4. It is a joy to see your pages and people again! You put as much passion into each post as into you wonderful drawings. There are some amazing gems in this collection. I am always so smitten by the ones on book pages.

    I thought yay, what a treat when I saw on my blog list that I was gonna get to see what you had been playing at.

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  5. I didn't read anything til those last little beauties of wisdom and how perfect after that great big blog exhibition of your work. Fabbo on all counts

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  6. LH, I just re-read it all and thank you so much for the inspiration! I bought that pocket book and few more after discovering that I love them! I love them better than moleskine! Yes they buckle but I haven't had any leaking with the watercolor, but then I use a water filling brush, you know the travel kind. Anyway, I don't use much water with the paints. I have had leaking when using stamp pad ink though. I have to try the other things you mentioned above. I already got a few pages of old text glued in. I have used gesso and it works well. I have also used that new stuff from daniel smith that you can put on anything and then watercolor over even glass! You have to let that dry overnight though that part I don't like so now I prep a page or two and go on to other ideas while it dries. I don't know if it is such a big deal though you can do the same using plaster paste I should think. Anyway, thanks again!

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  7. Your pages make me want to sit down and play with paper, paint and drawings and stay there forever.
    Love the ghosts of people with new people on top of them. Extra Lynne-ness in them,somehow...
    You are a beautiful artist, Ms. Hoppe.
    Happy Weekened !

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  8. i forgot that you use your non-dominant hand.
    such a wonderful post, oozing with wonderful tips and clues for having a grand time. your art is fab, I enjoyed looking at each piece and seeing your creative genius being expressed.
    warmth to you~

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  9. oh
    do you seal your pastel pieces so they do not smear?

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  10. and, I am wishing you a wonderful trip with your new journal!

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  11. Wow! I rushed through, drinking in the pictures and skimming your words in my rush to see it all. Then I went back and read properly and looked more closely. I love all the layers of faintness and the text showing through too. I have not tried drawing on matt gel medium-I think you mentioned that the other day. I must try it. I didn't know you draw with your left hand. We were talking the other day at work about being able to write with your non-dominant hand and how some of us could and some not. I can-slowly but it comes out ok. It is interesting to do as it makes the act of writing new again and something I have to think about.
    Have fun starting your new journal!

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  12. This is such a wonderful post. I also savored all your drawings and then went back to read the words. Thanks for all the tips and sharing your process.

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  13. A glorious post, Lynne - I just so much believe in the quote, too - drawing daily, obsessively, presents a way through...

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  14. heya tammie!

    i don't seal the oil pastels unless i've got a really thick layer of them on the page somewhere - you know, not mushed/blended in at all. then i lightly brush matte gel medium on the place where they're thick. i don't like to seal my pieces because then the surface is uniform. i like the variations that occur on the surface when you're mixing media... at first it thought this was going to be a problem when working in a book (that they'd rub off on the opposite page), but it hasn't turned out that way. i usually blend/rub them in pretty well, though...

    xoxo

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  15. Just wonderful Lynne...
    Im so inspired when I visit and see what you're up to - here or more often Tumblr I guess...!
    sophie

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  16. You are an inspiration Lynne - thank you for your generous sharing of your process - beautiful and poignant work!

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  17. This probably sounds weird but I get the distinct feeling that my soul dances when I read your new posts, Lynne. I love your Basquiat inspired pages!

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  18. Okay, there you are with your gouache again!! You know how I feel about that! And those docs! You've seen the Neel already?! You KNOW I'm trying to catch up with the docs!

    I love the layers and shadows, and you know I love your faces. And the Ebert quote?! Thank you!

    I was looking at your blog and my partner said, 'oh, those are pretty!'

    sheesh. I never get that.

    XOX

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  19. Yours is truly amazing work - I adore it all!
    As for the Bard Parker...my dentist used the same tool on me last month and I can still feel the effects!!!

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  20. Oh Lynne, These are so wonderful! You are soooo inspiring to me! I've been thinking of you a lot - I'm stuck again- Just have to wait it out! I love what you have created!
    Olivia

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  21. wow - u r prolific Lynne. I love your posts and your spirit. Your work ooozes truth - it really seems that you are at one with yourself and the world. I'm always interested to see how your work is developing. thank you. Oh...u asked about the daffodil...yes, its a drawing I did in an art class last week. Shame I haven't got a pic of the daffs other people drew..they were gorgeous :o)

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  22. just LOVE LOVE LOVE your workxxxlynda

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