Silverpoint on light blue prepared paper heightened with white gouache
14 x 10
We didn't really have to wait for spring this year. It got here a good month early, and it feels like it's already over now. That's not so bad except for all the lawn mowing. I need the exercise.
Anyway this is the last of my small efforts to give the people what they want. A fair number of people come here from the silverpoint web presumably to see the silverpoints. So here you go. I rather like this one, unfortunately it refuses to be photographed accurately. This is a bit on the dark side. Hope you find it worth the visit.
No idea what's coming next, but I promise there will be something.
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6 comments:
It always amazes me how well you drawing fabric and the silverpoint really accentuates this.
I must try another silverpoint piece. I've really only done one, loved the technique, then got caught up in other things. Your work is always an inspiration.
Thanks again for your kind comments.
I don't know that silverpoint is any better for fabric than anything else. The thing is that it can give such a fine, precise line that you can work on the relatively small size I like. Pencil will smear to a certain extent no matter what and it's just a softer line. If you work bigger that becomes less of a problem. Other than that the more you do, the easier it gets. Then it gets better and you want to do more which makes it even easier and on and on.
I know I likely asked you previously, but humour my aging brain. What ground do you use for your silverpoint and what support?
Prepare to be humored.
Support: I use hot pressed watercolor paper 140 lb. Really any smooth, fairly heavy paper works like bristol board plate or vellum or even a good quality illustration board.
Ground: I use a 50/50 mix of gouache and acrylic gouache. One or the other alone works but together they solve their individual problems. Gouache alone is fairly soft and will dust off to a certain extent. That actually allows some erasing. Just keep in mind you're picking up the ground and the line is coming with it. So don't erase too much. Acrylic gouache is a harder surface. It works fine alone but to me it just feels a little too plasticy if that makes sense. You can mix in a little watercolor or gouache to tone the ground if desired. Hope that helps.
Thanks so much Dave, I appreciate you taking time to explain what you use. I know gouache but not sure if I've heard of acrylic gouache. I thought gouache was gouache. I'll have to track them down. Of course, living on an island in the middle of the Atlantic, more like I'll have to mail order them.
What about the silverpoint ground that is sold? Is that just another brand of gouache or does it have additional magical powers?
I think I'll give silverpoint another shot. But brace yourself, I may be back with questions! :)
Acrylic gouache is a rather small market. Near as I can tell it's basically a matte acrylic. Holbein and Turner both make it. There's one woman that mixes acrylic matte medium into gouache to get the same result. I alway wound up with a gloppy mess doing that.
Golden makes a silverpoint ground but I've never tried it. Can't find it locally, and always forget when ordering online. Coming from Golden I would expect it to be acrylic based and therefore have that plasticy feel I don't particularly like. But that's just a matter of what I'm used to. Probably wouldn't bother anybody else. I would also expect it to be pretty good. Most Golden products are.
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