Scratchbord: Fate Up Against Your Will 2014 & palimpsest!

 Fate Up Against Your Will 2014

5" x 7" Scratchbord (scratchboard)

A redo of a piece some of you may recognize: Fate Up Against Your Will.

I'm not sure if this werewolf looks shocked about his transformation or if he's just singing opera.

Maybe both.

I went crazy with the fiber brush...

Since Scratchbord is coated with India ink, I was able to fix the background with more ink - in my case, Liquitex Professional Acrylic ink! Better contrast now... though there's no way that's a circular moon. I want to keep experimenting with Scratchbord, but it's spendy. Need to save up for it.

I've found an excuse to use the word palimpsest...

This was an experimentation piece, something to test out the new Scratchbord tools I bought at the start of the year. And because I didn't want to use my new Scratchbord for it, I made it over this:

Finch is almost always sadfacing.

HOLY WOW. I'm so sorry, Finch. 2004 wasn't a great time for drawing my human characters, but I tried. This photo shall be the only proof this sad little Scratchbord attempt existed. Bye, old Finch!

I've long wanted to create BIG Scratchbord pieces for Brainsick scenes. Again, must save up for it...

BRAINSICK: Decay Maquette, Part 3!

BRAINSICK: Decay Maquette, Part 1!

BRAINSICK: Decay Maquette, Part 2!

I should make a photobox for my sculptures so I can get more consistent lighting. Until then - enjoy!

Reduction around Decay's ribs.

Getting there! Photos taken on November 2.

BRAINSICK: Decay Maquette, Part 2!

BRAINSICK: Decay Maquette, Part 1!

At long last, here's some progress on my Decay maquette. I finished the armature and began adding clay on October 19th; it was a much-needed break from INKtober, a chance to work my hands more thoroughly than I do while drawing.

Hole bored through foil with an old turkey skewer.

Decay stands 12" tall at the top of her mane.

I am proud to say this is my first reductive sculpture. I quickly lumped clay onto the armature without worrying about details; my college maquettes were additive. Reductive sculpting is so much quicker!

The clay is Prima Plastilina. I picked up six pounds of the stuff for a great price last year via Craigslist. I'd used Roma Plastilina during college, but only learned after graduating that it contains sulphur. Prima is sulphur-free and, unlike Roma, it does not have to be heated into pliability.

Rough clay masses visible.

Top view showing smoothed masses.

She'll be useful for drawing extreme distortion!

A couple days later, I began refining Decay while listening to music (Tears For Fears and Massive Attack, if you're curious). I wanted to tuck her belly up more since she's a gaunt thing.

I'll smooth and add / subtract where needed.

Marking Decay's extended grin.

 Decay is still a work in progress. I want to find glass beads or jewels for her eyes; sculpting them would be tedious. If I can find green rhinestones, that would be perfect.

INKtober 2014, Day 31!

Day 31: GIMME DA PUM'KIN

6x8 acrylic inks on Strathmore Mixed Media paper

Happy Halloween!

Here's something quick and silly to wrap up INKtober 2014. Rather than keep my major inked works confined to one month, I need to keep making them throughout the year. Stay tuned!

INKtober 2014, Day 30!

Day 30: Headcages

9x12 acrylic inks on Canson Montval watercolor paper

Title inspired by a Matthew Dear song ("Headcage"). I used to create a lot of 'word collages' in high school and college, when I was exploring the various styles I could use for Brainsick. It's a reboot of sorts for this piece:

12x9 Prismacolor markers and acrylic ink on bristol paper (2012)

This piece is from my little-used Strathmore Visual Journal. I first posted it here: Visual Journal: Splash page and first page!

Text for the new piece is generalized for the story, but also includes lines from Chapter 12.

INKtober 2014, Day 29!

Day 29: Best Left Unanswered

6x9 acrylic inks on Canson Montval watercolor paper

Liquitex Professional Acrylic ink! + watercolor paper + pen and ink = pure artistic relaxation.

Pieces like this one help me visualize the abstract portions of Brainsick. Perhaps this is what Paranoid experiences when he's hallucinating.

INKtober 2014, Day 28!

Day 28: Tyto viridis

5x7 acrylic ink on Stonehenge paper

A quick ink painting using a color I mixed myself. It had been sitting around long enough that it had partially solidified; I found what looked like plastic wrap on my brush tip.

No planning, just painting. Highly relaxing and a great way to finish up my small Stonehenge pad.

INKtober 2014, Day 27!

Day 27: Tailscuff Fights

6x9 technical pen on Canson Montval watercolor paper

Since I've created many looser pieces this month, I wanted to return to my tight-inked roots.

This is sorta-companion piece to Kritchpaw Fights. My goal is to draw Tailscuff, Kritchpaw, and Maubork in one big interaction scene. Although he is a gentle giant at heart, Tailscuff packs more than his fair share of punches when provoked.

Just the lineart for now. I want to shade this the way I did with Kritchpaw and Maubork for last year's INKtober.

INKtober 2014, Day 26 BONUS!

Day 26: Garden in Black and Red

6x9 brush and ink on Canson Montval watercolor paper

A quick abstract painting I made to wind down after drawing "Teeth For Voices Lost."

INKtober 2014, Day 26!

Day 26: Teeth For Voices Lost

6x9 pen and ink on bristol paper

At long last, I've adapted a sketch I like into a finalized piece I like even more. Hurrah!

I considered adding a neutral background via ink wash, but I decided to fill the negative space with words signifying Paranoid's shifting states. I haven't made art quite like this for some time.

Sketchbook page drawn while listening to Porcupine Tree.

I accidentally smudged the inks, but I didn't want to start over.