What I have been up to...

Lately I haven't had much time to draw/paint, I started a new job and it has been difficult to synchronize the "drawing time" with my new routine. So I have been basically finishing older projects and making experiments with materials.

I have made a different version from my last etching, based on a photograph of me and my husband. I have done it with watercolors and pen, and I am quite happy with the result.

And I have also made some experiments with Indian ink and watercolors, mostly using wet and wet techniques and salt to achieve the effects I wanted. 

And off course some splashing because that's always fun.

Etching and Pastel over monotype

So I am continuing with my projects on etching and monotypes. This time painting over two etchings I have done some time ago, based on a photograph of me and my husband at the beach.

I used watercolors and colored pencils in the one from the left and watercolors and pastel pencils on the right one, which is still in the process of being completed.

Added watercolors to a previous monotype:

And some pastel over it to sharpen contrast and define things a bit more:

Swan Monotype and New Etching Project

Some days ago I have done a monotype of a swan, and I decided to complement it with other media (in this case pastel pencils). Below is a picture from before and after I colored the monotype.

I really like the effect and I think I'm starting to get the hang on monotypes, so definitely will be keeping doing these in the future. I think monotypes are perfect for mixed media use, they offer a base drawing with an indication of the values that can be improved with other media, from watercolors to pastels. 

Much like etching for example, so after being done with my last four etchings of flowers, I decided it was time to progress to something a little bit more difficult. I took an old photograph from me and my husband at the beach and made an drypoint etching from it:

I will be adding watercolors or color pencils to these etchings also, and experimenting with combining different media and techniques. Here is a better look at the etching work: 

This was done in a Dura-Lar film sheet and I used Charbonnel Aqua Wash etching ink in black. I have painted the dura-lar sheet with a stiff old brush and then wiped the excess of ink with chess cloth (also called "tarlatan" I think). 

The sheet was worked with a simple etching tool from Arteina, it's not expensive and does the job decently. But you can also use a needle, x-acto knife or basically something sharp to make the indentations in the dura-lar sheet. 

Swan Monotype

Set up for a new monotype small project, this time of a swan:

Here is the final print:

I intend to added other media to the print, perhaps pastel or color pencils, using Belinda Del Pesco videos has a reference, they are great to learn about all the possibilities of monotypes.

Finally, I have ended another old project of a relief print painted with watercolors, of my uncle's dog:

New Prints

Final prints on my etching project, a set of a total of 4 prints painted with color pencils, watercolors, inktense pencils and graphitint pencils (from Derwent):

An etching offers the possibility of testing several methods of painting, which is great for studies for a bigger piece for example. 

I have also been busy finalizing older projects, I have added watercolors to the book mark I had done in linocut:

I have also added watercolors to some older prints:

Owl Reduction Linocut - Part III

I'm finally done with my last layer of my owl reduction linocut. I'm quite happy with the results, although only a few prints came out decent.

Still need to improve my registration system, since a few millimeters of difference is enough to ruin a print...

I think I will continue to work on this "birds" prints for a while until I get the hang of it, they will make a nice addition to my portfolio.

Owl Reduction Linocut - Part II

I'm finally done with the second layer for my owl reduction linocut. I have manage to obtain six decent prints out of the ten I had printed previously:

Anyway, now I'm only missing the final black layer which will hopefully look great on top of the yellow and orange.

I have also been practicing drypoint techniques. First I'm starting by doing it on drafting film from Duralar using an etching tool, then I intend to try it out on plexiglass for example.

I have chosen a simple small drawing and then I will just color it with several different media to see what works best. The one on the left is colored with colored pencils and the one on the right is colored with watercolors.