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Blog archives: February 2010

My Art Studio: Part 1

My art studio has a high cathedral ceiling with a wooden beam running across the middle. Several months ago I had the brilliant idea to install a swing which has become one of the most useful features in my studio. I discovered that by taking 3 to 5 minute breaks on the swing every few hours or so, not only do I get re-energized but my concentration level increases. The motion of swinging is also very relaxing and soothing and it seems to foster creativity and right brain thinking.

Swinging in My Studio

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Speckling Technique for a Starry Sky

The starry sky of "The Butterfly Effect" could not have been accomplished in colored pencil without the Icarus Drawing Board. The choices would have been to painstakingly draw the blue sky around the white of the paper or to paint masking fluid over hundreds of stars. Instead I came up with the following technique:

Step 1: I laid down several different blue Neocolors II on the warm zone.
Step 2: I used a gray paper stump to thin and blend the crayons on the warm zone. This is accomplished by making small circles with the paper stump while cleaning the excess wax with a paper towel.
Step 3: I kept on working until the colors were evenly blended.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

 

Step 4: I grated a blue colored pencil on a sand paper block.
Step 5: I shook the blue speckles over the crayon background.
Step 6: I grated a white colored pencil on coarse sand paper.

Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

 

Step 7: I shook the white speckles over the crayon background.   
Step 8:
After placing a sheet of tracing paper over the colored pencil speckles, I pressed down with a brayer on the warm zone.
Step 9:
The speckles melted into the blue background and created a starry sky effect.

Step 7 Step 8 Step 9

 

For another example of "speckling" see Snake River Pebbles.

 

The Butterfly Effect

Happy New Year, everybody! Buon Anno a tutti!
My 2010 resolution? To pay attention to what is small, unassuming or overlooked. One never knows - sometimes the smallest action can have GIANT consequences.

The Butterfly Effect

21'' x 26'' - Wax-based Media (Colored Pencil and Artist Crayon)
Created with the Icarus Drawing Board
Look for a post next week where I'll demonstrate how I did the background.