Category: Experiments

After doing some compositions tests in my sketchbook I decided on this composition. I wanted to log the process of the experiment, so I could look back and analyse what worked and what didn’t. Washes of oil paint, based on the colour sketches I did in the woods. Then added ink + bleach which only […]

Experiment in oil washes, ink + bleach, charcoal and white pastel. The colours I chose reflect the mood, atmosphere, feelings I had before and after I took the image, walking around the woods with a friend. What worked well  Layering lots of mediums creates lots of texture and depth that works well on this scale. […]

This is the final three stages of reworking this piece, with the finished piece on the far right. I kept adding layers of charcoal, ink and chalk, and taking away by adding layers of white acrylic (some washes and some opaque layers). I am much happier with the piece now that I’ve reworked it. It […]

I wanted to experiment with colour for my next experiments, so I began with two small primed pieces of paper and did washes of oil. I used oil because of the vibrant colours available and the texture you can achieve. The different coverage and texture was to see how that would affect the look of […]

I continued with the same combination of mediums for this piece; ink with brush and pipette, white pastel drawn on and sometimes smudged. I used paper with less texture for this experiment which I don’t think worked as well. Paper with more texture gives pieces a more ‘painterly’ feel, with more prominent brushstrokes and texture. […]

This is the first experiment I completed in ink, bleach and pastel. I am not too happy with outcome but I needed a piece to test the medium with. The problem I think is I was too controlled. Although my brushstrokes are fairly random and fast, the movement of the brushstrokes itself if too constrained. […]

I want to document the process of my next experiment. This is so I can look back once it’s finished and review what layers work and which I could have changed. Since these current pieces are so focused on layers, this documentation of each layer works well.       Water and ink wash. With […]

For this second experiment I picked this photograph, similar to the scenes I have been using in the past. For the moment I want to keep the scenes I’m drawing similar, so I can compare technique easily. The contrast in light, and the amount of texture, line and pattern made it a challenge to draw, […]