The first layer of my planned leafy art nouveau woodcut is fully cut and prints quite well, although I am not sure of final colours at all.
I am planning an over lying layer of a leafy girl to compliment, but she is just in the planning stage. I want her to have a thick, plaited pig tail which will echo the least shapes. I was really struggling with this until I noticed a girl working in the cafe had a perfect pig tail, so I tried copying it, and have just about worked out how they work.
Portrait session, using oil paints. I had a small canvas which I wanted to use. Kept the scale of the work down, which I liked. Some of our recent work has been so big as to be unmanageable. Quite pleased with the result, but I realised too late that the shoulders are at a smaller scale than the head. Need to stand and think more.
My linocut of Bessie Ellen setting sail was a dismal failure. Poor colours and the fine detail became way too blobby. So it will all be recycled, using the backs for test prints. I’ve started something new, using plywood for the first layer. Swirling art nouveau leaves as a background. The foreground might be a pretty girl, but I haven’t started on her yet. I’ve bought some oil based inks to try, to see if they give me a clearer image.
I was in Birmingham all day yesterday and never got round to drawing. But it was a very arty day. First the Käthe Kolwitz exhibition at the Ikon gallery, which was excellent. Then the Barber Institute of Fine Art, which has a remarkably good small collection. A portrait by Vlamink was a highlight for me, but they even have a Breughel and a Boticelli which just seemed to be showing off.
Haven’t used my sketchbook, but I’ve been working on my marine print, which is proving a major challenge. The sails had to be printed twice to get them clear enough. I should have printed them as an earlier layer. Still lots to go.
I can’t remember who this is, but I think she is a print artist. The photo came up in a search fit lino cut images and I liked it. She had flame red hair, which doesn’t show in monochrome. At least, not by any technique that I know of.
A daily drawing doesn’t have to be in a sketchbook. This is a lino block, laid out for a print of the Bessie Ellen West Country ketch setting sail.
It will be carved away in several stages to create the final printed image. I have an idea in my mind of how it will look, but it is very unlikely to end up that way. The cut away areas here will remain white throughout.
These are the first two printed layers, establishing just the basic cloud tones. Impossible to judge how good the finished print might be at this stage.
JEGS ART 