Danson pen and ink drawing 81 x 42 inches white and black pen on paper tinted rich brown

Drawing of my friend Danson – again, white and black ink pen on tinted paper.  In this piece, I really LOVE the color I painted on the paper.  It was so luscious I hesitated to draw over it.  I’ve been layering up these colors, mixing pigment suspensions in water and using a spritzer to apply the color and a squeegee to gently smooth the liquid over the paper.  I’ve discovered that the application of several layers of different color gives a livelier and more interesting surface than trying to hit it in one shot.  Also — everything seems to work best if I dampen the loose sheet with color quite thoroughly, then apply vacuum to suck the sheet flat, then tape it down while it’s still very damp.  I leave the vacuum running on low until the drawing is complete and as the paper dries, it shrinks slightly and becomes taut and flat.

detail

drawing in progress with feet

studio view - early morning

completed drawing in studio

"Danson" Sept 26, 2011, 81 x 42 inches, pen and ink drawing in white ink and black ink on brown tinted heavy watercolor paper

detail