Experimenting with Inktense

This is just the beginning of my journey with Inktense. I am just starting to see  the possibilites of what can be done with this material. I had bought a set a few years back, looked at the limited colors in the 12 pack and played a little bit with it before setting it aside. I substitute teach so I have different times with no students so I wanted to have something small that I could bring with to work on. I had taken acrylics in a small sealed palette with cups, but I wanted something smaller and easier to take with in odd places.

So, I dug out my Inktense pencils. I had thought of getting rid of them before, but because they were pricey, I hung on to them. I am glad that I did! Even though it felt like limited colors originally, I found that I could blend and layer to get the shades I wanted. I eventually did buy the larger tin of 24 and notice colors in one of the online stores that I want to pick up to compliment my set.

Disclaimer - My creations now are experiments. More developed artwork will come. I started with bookmarks since they are small. I can use a heavy weight paper of different textures to see what I like. I have seen online about using them different ways but most roads lead to Pinterest collections. I wanted to see actual artists. So, instead of wading through those sites, I wanted to add in the blog some of my own things. Most are experiments, so don't expect big things yet - those will come.

So, there is drawing with the pencils themselves. You can leave them dry - right out of the pencil,  but since I use a textured paper I did not get anything smooth. It was a lumpy coloring. It would have been different on a hot press paper.  I really wanted it to look like the ink it was. I found I could draw out a design and color it in. It did not even need to be a solid thick color to begin with. When coloring, I took into account what areas I wanted to have lighter and either left that area white for another time or just had my coloring lighter. There are light colors but they do not always go over a darker color like acrylic paint might. It seems to be a mix of watercolor and acrylic methods. With using these pencils you have 2 choices. You can do a solid color (as thin or thick as you like) and then paint over it with water or you can use the pencils and make blends of colors and go over that. It really does feel like you can be creative with how you do your pictures. When I had a color/area that I liked I would paint it with water and let it dry. I would not  dampen touching areas at the same time. By waiting for the one section to dry before coloring or  wetting the next you have control over bleeding. You can even color over an area that you have already colored and dampened to get the shade or intensity and depth that you were intending. Another way of working is to dip the pencils themselves in water and apply it to the paper while still wet.

I have been doing bookmarks since the small pieces give me a chance to experiment with how they work. I have colored and painted water over both sides but will test it also. I want to make sure that all inktense has been dampened and is permanent because I would hate to use it and have unset ink on the pages. I might also laminate it to seal it in but it does not need to be. I have read that varnishing is iffy but that is a future experiment also.

Inktense is supposed to work well as a multimedia material. I wanted to see what that meant by trying out some different things. I have some pictures that I did using the water soluable pencils. They have been drawn then  using a brush with water, blend the drawn and colored in areas so you have control over your light and dark values. Because it is a graphite? it tends to be a graytone picture. Some things work well with that material as it is, but other pictures may have so many details that it ends up mushed together. I used some Inktense accents on some of my pictures to see if it would perk them up. I think it was a big improvement. I had pictures that I was ready to throw out and felt now that some were salvagable.  The issue may come up that when originally drawn with the water soluable pencils that not all of it  was dissolved at that time and maybe is reactivated or something when you use water to activate the Inktense. I did not have much mushing, but it is something to watch for and consider.

Purple Iris - Pencil wash drawing
colorized with Inktense

Before Iris - pencil wash drawing

Schoolhouse - experiment - watersoluable pencil
wash drawings colorized with Inktense

Yellow and Blue Sunflowers - multimedia
acrylic paint on paper with Inktense accents
and dimentional fabric paint

Landscape Experiment with Inktense pencils on light
blue acrylic paint base

One of my latest experiments is with acrylic paint. Online there is talk where you can do it over an acrylic painting (but can't do acrylic on top of Inktense). There are a lot of variables to this method which each artist will have to experiment with. One is whether you are painting on paper or primed canvas. Both are affected differently. Another thing is how many coats of acrylic are on before you add the Inktense. If it is even a couple of coats it gets to be more plastic. Sometimes the color will ball up, sometimes you can wipe some of it off even after it has been on it for a while. I added details with the pencils on an abstract and it came out light (the staining), and when I did a landscape could scratch in for details. I think there is a lot of variation, textures and experiments that will come with working with the material.

I know even for myself, I am just scratching the surface. There are a lot of possiblilities using the pencils. Using the blocks, fabric applications, and even printmaking open up a whole new world. It seems like with the drawing that the materials seem to last for quite a while too so that is a bonus.

Counterfeit Art Supplies

I have had a few things lately that makes me wonder about the art supplies that we buy. I like it if I can score some cheaply at a thrift sale, garage sale or thrift store. Sometimes there are lots on Ebay and I wonder where they came from - did somebody steal them to be able to sell them so cheap? One of my latest things have been Inktense pencils. I saw two kinds - one in the regular blue tin and other sets that said Inktense but the pencils were painted white and were from China. Even though the Chinese ones were cheaper I wondered if they were knock offs and bought the blue one instead. The blue ones say "Made in the UK.

Yesterday I was at a thrift store and saw some Yarka watercolor paint in tubes. I picked those up because I knew it was a good brand. I went on Amazon to check out what kind of deal I got. There were two entries with this size of package of Yarka tube paint. I looked at the first one and they had common paint color names. It also had the same stock number that I had bought. The problem was that the one I bought had a different box and the paint names were different too - they were not the usual pthalo blue, cad red etc that the first box had listed for colors. They had more original names like emerald green, golden ochre, English red. The box I had said "Made in Russia" on the side and on the paints. The box I bought had an orange lily on it. The second set had the orange lily, but a different stock number and didn't list the colors that came in the box. I checked the 2 reviews and they are what set off red flags. One said theirs said "Made in China" on it. They were used to using Yarka and said that it was close but they could tell that it wasn't the original.

They then bought the other box and it was the same thing. I went on the internet to see if  Yarka was still made in Russia and there was a linkin article by an expert that said that they were made in Russia and who the manufacturer was - also in Russia. The article was written in 2015. I will need to contact her to see if it still is. Dick Blick and Jerry's both have a blurb on a different Yarka product that they are still made in Russia. The other thing is that it says on the box that I have and has the same thing printed on the cover of the box that it is imported by Jack Richison. When I check the Jack Richison website they no longer carry this tube watercolor paint but still carry pan watercolors. That is not saying somebody got a stash and is selling them but it just makes you wonder.

I guess the reason I am being touchy about this is because one of the Facebook groups I follow is talking about people stealing their designs (mostly from the far East) and making money off of them. Original intellectual property has lost out because of the theft of copyrights/patterns/inventions stolen and their rights have been infringed upon. I want to know if I am buying Yarka, that it is actually Yarka made in Russia instead of a knock off made in China. Passing off one for the other is fraud.  It is knowing that I really am getting quality and not wasting my money on a fake. People have spent time and money developing product, setting up their businesses, building a reputation, and it is not right or fair that somebody hacks it and makes money off of somebody else's hard work. I would rather support the inventor than the thief. As artists, we do not want our artwork stolen and somebody else making money that we should be making off of our creativity and hard work so we, in kind should be supporting other innovators and creators in maintaining their copyright also. If ideas/ inventions/ art/ copyrights continue to get stolen at the rate they have to date, then there will be nobody inovating anymore because it is just not worth it.

Sketchbook Overhaul

I have been working on Art for a long time. Because of that I am thinking about what I like and what I do not. What works for somebody else may not work for me and vice versa. I also work in acrylic paint, so cool things that work for an oil painter may not work for me. I have already shown you my overhaul on my palette. This is my overhaul on my sketchbook.

New Sketchbook idea

I love having a sketchbook with me. I get ideas, I see things to draw, I get an idea or observation to write down. I write down about what I want to do, my shopping list, what is going on in my life like a journal, and I have an never-ending "to-do" list. I substitute teach and end up with prep time, kids at recess, lunch, specials time. After doing it a few years, I am sick of reading and that is why I draw or brainstorm. I might be there one day just to watch kids take tests or work on their research papers. I ended up with a big stack of sketchbooks that I never look at and ideas long forgotten. I had begun to rip those apart and keep only what I want to keep in a large blank book. So, I write a lot of crap that I don't want or need to keep  and I need to find a way to take care of it quickly.

Because I haul these things I did not want a big one in a tote. It gets heavy enough as it is with water, lunches, and my purse. Because of doing some plein air events, I think about how can I take everything I want in a small way because I may have to haul it in myself. I shouldn't have to take everything and the kitchen sink because I am away from my studio.   I did not want a small one because sometimes I can only draw small pictures nor did I want a large one which takes up a lot of room. I chose a small/ medium size 3 ring binder to use. This size binder fits a half sheet of printer paper.

My binder/sketchbook is assembled with what I need. Front cover on this one has a pocket that I can put a picture in. I have a small clipboard that goes in the front pocket. If I desired and was doing  a 5x7" painting or sketch that also could go in that front pocket.

So, front pocket - mini clipboard

      1 section - calendar ( printed from free printables online to get the size I wanted 
 
      1 section - contacts/address book (I am using                          lined paper)

      1 section - sketch paper - printer paper cut in                          half

      1 section - "to-do" list - all in one space so I                            can add on as new things come                              up  or remove a page when it is                              all   done - and throw it away! I                            don't have to write my list                                      repeatedly or all
                        over the place (again and again)

      1 section - Blah, Blah - the things I feel compelled to write about - things I saw, misc
                        these are easy to look over and throw out later.

      1 section - acrylic paint color studies - for me to take on the go                          without having to have another system. I can do                                each tube color on a page, add additional pages for                            more experimenting with mixes. It makes it flexible                          but also so I can take it with to locate colors when
                        doing studies.

 1 section - Inktense color studies. I am just starting to use these                          and maybe be also do them for multimedia work . I                            have  24 pencils but need to see the actual color washed.
                  Under this section or make a new section, I can do the                      washable pencils so I can see  way it looks colored,                          washed and the softness/hardness qualities.

So, that is my new sketchbook overhaul. I think it has everything that I want and need. I use a rubber
band to hold it shut but could change that also. My concern is how long will this binder hold together with use. I may have to check out different models, use packing tape to reinforce or play around with different things. The only thing that would be nice is to have a pencil pouch on the inside. Not sure if they make them to fit. The beauty of this is that I do not have to load it up with paper for writing or drawing. I can take what I think I will need for the day. I also do not have to keep it in there like I used to do with a sketchbook, waiting for the sketchbook to be full. 

My Invention - The Miscera Palette Set-up

I have been painting for many years. As an artist that likes acrylic paint, it has been hard to find a palette that I like. I have been modifying what I use until I finally have one that I think I am going to keep.

These were my issues - keeping paint from drying out
                                    -keeping paint from molding
                                    -not too big and bulky if you are going to take is somewhere
                                    -ability to lay flat in the carrier
                                    -a mixing area that does not dry out
                                    -easy to clean

The only other concern that I have not solved with this yet (and may be with the use of a clear medium) is the color shift issue. I had read that the color shift can happen by using water with your paint instead of medium but still working on that.


What I was using up to this point was a Rubbermade cake taker as the container to hold my paint. My paint was on a clipboard where I used the disposable palette sheets. Under that clipboard I had a couple of sheets of damp paper towel to keep the disposable sheet damp. There were a few clips holding this palette sandwich together.  It would work well but not all disposable palette sheets are the same. Some were more plasticy and didn't do what I would like. I always meant to  experiment with parchment paper cut into squares. It did mostly what I wanted it to do. The Cake Taker/carrier did get bulky but I was able to put some other things in there like brushes or tools. I also had a couple of pennies in there because I read online something about how that helps.


I had also said size was an issue. I substitute teach and sometimes I  have a prep time or lunch where I could work on my art. I wanted something small that I could have a little bit of paint in. It has to fit into my tote that I put my lunch in. I also am always thinking  of plein air where maybe I would have to hike in or haul my things on my back and small is a good thing. For awhile I used a small palette with capped cups on the side. I was able to use it for taking my paint with and limit my palette (I think it had 10-12 cups with caps for paint) but the mixing area was unusuable because the acrylic paint would stick when dry and you couldn't get it off. I still like the idea of it if you want to use it as a paint taker and mix on something else like a plastic lid.

I had been looking for a different type of palette - one that I could mix on and have capped fresh paint off to the side so I am not always having to go back to the bin of paint and dig around looking around for the tubes. I envy the oil painters that they can put it on their palette, close it up and it is ready to go. I found plenty of palettes with wells on the side for the paint and an open palette, but there was nothing that I saw that had the capped containers. I even tried the acrylic palette where the dry paint is supposed to peel off but it still dried on the plastic and yes it came off, but you would have to work to get the little remainer pieces off.

This is my invention. I figure I am putting this idea out there to share to help other frustrated acrylic artists. My example is using the smaller Masterson Stay-Wet palette in the center with their disposable sheet and sponge underneath ( but  you could do something else like my previous version using a small clipboard with the layer of palette and paper towel in some sort of low, tight closing plastic container). I am using paint cups in strips that I got from Michaels that are on the side and across the top. I have velcro holding the the palette and the cups onto a painted/primed  11"x14" board (which Michaels only carried them for a short time as a wood painting surface).  I leave room for my thumbs to hold it toward the bottom. This palette I can put on a shelf and put things on top of it because it is closed up. I can use it with my plein air set-up. The paint cups and the palette are attached via velcro so you can remove them to clean or change out if you want. I did find larger cups that I put at the top for medium. If I want to take something smaller when I go to paint remotely, I can load the paint on the palette and remove it from the board and take it that way.

Cup set-up :  I have the row of cups at the top and one down the side next to the palette. I also have another shorter row of cups. The long rows are still connected via their containers but there is also a strip of velcro on the bottom. My larger medium containers and the containers on the far edge are individual cups with their own small piece of velcro on the bottom. This is so you can have a place to put specifically mixed colors for a painting. I made this with velcro on the paint pots so if you wanted to clean it you could but also if you want to switch your color palette you can. You might not always want to paint landscapes and want to paint some flowers which might have different colors. You could then just remove the one strip and replace with a new strip of a different color palette. I had primed /painted the board before adhering the velcro in the hopes for better adhesion but haven't tested the ripping the strip off yet to see if it helps. I also put a piece of velcro on the cap of my spray bottle and stuck it on the side strip of velcro so I do not lose that.

Anyway, I am please that this has solved a problem for me. I hope that it will be helpful to you too if you are frustrated with acrylic set-ups. I will,at  another time, show you my plein air set-up and you can see how the palette works  with situation also.

Have fun!

-Julie

Direction?

Last week we had three snowstorms go through. The last one ended Sunday. By Monday afternoon we had 47 degrees and the roads were clean -- mostly. Today when I go to work I will have to watch for the melted snow turning to ice on the road. There is supposed to be something new coming in tomorrow and Wednesday. We will see what that does. You would have thought I would have got a lot done this weekend - holed up like that, but I didn't. I did work on my art, but it is the direction that I am wondering about.

I am using Daily Paintworks as my gallery page/website and with that I can list things on auction. I can connect my items to other sites - like Ebay and Etsy. I still have to do that. It has been about a month and a half without selling anything but I have listed more expensive things. The comment is that on DPW many things are going cheap. The idea is to get you painting every day so these may be smaller, qucker paintings. I thought I would switch from my canvases to my 5"x7" art on paper that are matted. I am lowering the dpi and at this point was putting my name in blue at the top left, but I might leave that off. My pricepoint of these in the physical sales are $35 but these I am listing on auction for $25 with a buy it now for $35. It could go higher because the buy it now is removed once there is a bid.

So, I am listing my smaller works on paper. They look good and I hope that they will get snapped up.
My questions is - How many do I list?  I have about 50 between the wash drawings and the small acrylic paintings. Do I list them all? Do I split them up and list some one Ebay/ETsy or try to link what I have It sounds like the site is unlimited so technically, I could. I have been putting every one on auction. Is there a time that I do not. I know that by having something listed every day (or having a bunch with only one being fed as "new" every day, keeps me out there. I have enough to last for awhile.

What I am thinking about this 5x7" size is that it could be my bread and butter. I can take these to shows - possibly even craft shows - because they are cheaper. I really need to keep working on this size because if they take off then I would have a stash.

One of the places I had my art at this fall kept 4 of my paintings for their gallery. I was told they were interested in my smaller paintings and in my postcards (prints would be nice too). I need to get back to her and see if I can funnel some of these over there also. I know I need to keep on working on my painting and art, I just need to have places where I can sell these too. It is like a dance that keeps taking different directions.  Maybe it is not just one strategy of direction but several.

Art Things I Like

I wanted to make a post of what materials or equipment I like to use. This may be a post that gets amended depending on things that come out or my exposure to different methods or materials.

My Preferences -

Acrylic paint - I like acrylic paint because it is fast drying, has bright colors and I don't need to wait
                        for 6 months to varnish. I prefer that my colors are opaque but am experimenting with
                        glazes for different effects. I do like Utrecht but M. Graham is nice too.  I tend to not
                        make as much mess of it on myself and things like I do the oil. Not a big fan of
                        Liquitex since I have had quite a few tubes that have separated the medium from the
                        pigment but I do like their Sap Green.

Varnish - I like matte to  satin varnish and mediums

Brushes - don't have a preference brand. I tend to use more flats, angled and some small rounds

Surfaces - I like using the stiff paper - the 300lb CP.. My favorite was the Arches Art Board but that                     has been discontinued by Blick. I have tried illustration board. What I like is that it can be                   cut  size and pop in a frame or it can be matted. I also like that the paint seems to give me
                 better coverage than primed canvas. I don't need to do all the layers to thicken up the color.

                 canvas - my preference is to stretch and prime my own. There is a special feel to it that the
                 store bought doesn't give you. It feels like it is already your painting from the moment you
                 put your first brush stroke on it. It doesn't feel as slippery.
           
                boards - I have used a few boards for plein air, but I don't like the slick ones. I like a little
               "tooth" or texture on the board. It does not have to have as much  as canvas though.

Palette - I have made my own set-up. That will be on a different post. I have an 11x14" board that I
              have paint cups and a small Masterson's palette. This uses the disposable palette.

Easle - For  now I am using a tabletop one when I am home and a black telescoping one when I am
            away. The telescoping allows me to adjust for terrain. I will also post my plein air set up. I
            think things are different than a set up for oil.

Rags - cloth rags, paper towels when out.

Pencils - I have been using a water-soluble pencil for value sketches and drawings. I have a brand
               that comes in different softness and hardnesses. I can draw/sketch with those and use a
               paintbrush dipped in water to blend and create value. I really don't have to draw much but
               rather a little more with a darker pencil to get some darkest shadows.

Prints - I love lots of art things so it has been hard to limit things. I do like linocuts and use the oil-
             based ink and linoleum. I also like silk-screen printing and do that with children when I
             teach.

Some things I want to try - There is the Chroma Atillier Interactive Paint that seems interesting. 
            I think I also want to get some clear medium so there is not that color-shift when dry and
            that seems to be put out by Windsor and Newton and Chroma. I had bought some of the
            Golden Open paint and did a quick experiment and it felt tacky but need to spend some
            time with it to see it's full potential.

If you know of anything else I might like to experiment with please let me know!

Snow Again!

As I sit here writing, the snow is coming down- AGAIN!  We have already had snow this week two times. They are forcasting a lot more.We are on the line 6-9" or 3-6". It is supposed to snow for 12 hours with the last part being a possible freezing drizzle. We didn't even get the snow off the sidewalk from the last time! We will only have to wait and see. We went to Menards this afternoon and got two new snow shovels since we were down to one that was so-so and a coal shovel which gets heavy.
At least this time it is the weekend. We are watching the Winter Olympics and the snow coming down.

There are things I could be/should be doing. Lots of projects that I don't want to work on. I am thinking of trying to juggle it all. This spring, there are two plein air events, working at the schools, possibly working at a greenhouse (again), a new baby in the family, gardening and starting up with the bees again. There is trying to get my art out there, possible shows and still trying to enjoy life. I know there will be some vacations - maybe some camping, some day trips, some time photographing and fishing... and painting.

I have started Daily Paintworks and many of the items for auction on there are smaller works and studies. I think that is a good way to start. Go back to the sketches, the color studies, the smaller paintings. I have had some on Arches Art Board that I did for the Leinenkugel event and there was interest on them at Artisan Forge, so I think maybe (hopefully) I can paint small and those might be enough to keep my art business going and for some things still do some larger. The larger paintings help me to learn to be looser, possibly faster.

So, even if I am snowed in I have plenty to do. I need to prep some more surfaces and get back to painting again. I have a plein air even in a little over a month. I am not sure at the beginning of April if it will be warm enough to use my acrylics  or if I have to dig out and practice with my oils. It could be interesting!