“Trace monotypes are made by laying paper down on an inked piece of plexiglass, then drawing a design on the back of the paper. The drawing tool presses the paper against the ink, making a dark line on the front of the paper.”
– Ruthie V, circa yesterday
Today I found an artist who used both the trace, and the print from the press to make a positive/negative figure study.
Madeline Roseske, monoprint (positive & negative)
A positive from the figure drawing teacher: The contour lines are a beautiful balance with the textured tones. Take another look at that shading. To make it, the artist ran their finger (or another soft tool?) across the surface of paper, not seeing the result until the page was lifted. Soft pressure makes these marks, but the artist couldn’t see what they were doing until it was done. Drawing blind! Just one move made the spine, and it worked. Elegant.
A negative from the figure drawing teacher: Just because you can draw the whole detailed foot, doesn’t mean you should. I realize the bravery involved in drawing hands and feet, typically people skip them out of fear, but in this case the wiggly little beans distract from the graceful simplified form, and this print would have been quite lovely without it.
Those ghosted square shaped marks – Nikki Barber, do you think these are brayer marks from uneven inking? Or something else?
In the past, if I had two words to describe watercolor, I might say “fresh” and “delicate.” I’d always thought of watercolor as a fairly fragile medium that shouldn’t be worked too hard. I thought of the white of the paper as the most valuable resource, and the greatest mistake would be to lose that …
Never underestimate the beauty potential of a simple study on paper. These works are mostly vine charcoal on toned paper, some white charcoal (or white pastel), and pencil. The drawing above is watercolor. For most of these, regardless of color, the toned paper is standing in for medium value, so the artist only has to …
New Deadline for Submissions: January 31, 2021 The first annual Seattle Artist League Portrait Awards are aimed at encouraging artists to focus on and develop the theme of portraiture in their work. The competition is open to everyone aged sixteen and over, in recognition of the outstanding and innovative work in drawing, painting, printmaking, and mixed media. 1st Prize: …
In 1998, a referendum to legalize abortion failed in Portugal. In direct response, Portuguese artist Paula Rego painted the Abortion series, 10 pastel paintings that drew attention to the experience of women. “It highlights the fear and pain and danger of an illegal abortion, which is what desperate women have always resorted to. It’s very …
Monotype, positive/negative
Yesterday I talked about trace monotypes:
Today I found an artist who used both the trace, and the print from the press to make a positive/negative figure study.
A positive from the figure drawing teacher: The contour lines are a beautiful balance with the textured tones. Take another look at that shading. To make it, the artist ran their finger (or another soft tool?) across the surface of paper, not seeing the result until the page was lifted. Soft pressure makes these marks, but the artist couldn’t see what they were doing until it was done. Drawing blind! Just one move made the spine, and it worked. Elegant.
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Badass watercolors aren’t afraid of the dark
In the past, if I had two words to describe watercolor, I might say “fresh” and “delicate.” I’d always thought of watercolor as a fairly fragile medium that shouldn’t be worked too hard. I thought of the white of the paper as the most valuable resource, and the greatest mistake would be to lose that …
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Never underestimate the beauty potential of a simple study on paper. These works are mostly vine charcoal on toned paper, some white charcoal (or white pastel), and pencil. The drawing above is watercolor. For most of these, regardless of color, the toned paper is standing in for medium value, so the artist only has to …
Portrait Awards
New Deadline for Submissions: January 31, 2021 The first annual Seattle Artist League Portrait Awards are aimed at encouraging artists to focus on and develop the theme of portraiture in their work. The competition is open to everyone aged sixteen and over, in recognition of the outstanding and innovative work in drawing, painting, printmaking, and mixed media. 1st Prize: …
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