Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Using Bleach on Drawing Paper


 
Recently, I set a drawing challenge for myself. My sketchbooks are woefully blank, untouched canvases pile up here and there, and nice sheets of drawing paper collect dust. My challenge is simply to draw, on paper, every day. I've been puttering around on my iPad, starting many things, finishing none. I've been disconnecting with my inner artist. I feel I may be able to connect again with a simple pencil, a pen, and/or a paintbrush.

Below is where I began. It is done in my sketchbook with real pencils!!! For reference, I used a photo I had taken just a few weeks ago.


As I was working on shadows and highlights, I was reminded of a college assignment, where we were shown how to use bleach on colored paper. The bleach, brushed onto the paper, creates highlights that just pop off the page. Here's this golden oldie:


So, I put on some protective gear, and went down to my dark, and abandoned studio. Dodging bats and gigantic spiders, I found my stash of nice drawing papers. I blew off a cloud of dust, chose a color, and got to work. Below are a couple of the steps that led to the finished piece at the top. You can clearly see where I painted the bleach, and how nicely it strips away the color from the paper. The rest is done using Prismacolor pencils.




I have one more piece up my sleeve, using the bleaching technique. I'll share it with you next Wednesday. See you then! 

No comments:

Post a Comment