Roz Wound Up

Even More with the Aquash Light Black Ink

Left: Dog sketch on a 9 x 12 inch page in my new Fabriano Venezia studio journal. Brush pen sketch using Pentel Aquash with light black ink. (Note the writo: that should be "Wire Haired Pointer." And no he didn't have a blue or light yellow eye, but I got to this point and decided I shouldn't fuss with the eye.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

September 28 was a fun day. I got to start TWO new journals. I finished both my studio journal (which is large and stays in the studio) and my regular journal (which goes everywhere with me) on the same day (Septemer 27), which is unusual. So on Wednesday I cracked open two new journals. More about multiple journals on another day.

Today I just wanted to say that my Pentel Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush which I wrote about on Sept. 23 is still going strong. (See additional posts and sketches using this brush pen in other posts between Sept. 23 and today.)

In fact, when I shake the brush pen gently I can hear a lot of ink still sloshing around in there. Which is good, because as you can tell I love using this pen. I have much to explore with it.

One thing that I really enjoy is making shadow areas that are dark, yet not black (as would happen with my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, which has jet black ink). There is something less harsh that I enjoy about this light black ink.

And yet you can go back and put in additional strokes to darken areas, and I like that too.

I love the stark contrast of a dark black against white paper, but I find I'm loving this softer look too. I've finding it a very versatile tool with none of the mess and fuss of diluting your ink as you work.

Imaginary Landscapes

Left: Small landscape from July 2011. Read more about it below. Click on the image to view an enlargement. (7.5 x 8 inch approx. page size.)

One evening in July I had some extra gouache on a plate. I had been thinking of working on landscapes this summer but it was too rainy on my free days to go out and work plein air. The series of sketches in today's post are my late night response to that frustration.

All of the images were done on Mixed Media paper from a Strathmore journal. They were cut out and pasted into my daily journal, which happened at the time to have white Stonehenge for pages. (I began with a light painted rectangular boundary for each sketch, and trimmed them after they dried, within that boundary.)

The rectangles were cut by hand with a scissor after painting and so they aren't uniform.

Above: Additional imaginary landscapes. A small twister developed in the sketch on the right. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

I really abused the paper working on these. I made repeated washes and scrubbed with my fingers and with a paper towel. All five were created quickly in a 30-minute window of time before I packed up for the night.

When I pasted them into my journal the next morning I decided not to write anything on the journal pages. I did however write a short note on the first page following the series—points I wanted to remember about materials and impulse.

These miniature landscares are thumbnail sketches exploring what I don't know. And I love them for that. They tell me I have to spend more time not just looking at clouds, but painting clouds so that I can get their forms down. They remind me to look carefully at contrast. They encourage me to see out new pigment combinations or try more with the same ones. All of this feeds me a new goal and makes me very happy.

Above: The last of the series of imaginary landscapes. I did put out a little fresh titanium white gouache to play with. Click on the image to view the enlargement.

More with the Aquash Light Black Ink

Left: Partial page spread from 9 x 12 inch Fabriano Venezia Journal. Sketch made with Pentel Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush. (Right cropped because of scanning—this book need three scans on my scanner! And there's nothing on the right but a short note about the dog.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

See Friday's post for more information on the Pentel Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush.

I was out and about and Anna brought her American Water Spaniel to Wet Paint. Molly is a lovely little brown dog. There was too much happening in the store—and I'd already been there for hours chatting with people—so I took photos of Molly and her lovely coiffed ears to sketch from later. (I put the photos up on my computer screen and sit back—this time without my glasses and a lot of squinting.)

If you click on the image and look at the eyes you can see how it's fun to lay in successive layers of this light black ink. I told you that this brush pen makes me more "sketchy" in my approach, and I think you can see that from this drawing as well, with lots of restated lines.

I haven't used the brush today. I think I'd better go do that right now!

More on the Pentel Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush

Above: 9 x 12 inch page spread in my in-studio journal: a Fabriano Venezia. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Aquash with light black ink painted over with gouache. Orange of the background was scribbled NeoArt that was then smoothed with a wet brush. I used stiff Bristlton brushes of various sizes—all filberts. As is often true in my studies, I lost interest after I finished with the face, but I like the body unfinished in this case. Oh, and if looks a little "fuzzier" than normal, I've taken to sketching without my glasses, just for grins. (Note the bottom right of the page was clipped during scanning, but it isn't an essential bit.)

In Saturday's post I reviewed the Pentel Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush (I have to refer to it that way because Pentel's waterbrush is also called Aquash—Please guys, help us out here!).

This French Bulldog study was sketched first with the Aquash and then I added the layers of gouache, beginning with light washes in some areas and thick multiple layers in other areas, which I then blended.

Left: Detail of the dog study. "A" indicates an area where you'll see original pen lines under the paint. To the left of "B" you'll see a stroke of ink not covered by the gouache. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

If you look in the head of the bulldog you can see in the ear several strokes across the ear which is my hand looking for the end of the ear, as the head shape emerged and I had to readjust the ears. (You could cover this completely with gouache, but I like it showing through a bit.) Also you can see a stroke of grey ink across the forehead of the dog which was not hidden by a light wash of Titanium Gold Ochre (Schmincke Gouache).

There was NO BLEEDING of the grey ink when I painted over it to make this study. You'll just have to trust me on that because I didn't stop to make intermediate scans.

I'm so accustomed to sketching with the black ink of the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen that not having to work as hard to hide the lines under the paint is an interesting experience. However, I do like to have the black contrast peek through in some places and so I'm adjusting to the loss of that "feature" when working with the Aquash.

I'm not suffering at all. I can go back to the PPBP as much as I like, or return to the Aquash.

I now have an additional "favorite" brush pen.

Note: I'm down to a final few French Bulldog dog park photos, of similar stance. The dog has never returned. I really need a French Bulldog for a model. If you know someone with connections to French Bulldogs in the Twin Cities would you please tell them of my interest? Give them my email or get permission to send their email to me. I would really appreciate it.

Birds Everywhere

No image today, just a quick reminder to get out and look at birds. If you don't know where to find birds check out my post about bird sightings from June 10, 2009.

This all came freshly to mind for me because Tuesday, Sept. 20 I had a bird-filled bike ride. I waited until the morning rain had stopped so I got a later (8:50 a.m.) start than usual. It was 60 degrees F. (and rose to 67 by the time I'd returned). The sun was out in force, chasing the clouds away. It was WINDY. I wore shorts and a T-shirt again (after days of tights and long-sleeved layers). I saw wild turkeys, Canada Geese, and had a close encounter with a bald eagle on my own final approach to home—crossing the Franklin Avenue bridge. (I tweeted about all three when I was at the computer later that day; sorry for the repetition.)

In the afternoon of the same day I was returning from a visit to the acupuncturist. I passed the Fairgrounds and saw the now vacant animal trailer lot was filled with Canada geese in transit. Of course I had to stop. The flock moved too far from the car to be more than a spec if rendered in my journal—but the 18x zoom on the new little camera helped me study them from afar. (I knew that would come in handy.)

Later that evening while checking something on my blog I serendipitously found the post linked above. It was definitely a bird day.

But the truth is it is always a bird day around here. Read my June 10, 2009 post and ask yourself why it isn't a bird day everyday where you are!

Pentel's Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush

Above: 9 x 12 inch page spread in a Venezia journal. Sketch of a French Bulldog using the Pentel Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush, which contains "light black" ink. Read below for more information. (Recto page shadowed because next page was heavily painted on. Right and left edges of the spread clipped during scanning.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

NOTE: The Aquash Brush is NOT THE SAME THING as Pentel's Colorbrush!
If you don't know what a Pentel Colorbrush is, see my post comparing the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and the Pentel Colorbrush.

Also, the packaging of this Aquash is confusing. Pentel makes a WATERBRUSH also called the Aquash. It has the same shape as the brush pen shown below. The waterbrush however is not filled with ink. Please note that in this review I mean the Aquash with pigmented ink unless I follow with "waterbrush."

Left: Page containing the Aquash brush with "light black" ink. Simply unscrew the pen to remove the protective red collar. Rescrew the pen and start squeezing and sketching. (I didn't save my red collar. I suppose if you were concerned about carrying the pen around you might want to save this and reuse it. However, I have to say that a week of backpack travel with the brush "collarless" has produced no leaks. Also I have been carrying the Colorbrushes around for years with no problems. (I use those for life drawing sketches a lot.) They seem to have the same cap and crew type of structure. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Saturday I stopped in at Wet Paint to pick up some paper for the artist's books I'm making. I got to talking with Liz and she showed me the new Pentel products display. (I'm excited to tell you that shoppers there can now get packets of 6 cartridges for the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. Packs of two never lasted long for me.)

I almost ignored the new Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush as a new variant of the Colorbrush, until Liz set me straight and showed me the packaging.

The Aquash Brush is filled with a light black pigment ink that comes out when squeezed to full strength as a rich grey.

The packaging also states that the ink is acid-free, fade-proof, and water-resistant.

Well I've been drawing with it like a crazy person for the week and I have found it to be pretty much waterproof. (Sure there is probably a paper I haven't tried it on yet which has sizing that will float the ink longer than I might like, but so far that hasn't happened. I sketch, I immediately start to paint, no bleeding. If you are wondering about this phenomenon read my post, "It's Not Waterproof Until It's Waterproof.")

If you've been looking for a pigmented ink brush pen with grey ink just perfect for sketching with you might want to check out this pen.

The nylon brush tip has individual "hairs." This makes it possible to have dry brush strokes. Want more pigment and a darker line? Simply squeeze the barrel of the brush a little harder (not too hard, though, it doesn't need a lot of encouragement).

Right: Detail of the French Bulldog image. You can see areas where I have restated a line to create more contrast. You can also see the lovely way this pen can move from thin to thick lines. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

The nylon brush tip seems a bit softer and less resistant than the tip on the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, but I'm not convinced the difference I'm "feeling" isn't perceptual, based on seeing a grey line as opposed to the stark contrast of the black line the PPBP produces.

I find that while I can work with it in a very deliberate manner as shown in the first image above, just as I would with the PPBP, I tend more often, with the Aquash, to work in a sketchier manner, since the lighter lines it produces are more amenable to restatement.

Since the lines it produces are waterproof as I mentioned above, you can paint over them immediately. If you are working with gouache you can actually hide lines more easily than if you are working with the black ink of the PPBP.

If you are new to direct drawing with ink the lighter lines created by the Aquash pen might be just the thing to nudge you into more practice.

Used lightly to capture the rough dimensions of your subject you might then go in with a PPBP or other black-ink pen to create "final" lines. Or you might easily mix the line work created by the Aquash with other colored markers.

You get the idea, this is an extremely versatile tool. I love it.

I purchased two at Wet Paint (I wasn't sure how long the ink in the barrel would last and so far I don't have an answer for that—so that's good). The price was $9.50. There was talk that refill barrels might be available in the future.

Before I leave the subject of the Aquash I want to mention the waterbrush by the same name. Long before I had a Niji Waterbrush I had friends who had friends in Japan. Those friends in Japan brought back Pentel waterbrushes like the Aquash for those friends. I was just about to "score" one when Nijis became readily available. My life became a lot easier!

So why switch and get an Aquash Waterbrush? Well I'm not switching, but I am trying one out. The tip is smaller than the Niji large round brush, yet larger than the Niji small round brush. Friends also seemed to get a lot of life out of theirs in the past, so it's good to test tip longevity. For some folks barrel length might also be a consideration. The Aquash Waterbrush is just a tad over 6 inches long. That's shorter than the Niji, and in some travel packs every inch of space is used carefully.

I have a smallish hand (though it is by no means in the dainty-small region) and I find that the oddly shaped barrel of both the Aquash brushes fits nicely in my hand without a problem. Another nice feature: a ball-like end to the barrel onto which the cap can snap securely when you are using the brush. The Niji sadly doesn't always hold its cap well on its end. This becomes critical when you're sketching in places where there is a lot of manure and urine—like the State Fair—or animals who might out of curiosity, snarf up a dropped cap (something that has so far never happened to me, because I'm proactive with loose caps and put them in my pocket, I don't want to cause any animals any distress).

Now you have two new brush pen tools to look out for, depending on your sketching and painting needs.

Reminder: The Pentel Colorbrush does not contain waterproof or lightfast ink. I do not recommend the Colorbrush unless you are sketching with non-permanent goals, or unless you simply enjoy having your colored ink lines dissolve when washed over with paint. (See my post on the Colorbrush, listed at the start of this post, for examples.)

I'll share other sketches with the Aquash Brush Pigment Ink Filled Brush in future posts.

Sketching when You Don't Feel Well: Another Gouache Experiment

Above: Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and gouache on a 9 x 12 inch page spread in my Venezia studio journal. Click on the image to view an enlargement. (The bottom and right side of the spread were clipped in the scanning process, but the essentials of the page are here.)

It's my firm belief that you need to sketch every day, even when you don't feel good. Perhaps especially when you don't feel good—yes, I'll go with that.

Painting takes you out of yourself, the aches, the pains, the dizziness (as in my case above). Painting helps you move out of any petty (or major) injustices you might have experienced. Painting lets you be with your subject, your paper, your paint. That's an excellent tonic.

I wanted to show you this page spread because I wish I had a video of its creation. Since I don't I can only write about it and encourage you to experiment. Here's the thing—under that blue paint on the left side of the page spread there are about 4 layers of paint and under that a layer of textured purple strokes made with a Faber-Castell Pitt Artist's Brush Pen.

I drew the sketch (from a 19th century photograph) with a Pentel Pocket Brush pen. It didn't matter to me that the face was too long—this guy isn't going to complain, he's long gone as is his family. Even exhausted (as I was on this evening) it was just plain fun to move the pen about, to make thick and thin lines.

Tip: start thinking about how much fun you're having using your tools and your productivity will go way up. You won't feel choked at needing a "result."

Left: Detail of the featured page spread. Here you'll get a closer look at how lightly some of the paint was used, and how heavily paint was applied in certain areas (e.g., the teal blue areas). You'll also get to see some texture of paint. And most of all you'll get to see how ROBUST the ink of the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen is, to stand up to use with gouache (if you want it to show). Click on the image to view an enlargement.

When I finished the drawing I wasn't sure I wanted to get paint out as it was getting late. I picked up the purple Faber-Castell Pitt Artist's Brush Pen I mentioned above and started creating solid color around the face starting at the top left. Sadly the pen was drying out and that wasn't working. I left the texture that resulted and started painting around the face with purple. Left that and started adding color to the face. Returned to the side of the painting and put in some Fr. Ultramarine Blue. Didn't like that, blended in some white near the face. Added a mix of green over the background. Didn't like that. Put a mix of white and black over a portion of the background, leaving the blue around the face edge. Didn't like the grey—don't see why I would have because I rarely use black, but the thing is sometimes you just have to let yourself try things.

Tip: Be willing to let go of earlier portions of your experiments. You might really like the doodling ink pattern you covered your background with. The idea of painting over it makes you a bit queasy. Well, at least once in your life you are going to have to work over something you labored over for ages. Life sort of works like that. It will make you a better person. Just get it over with now and paint out that background. It's all about finding out what works or doesn't work and if you don't paint one out at sometime you'll never know will you? (Oh, and of course you can do another detailed background at any time.)

I put in the red paint on the right side of the spread. Next I wrote the note about the baby shower on the same page. Went to clean my brushes. There on the sink I saw a tube of cobalt teal gouache (Holbein) and immediately grabbed my book and squeezed out worms of teal paint onto the left portion of the background, smoothing them with my large filbert. I left some of the blue and purple mix showing through at the edge of the face where it had been lightened by the use of white.

Tip: When you want to cover an area completely make sure that your earlier layers are completely dry. Use only a moist brush. Too much water in your brush will quickly reactive the underlayer—remember gouache is always watersoluble. If you find your brush is picking up the underlayer (you'll see this in the change of color coming off your brush) stop and rinse your brush thoroughly again, return it to a "moist" state by squeezing most of the water out of the brush hairs (use a towel or paper towel), dip the brush back into your paint and go again. Repeat as needed.

Holbein has great covering power, especially at that strength. (I had earlier thought that I would put some acrylic paint on this area—no need.) You can't really see any of the other layers except where I want you to.

Isn't that fun? Why aren't you trying this?

I made another stroke of teal over the red background on the right hand page. Using a small filbert (about 1/4 inch wide) I wrote the word Vertigo and added a couple strokes of red in the top left. I decided to stop that nonsense and instead, with a clean brush, added a couple strokes of the cobalt teal to the face.

By the time I went to bed at 12:15 a.m. I felt productive for getting a sketch into an otherwise crazy day and my vertigo was gone.

Painting isn't going to cure vertigo. And sometimes it can make it seem worse. The vertigo (or whatever) will pass, but you'll still have the painting, the painting practice, the productivity boost. And as I have said so many times on this blog that I can't even count them, in the time it takes for you to come up with excuses not to paint you could be washing your brushes out having already finished your painting session.

Now I ask you, which feels better?

Start organizing your supplies and tools so that you can always have some at the ready to use at a moment's notice, even after the rest of your household has gone to bed. Then when those tubes of paint call to you, answer by using them, instead of making excuses.

I'm not advocating that you stay up past your bedtime and become a wreck the next day. Far from it. I want you to sleep on a regular schedule.

What I am advocating is that whenever you find yourself a little off try reaching for the paints to bring yourself back to yourself, back to your creative mind.

Don't go at it with the attitude you're going to make a great painting. If a great painting results that's just a bonus. If you hold making a great painting out as your starting goal you might find yourself giving in to excuses—e.g., I can't really afford to stay up and put the time needed into a finished painting, even if I felt great, I have a meeting first thing tomorrow….

Realize and embrace instead, that most of the time, what you create in these circumstances is going to be "off" in some way. No matter—it's only going to take a few minutes! You'll have the experience, the extra practice, all under your belt.

In addition you have just started training yourself to draw and paint in any circumstance. It's a skill you can build on to the point where you can call on it at any time—when you have a cold, when you have vertigo, when you lose your best friend. Few of us have lives of unending strings of perfect days. If you're like me you need to work with what is—the imperfect days. And you need to work on those days.

By doing so you'll develop a skill that will help you focus your mind and your intention so that you can get back to the rest of your life's tasks. You might still walk right into a wall, but you'll feel better as you do it. (I'm glad we don't have that on video!)

Jeff Rathermel's "Project Gutenberg Project" Opens September 23

Project Gutenberg Project by Jeff Rathermel opens on September 23, 2011. (The opening reception is 7 to 10 p.m.)

Susan Hensel Gallery is the venue. The show runs from Sept. 23 through November 18, 2011.

There is also a closing event on November 11, 7 to 9 p.m. "Keep in Touch: Physicality in Contemporary Art," The Artist in conversation with Marianne Combs and Paulette Myers-Rich.

This is what the promotional material says:

More and more, we are giving up the tangible for the digital. Project Gutenberg Project responds to this by celebrating the material beauty of the book and the value of tactile experience. Using book remains to create two- and three-dimensional work, this project both embraces and criticizes the power of technology to shape our understanding of the world. It asks viewers to reflect on their interactions not only with books, but with all physical objects in their lives.

Jeff Rathermel is the executive director of the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Click here for highlights from an informal "Artist's book" chat with Jeff Rathermel. (Note: since that August 19, 2010 post was published Rathermel has become the executive director.)

A Dog, Gouache, and Collage: Having Fun and Learning at the Same Time

Above: Page from my 9 x 12 inch Venezia studio journal, turned on edge—the gutter is at the top of the image (the facing page was notes).Pentel Pocket Brush Pen Sketch OVER two strips of paper previously collaged onto the page. The papers were a commercially printed purple floral patterned paper and a strip of watercolor paper I'd painted and had left over after binding books. (Papers are visible below the dog's eye sockets, and run the full length [actually height if the book is open properly] of the page.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Sometimes, late at night I want to sketch. I have my photos of dogs that I can work from off my computer (since I no longer have a live-in model). This dog sketch was all about the pen over the collaged paper, and the movement of the paint. I wasn't trying to get a finished likeness, hence the eyes were left blank from the start (which is where I typically start a portrait.)

I'm posting this because I think it's fun to see the texture of the paint, and because I want to encourage you to experiment, whether or not you have decorative or painted papers on your page already. 

In this painting you can see translucent washes of gouache (paw on left) through to heavy applications of gouache: cobalt blue in the foreground.

I didn't start this sketch with a plan and so I think it might interest you to know the process, just so you can play on your own. The purple I was using was a mix left on my palette. When I used it on the dog I lost good demarcation with the foreground where I'd also applied some. So I squeezed out some fresh chalky (cheap) blue paint and covered the area in front.

I hated to see the yellow and red strip of watercolor paper disappear beneath the paint, but I loved the new bright contrast the blue paint made with the muzzle portion of that strip of paper which still showed.

Up until this point I had been working with a 3/4 inch filbert. It encourages me to be messy in my paint application. A bit of smearing and rubbing of the washes as I go along (using either my hand or a paper towel) adds to the mess.

Working with a large brush can be a great thrill of joy. It can also get you away from micro fussing—the laying in of multiple tiny strokes, which is sometimes a necessary thing but can lead to more second guessing. (Of course you can fuss with any brush, but when you fill a whole area in one stroke your inclination to fuss can move on to other areas.)

Just before I packed up for the night I took a no. 10 round brush and dipped it in an orange red Holbein gouache (no tube left) and wrote the date and time. I loved the way the red echoed the red from my watercolor paper strip I'd stuck down before arriving at this page. With the brush still full of the red paint I outlined other areas with red.

Is this a good painting?

NO.

It's a fun painting from which I learned a lot.

Have some of your own fun today!

Reminder: MCBA Visual Journal Collective Meets Tomorrow

Monday, September 19, 2011 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. join other visual journal artists for an evening of sharing your journal work. In particular members who attended the Minnesota State Fair (whether or not it was on the day of the Sketch Out) are encouraged to bring their Fair work!

However, if you didn't get to the Fair, don't worry, bring your recent journals with some favorite pages marked to share.

Each artist will be given time present to the group, "set the scene" and explain any media use (if desired).

This is a great way to draw inspiration from the work of others, share your own work, receive insights into working methods and tools, find new sketching friends, and just have fun catching up!

I look forward to seeing you all (and your journals)!