Above: Sketches of faces using a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and Schmincke gouache in the journal I made with Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper. (The journal is approx. 7 x 9-3/8 inches). There is a tab down the center of the gutter of this spread where I pre-cut out a page. I do this in several places in a new casebound journal to make room for collaged pieces throughout the journal. When I come to a spread that contains a tab I simply work over it in some way. Here I wrote on the tab.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.
In my Monday post on the Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Paper now available in sheets I wrote about it being a durable and versatile sheet. I thought you might enjoy seeing some heavily worked pages with dark brush pen lines and gouache.
Left: A detail of the woman's face from the page spread that opens this post. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Read below for more details.
In the detail of the woman's face you can see remnants of my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen strokes which haven't been hidden. You can also see the slight texture that this paper has, especially around the highlight of the nose tip, where the underlying first wash of Indian yellow still shows through the dry-brushed darker peachy color.
I worked on this image using a 3/4 inch filbert, turning it on its edge when I wanted to get a finer line, letting it splay out in multiple tracks of paint when I wanted it to be very dry indeed.
This paper has what is described as a vellum surface. It is toothier than a plate finish obviously, but it is not so textured as cold press watercolor paper. If you enjoy writing on your journal pages the texture will not interfere with your goals.
Right: You see a detail of the man's face. Click on the image to view an enlargement.
In the detail of the man's face you can see, particularly down the nose, a hint of the texture. You can also see other areas where I achieved a smooth surface, so do not fear that this is not a plate surface. It's more fun this way, really.
