Tag: Pigma pens

Posted in painting

Finished by Friday: Abstract Paintings

Posted on by Laura Kate

It’s time to share two more paintings resulting from my lessons last week with Jan Brieschke. She taught three days on how to approach abstract painting using watercolor and ink. She calls her style Fractured Light.

https://www.janbrieschke.com/Abstracts.htm

Last week I posted photographs of these works at the half-way point.

First is an exercise featuring iterations of a leaf. After drawing some directional lines, we traced a leaf over and over again, following the lines. I chose a red bud leaf.

Initial lines and first wash
Finished Painting

The next exercise was truly abstract. It involved a string, puddles of paint and two pieces of paper. The wet string is pulled vigorously through the paper sandwich.

Initial painting. This is a close-up of the section I worked further.

Finished painting. I fleshed out the design with many, many stipples. I also used a soluable graphite pencil to augment my painted lines.

This one pleases me a lot. I found myself in the flow while working on it. Somehow I knew exactly what to do, and exactly when it was finished.

So mysterious.

I’m sorely tempted to do more work in abstract style. I’d like to know if I got lucky or if I can find myself “in the flow” again.

Posted in drawing

Wednesday Sketching: Loon Study

Posted on by Laura Kate

Today’s sketch may also be categorized as the 100 Day Project. I am again working with photographs by husband Bill. Having recently enjoyed spending time with loons while on the lake in Wisconsin, I gained more appreciation for the beauty of these birds. This photograph is a classic loon pose: neck held in a graceful S-curve, head and bill slightly raised. But what I’m interested in for this exercise is the graphic quality of those black and white feathers. I zoomed in on Bill’s picture to examine the feathers more closely.

I started my sketch by drawing strong lines to separate what I see as four quadrants of an abstract view. Using a micron fine tip pen, I drew in the white markings, making shapes with a lot of variety – just like I see them. Then I used a Stabilo permanent marker to fill in around all of the white dots.

I originally wanted to do this art piece in black and white only. But the solid-looking color of the neck suggested an opportunity to try out a water soluable graphite pencil. So, I did and used it again on the lower body.

In the end, I felt compelled to add a little bit of color, in the form of red ink and blue watercolor paint for the water and sky.

I took some liberties with a few red dots. They create some focal points, and echo the bird’s red eye, which remains unseen in my sketch.

My abstract loon was drawn on smooth paper in a 9 x 9 sketchbook.