Shirley Who

"In the end, anti-black, anti-female, and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing - anti-humanism." 

Shirley Chisholm (1925-2005)

Shirley Chisholm survived several assassination attempts, and was the first woman to run for the office of President of the United States of America.

The Force Awakens with an Imperial Rebel Scout Team in Graphite Pencil and Derwent Inktense

This A3 sized piece of Star Wars themed art was the marrying of two formats (graphite pencil and Inktense pencil) without knowing in advance if such a mixed media combination would work.  Better still (or should I say, foolishly) I went and selected a large A3 sheet of Hot Pressed watercolour paper to trial the idea.  I mean, common sense suggests that I should have tried it out on some scrap paper or at least on something small like A5.  Hey ho, it worked and I enjoyed the artistic progress.

The graphite pencils were HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, and 8B.  Whereas the Derwent Inktense (ink) pencils were a Series 2 twelve piece set with the addition of some extra nine Series 1 and 2 colours.  I suspect that there were two Series; because some of the additional pencils are straight edged rather than round along the pencil shaft.  Apparently the earlier issue of Derwent Inktense contained some five (out of seventy two) rogue colours that were not as colour or light-fast as the later Series.  But this may of course just be rumour, and the colour range was the same with the first issue, I simply don't know.  What I do know is that I love these pencils.  Inktense colour and shade well onto watercolour paper, and come alive when you carefully apply water. Although I do recommend using a small rather than a broad brush to tease out the vibrant ink colour saturation.

Star Wars Scout Sniper Team - Spotter and Rifleman

The Star Wars Sniper or Scout Team figures have been completed previously by other artists and have appeared online for some time.  The figure on the left is usually found facing left (but I have seen it facing in the other direction where someone had mirrored the image).  The Star Wars scenery in which the Scout is set, is often moody and almost monotone.  I also found the right hand Star Wars Sniper figure online.  This cropped figure was presented as a square set up, almost like a sort of cameo.  Again, with a moody and limited colour palette.

My main drawing challenge was to combine the two Star Wars Sniper figures in a realistic manner.  A design that suggested their interaction within the scene was reasonably represented.  This took almost a whole day of online research for the appropriate images and then the juggling of the two photographs that I eventually set my mind on.  Unlike my father 'Saben'; I am not a portrait artist.  So the idea of a figure or figures with masks appeals to me.  But even with the face hidden, the detail was too much to draw freehand (if trying to accurately represent the original drawing).  So I opted for fixing the watercolour paper down with masking tape and then marking the tape to provide a 'cm' grid for the two areas where the Star Wars Snipers would be located.  These grid-line pencil marks had to be very slight, so that they could be erased or overdrawn before completing the final piece.

The next challenge was to change some of the scenery in the background, expand that scenery and then try to suggest that the Scout Team were on the high ground.  I changed the rock in the original broad image hosting the Sniper with the binoculars; so that the rocks being lent on, became a tree.  This leads the eye towards the second Sniper that is better hidden within the foliage.  

All of the graphite range of pencils were used, and some graphite was also laid down on quite a bit of the coloured areas, before applying colour.  The camouflage effect was created with a combination of two Inktense colours; where the colour from both pencils was lifted using a wet brush and then mixed.  This Inktense mixture was then applied to the drawing using a brush.  Of (my now) 21 Inktense pencils, the following were mainly used (in no particular order of importance):

Willow
Sun Yellow
Sherbert Lemon
Bark
Apple Green
Baked Earth
Sea Blue
Deep Indigo

and to a lesser extent; Teal green, and Tangerine.  When you look at what was a new set of 12 Inktense Pencils now sitting back in their tin, you can see that for this image, both Apple Green and Baked Earth took the greatest hit.

The Star Wars Sniper Team image is called: 'Looking for Targets' and took a total of 16 hours, split into 13 drawing sessions, that were spread over 8 days.  I fixed the final image with Daler Rowney Perfix Colourless Fixative. This is also my now first choice fixative for Soft Pastels when sealing between layers.

May the Force Be With You. 

Some more art

The Beast was dropped off for repair early this morning, so it's now a case of settling down and deciding what to start creating with the new art materials that were bought for me over Christmas and on my Birthday.

Today's Art is a tad complex and needed some lining out to help me with the combination of Graphite Pencils and Derwent Inktense Pencils. I don't know if that pencil combination will work, but we will of course find out over the next few days. The other advantage of lining out; is that watercolour paper is expensive. So I don't want to waste a sheet because of drawing errors.  The intended image consists of broadly copying two separate pieces of Star Wars art that have appeared online. The main character is an Imperial Scout Sniper sat next to a tree, and who appears to be only half interested in what is going on. To try to enhance that often copied composition, I've gone for adding a second Scout Sniper who seems to be more focussed, in that this figure has the scout rifle in the firing position.  I envisage this second member of the team to be in a hollow to the bottom and foreground of the tree. But alas, imagination and execution can often be quite different. So we will have to see how this one pans out, and whether or not I obtain the much needed relaxation and enjoyment.

This one is A3 size on hot press watercolour paper (smoother and dries quicker than cold press [which is also known as NOT]). The A3 size of course is less the 1cm all round to tape down the watercolour paper to mark out the lines and to try to reduce curling when I eventually wet the surface. Another good thing about taping down is that the paper should survive being but aside now and again, as I expect this piece to take a few days. I don't do pressure, so if the mood slips away, so does the art.

Some chronological errors

I resized some of my images and that has made a few posts skip into the wrong dates. But hey ho, so what.  If you read then previously then you will know that they are a repeat of distant things.

Christmas was a dreadful affair, but thankfully the New Year was perfect (a long and leisurely Dinner out with my wife and one of our daughters), and my Birthday a few days later was pretty good as well.  I talked too much at MIND yesterday and only managed to get the outline of an intended art project done.  But today is another day and chronologically this should be the first one that you read of 2016

Schmincke, Sennelier, and Rowney Soft Pastels are all out. So now it's time to create: