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ORGANIC PAINTER learn to paint with tea, coffee, embroidery, flame, and more

CARNE GRIFFITHS

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Part 1:

PREPARING YOUR MATERIALS PREPARING SURFACES: Stretching Paper and Priming Objects SOURCING: Liquids and Materials for Painting GET READY TO MAKE MARKS: Using Brushes and Found Objects ALCHEMY: Palettes, Pens, and Mixing Materials Part 2:

PROJECTS EXTENDING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES INK SPILLS: Using Chaos to Start Your Image PUT THE KETTLE ON: Using Tea to Paint Floral Patterns CAFFEINATED PORTRAITS: Using Coffee as Paint A WEE DRAM: Adding a Little Booze to Your Painting THROWING PAINT: New Ways to Launch Paint at Your Work A PINCH OF SALT: Using Salt to Create Texture USING THREAD AND STITCHING IN YOUR WORK HOT STUFF: Using Flame and Smoke to Create Marks CUTTING YOUR OWN RUBBER STAMP NEGATIVE SPACES: Using Leaves to Create Textured Layers THE BIG SPIN: Using Gravity and Centrifugal Force LIFT OFF: Using Boiling Water to “Lift” Paint USING GOLD, SILVER, AND COPPER: Subtle Mark Making GETTING MESSY: Combining Media to Create Layered Work SAMPLES OF WORK ABOUT THE AUTHOR INDEX

INTRODUCTION I have been painting full time for nearly eight years now and still nothing compares to the excitement and anticipation of starting a new piece of work. For me, the keys to this excitement are chance and chaos. It was chance that brought the first unconventional materials into my work—a glass of brandy that made its way into a watercolor painting, which then paved the way for experimenting with different teas, coffees, and alcohols, and now the opportunity to explore a variety of media in the making of this book. So how do you bring chance into your painting practice? The most important thing is to be open-minded about the outcome of your painting. The examples in this book give you guidelines and starting points to make your own journeys. I share secrets and tips that I use every day in my work, but the key to the whole process is to be prepared to take risks with your work: Never get too precious with what you have created. Each of the projects in the book is designed to introduce you to a new technique or new way of applying materials to your work. There are an infinite number of ways that these projects can be combined to add dynamism to your painting, so take each project as a guide; if you feel yourself moving away from the guidelines, then go with it! The projects are designed for you to create freely. This means you may end up with completely different results than mine, but don’t worry—that is the key to freeing up your painting style.

Part 1:

PREPARING YOUR MATERIALS

PREPARING SURFACES: STRETCHING PAPER AND PRIMING OBJECTS In this section, I show you how to prepare surfaces for painting so that they are robust and ready to be subjected to the rigorous painting methods you will put them through. MATERIALS: • Sheet of watercolor paper, 300 g/m2 (140 lb) or heavier • Solid board, either wood or metal, 24 × 30 inches (60 × 80 cm) • Sponge or large decorating paintbrush • Gumstrip • Primer or watercolor ground

GETTING STARTED There is something very relaxing and almost meditative about preparing a surface to paint. The process of stretching a piece of paper is methodical and such a contrast to the chaotic methods I use in my work that it is almost like a limbering up and buildup of excitement before I get to start a new painting journey. I normally prepare five or six sheets at a time, and the process I use fits this really well. I first learned to stretch paper at college, where students were encouraged to stretch paper in preparation for all work, even pencil drawing. I’ve since learned that there are many ways to approach it, and I have now totally abandoned the process of soaking the paper in water in a tray or bath for several minutes, as I found the mixed results using this method. For most of the projects in this book, I work with 535 g/m2 (250 lb) watercolor paper called Bockingford and made by St. Cuthberts Mill. I love this paper and have worked with it for more than seven years. It has a great vibrancy and is a real workhorse when it comes to using boiling liquids and alcohols and being attacked with the odd graphite stick.

THE PROCESS To start, you will need a sheet of paper, preferably watercolor paper of a good weight—300 g/m2 (140 lb) or heavier. Place the dry sheet on top of a drawing board, which should be fairly sturdy because the paper has quite some force as it contracts when drying.

Preparing the Surface Take a clean, soft brush or sponge and cover the surface of the paper with clean, cold water using light strokes. Once the surface is completely covered, wait 30 seconds, and then turn the paper over and apply the water to the other side of the paper. Try to avoid any pooling of water by brushing it away. If your paper starts to crinkle slightly, lift it from the board and place it back flat. At this point, wait 2 to 3 minutes to allow the water to soak into the paper. Meanwhile move on to stretching a second sheet. After 2 to 3 minutes, you should see that the paper has softened and hopefully expanded very slightly—this is barely noticeable but you may see some kinks or wrinkles in the paper. As before, lift the paper and place it flat on your board. It

wrinkles in the paper. As before, lift the paper and place it flat on your board. It is really important that your paper is flat at this stage; if one edge is raised or there is a significant lump on one side, it is because the coverage of water was uneven. Try rewetting the paper and seeing whether it will settle flat.

Next prepare lengths of gumstrip for the four sides of the paper. I generally buy gumstrip 11/2 inches (3.8 cm) wide, which is fairly heavy-duty and has a decent amount of gum applied to it. Using a clean sponge (not the one you used to dampen your paper), moisten the gummed side of the strip and place it along the top edge of the paper, with half overlapping the paper and half overlapping your board. Smooth this down firmly, making sure there is good contact between the gumstrip, board, and paper, and then apply a second moistened strip to the lower edge, smoothing out any uneven paper as you apply the strip. Finally, apply the left and right strips in the same way. If using boiling water and liquids, apply a second layer of tape slightly overlapping the board. Sometimes when drying the work with a hair dryer, the wet gumstrip develops a weak spot where it meets the paper; a second layer prevents any tears from appearing. If this happens when

paper; a second layer prevents any tears from appearing. If this happens when you are working, just apply an extra layer of gumstrip.

Drying Now you simply need to leave your board flat to dry. If you lean the board or store it upright, the water will run down one end of the paper. The paper will dry unevenly, buckle, and come out from under the gumstrip. Using a hair dryer will also produce uneven results, so patience is the key here.

Applying Watercolor Primers There are a large range of watercolor grounds and primers available that emulate the surface of watercolor paper. You apply the primer or grounds to surfaces such as canvas, panels, glass, or found objects and let dry. Then paint as you normally would on paper. This opens up endless possibilities for exploring new textures with watercolor or water-based paint. Many of these grounds also allow you to use techniques such as lifting and scrubbing, just as though you were using paper. Natural objects make interesting little study pieces, especially rocks and pebbles, where you can use the features of the stone to influence your designs.

SOURCING: LIQUIDS AND MATERIALS FOR PAINTING A great deal of this book is about using substitutes, either readily available or sourced, in place of the usual liquids associated with painting, namely water! In this section, we will gather and prepare liquids for use throughout the book. Some of these are easy to find and others are fun to make from natural ingredients. From the first accidental appearance of brandy in my work, I have experimented with brewing teas, preparing iron (oak) gall ink, boiling sorrel, and raiding the pantry for painting materials. There are probably a whole host of materials that you can paint with already in your house or garden or growing somewhere nearby!

COLLECTING TEA I made a conscious decision early on in my painting career to substitute brandy in my work for tea. This was for a number of reasons (mostly obvious), but what I didn’t expect when finding another amber-colored liquid to replace the alcohol was the power and versatility of tea as a medium. It has now become a habit for me to collect different types of tea when I travel. There is something about the preparation of the artwork leading up to the point where the tea is brewed, the heady mix of scents as the different brews are prepared, and the whole ritual of making a cup of tea, which I suppose is a quintessentially British thing to do! MATERIALS: • A variety of teas, both loose-leaf and in tea bags The interesting thing with tea is that it changes strength throughout the painting, so sometimes it’s good to remove the tea bag to keep the desired

color, but other times it’s nice that the color builds in strength as you paint, so you can deliberately leave the tea bag in and paint with the liquid as it gets darker.

Choosing Color When choosing a tea to paint with, you may find subtle differences in color among standard teas. English breakfast teas, particularly Tetley and Yorkshire teas, have a good, rich, orangey-brown tone, which proves quite versatile when mixing with calligraphy inks. Rooibos, a South African tea, is also strong with its reddish color and sweet aroma, too. Teas such as chai have a fairly high sugar content and provide a good surface for layering when dry, whereas herbal teas can sometimes fade a little when drying, so experiment and make some tests before committing to a blend. Bright red colors are fairly difficult to achieve with herbal teas, with many blends giving a strong red initially but fading to a bluish gray soon after. Rose hip teas are often the solution here, as they keep

bluish gray soon after. Rose hip teas are often the solution here, as they keep more of a pinkish red color when drying.

RAIDING THE LIQUOR CABINET MATERIALS: • Variety of alcohols

There is little to distinguish the effects of alcohol in watercolor painting, so go for something that you have handy. Spirits will definitely have more of an effect on the outcome of your painting compared to wine and beer, creating patterns in the inks and separating color. Vodka and gin are obvious choices for clear liquids, with brandy and whiskey being suitable for adding subtle, vanilla-like tones to the finished work. WORKING WITH CALLIGRAPHY INKS MATERIALS: • Variety of calligraphy inks I love the versatility of standard writing inks and the qualities they possess compared with watercolors and permanent inks for painting. Most writing inks tend to be semi-or nonpermanent, which, of course, is a concern regarding the longevity of the ink, but it also opens up a huge range of possibilities when considering them as a painting medium. There is

opens up a huge range of possibilities when considering them as a painting medium. There is nothing like the striking color of turquoise writing ink, such as from Waterman, Pelican, or Herbin. The intensity of the color is just wonderful and the way the color behaves as it dries is also quite magical compared with pigmented paints such as watercolors or acrylics.

The difference among fountain pen inks, calligraphy inks, and paints is the way in which the color is suspended in the solution. Fountain pen inks are specifically designed to flow freely and not clog the pen and are therefore mostly made using dyes that are completely soluble in the fluid itself. Other inks and many paints are made from tiny particles of pigment that float in a solution to make up the ink but can cause fountain pens to clog. This information will help you decide which tool to use with your inks. For example, specific fountain pen inks can be used with a writing pen. I generally use a Parker Vector with a medium nib for most of the line work in my pieces, sometimes flipping the nib upside down to achieve a finer line.

Permanence The longevity of artwork is always an issue for artists, collectors, and conservationists. Most artist materials come with information about color-and lightfastness, however, these do not seem to be as readily available for writing inks. So here’s a little word of warning before you embark on some of the alchemy in this book: the combination of materials with unknown qualities for painting may mean that you have to work that little bit harder later on in both the presentation and preservation of your work. NATURE’S MIRACLES One of the oldest recipes for ink is that of iron gall ink, or oak gall ink, as it is sometimes known. The recipe for this ink has varied since its first use almost 2,000 years ago, but it is a combination of oak gall and iron sulfate. This creates a brownish black nearly-permanent ink that is known to have been used by Leonardo da Vinci, among other artists throughout history. The oak gall is, in fact, a result of the gall wasp laying eggs in the bud of an oak leaf, causing a chemical reaction that forms a hard, wood-like marble, normally with an exit hole through which the developed wasp can escape.

Making Your Own Ink MATERIALS: • Oak galls • Ferrous sulfate • Gum arabic • Mortar and pestle • Muslin or cheesecloth • 1 pint (470 ml) of water • Measuring cups or scale Using a small handful of oak galls and some ferrous sulfate (a green powder that can be easily found online or sometimes at a pharmacy), here’s how to make your own oak gall ink for drawing and painting.

To begin, use a mortar and pestle to grind the oak gall marbles into a fine powder. Then measure out approximately 2 ounces (56 g) of the powder and add it to 1 pint (470 ml) of water. Mix the powder and water together well and leave for 24 hours for the color to come out of the powder. You should have a deep brown-colored liquid. Strain this liquid through the muslin or cheesecloth to remove any larger pieces of uncrushed gall, and then stir in 1 ounce (28 g) of ferrous sulfate crystals. The liquid will turn much darker on contact. Add a little gum arabic to the mixture to improve the handling of the ink.

Other Pigments for Consideration The list at right gives an indication of different colors that can be obtained from

The list at right gives an indication of different colors that can be obtained from natural materials. In most cases, adding gum arabic and a little water to these pigments creates a water-soluble paint. Red and pink: alkanet root, beetroot, hibiscus flowers, rose petals, rose hips, cranberry, strawberry Orange: turmeric root, carrot, saffron, cayenne powder Yellow: mustard powder, pumpkin, pollen Green: spirulina powder, spinach powder Blue: cornflower Purple: acai berry, blueberry Brown: tea, walnut hulls, coffee, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground clove, paprika Black: activated charcoal, soot

GET READY TO MAKE MARKS: USING BRUSHES AND FOUND OBJECTS Mark making can add variety to your work. Sometimes forcing yourself to use equipment outside of standard art materials can give great unexpected results to your art. You can combine the types of objects so that they relate to the work you create. For example, use leaves or feathers as mark-making tools and dip parts of branches into ink to create crude and textured marks. Gather an assortment of these items before painting and make some small demonstration pieces to give you an idea of their effects before you combine them into a painting. These objects will help to broaden the types of marks that appear in your work.

MATERIALS: • Feathers, including a goose or turkey feather at least 12 inches (30 cm) long

• Twigs • Leaves • Rubber stamps • Petals • Scalpel, craft knife, or penknife • Pen or pencil • Soup can filled halfway with sand • Ruler or measuring tape

VARY YOUR MARK MAKING A lot of my work focuses on our relationship with nature, so I’ve included some natural materials in this book to show how a variety in mark making can improve your paintings and create rich textures in your work. Before you start some of the projects, gather bits of twigs and branches that you can use to make marks with; try sharpening a branch with a craft knife to make a crude dip pen. Consider using branches to make dragging marks across the page.

PRINTING WITH OBJECTS As well as dipping objects into ink and paint to create marks, you can use a range of objects, such as leaves and petals, to make printed textures. These objects can also be impressed into wet paint, washes to create textured patterns, or painted over to create silhouette shapes. USING FEATHERS A feather can be used to create a wide range of marks. For example, use a feather end dipped in ink or paint to create a variety of brushstrokes. Feathers are probably best known for their use as quill pens, and creating a nib to work with is surprisingly easy. The following is a brief description of how to cut a quill.

is surprisingly easy. The following is a brief description of how to cut a quill. With a little practice, you should be able to create a quill with which you can make marks!

1. Start with a goose or turkey feather at least 12 inches (30 cm) long. Begin by removing some of the feathers toward the tip end so you can hold the quill comfortably.

2. To prepare for cutting a nib, temper the tip of the quill to give the nib strength and to make the quill tougher. Take an empty can and fill it halfway with sand. Place the can in a 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) oven for 15 minutes, and then carefully remove it and plunge the quill tip into the sand so that 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 cm) are covered. Leave the sand to cool for about 10 minutes and then remove the feather. Tempering will make the tip section transparent, making it easier to cut the nib in the tip.

3. Next hold the feather between your thumb and index finger and find a comfortable position to write on it. Then mark a small dot on the top of the nib about 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the tip with the pen or pencil. 4. Using a scalpel or craft knife—or even a penknife, as I believe that is where the name came from!—make a cut in the underside of the quill directly under the dot you just made and in the direction of the point of the quill. This clean cut will create the nib of the pen. 5. Next measure about 5/8 inch (1.5 cm) back from this point and make a shallow cut lengthwise toward the point of the quill that intersects the first cut about halfway up. The illustration shows the two cut lines and how they should roughly intersect. Carefully hold the points created at the intersection of the two cuts and fold them together to make the slit that helps the ink flow smoothly to the nib. Extend this slit using the knife so that it is no more than 3/8 inch (1 cm) long. 6. Now cut a curved line on each side of the quill to give you the shape and width of the nib. The bottom image shows the feather from above with the dot

width of the nib. The bottom image shows the feather from above with the dot you drew for reference. 7. Finally, trim a tiny amount from the tip of the end if there are any loose fibers or uneven surfaces. You do this by making a straight cut across the nib.

RUBBER STAMPS One way to create a patterned surface for use in your work is to cut your own rubber stamps from erasers. The advantage of soft erasers is that they can be used with wet media easily, enabling you to print with ink, tea, and even alcohol! Use the stamps to create repeating patterns to use as a background or to add texture over areas of paint. I cover the cutting of stamps in detail beginning shown here.

ALCHEMY: PALETTES, PENS, AND MIXING MATERIALS PALETTES Sometimes you may have an idea of the general palette you want to work with. Working with a restricted palette, you can extend the color using a minimal set of materials, maybe adding bursts of color later to give the image vibrancy. A reduced palette of colors can also create harmony within the work and build your confidence in your use of color as the work develops. Whether you combine colors on the page or mix them beforehand, it is a good idea to lay out your materials in a way that keeps everything clean and vibrant. You can use clear glasses to keep some of the liquids separate during the painting process. PENS I use fountain pens extensively throughout this book, often as dip pens, but you can also use a piston converter to draw up ink. The piston converter simply replaces the cartridge in a standard fountain pen and allows you to use any liquid you want in the pen—even tea! Be careful, though, as some liquids contain fine particles that can clog the pen. You can combat this by using relatively inexpensive pens! Here are some of the advantages of working with a fountain pen. • Fountain pens are great for quick sketching and line making. The ink flows rapidly from the nib, allowing you to draw quickly. • Because of the way the ink flows in a fountain pen, you can vary the line easily by adjusting the speed at which you work and the angle and pressure of the mark you make. With most pens, you can also turn the nib upside down and draw with the back of the nib to produce a very fine line. • Because you can use the pen with many different types of ink and media, one pen will often suffice, even when working with different colors. • When using one color, you can dip the fountain pen nib in a similar or contrasting color and the ink will slowly return to its original color, enabling you to draw a section of work that fades in color across the page. Similarly,

you to draw a section of work that fades in color across the page. Similarly, you can dip the nib in clear water after having used a color and your line will change from almost transparent back to its original color, allowing you to create subtle marks and fills. • Fountain pens are robust—obviously, within limits—but a fountain pen nib generally improves over time, adapting to the way it is used and to your drawing style. Most other pen nib types are susceptible to damage if used roughly.

MIXING MATERIALS Other materials to consider using include embroidery threads, dyes, and pigment pens. Line painter pens, such as those made by Derwent, contain an opaque paint

pens. Line painter pens, such as those made by Derwent, contain an opaque paint that’s like ink and is ideal for working alongside inks. One of the joys of creating new artwork is combining materials when you are not sure of the end result. Experimenting on the page can be a lot of fun. Tutorials and books will tell you that some materials should not be used in combination with others and perhaps with a certain kind of approach. Where a particular outcome is desired this may be true, but there is nothing better than discovering the effects of mixing materials for yourself as part of the painting process. Treat your painting as alchemy and your creations will definitely benefit from those unexpected results.

Part 2:

PROJECTS

EXTENDING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES For the first project of the book I wanted to do something that would really change your approach to painting, especially if you are a painter who works in a purely figurative manner. Instead of starting with a reference image and recreating that image on the page, start with a chaotic approach, which then forces you to apply your figurative elements at a later stage and bring your image into the painting. This method has a number of advantages in both extending how you work with paints and enhancing your own techniques and your approach to painting. Even if you don’t take this any further, this is a great exercise for times when you feel creatively blocked and don’t know where to start. It also puts the emphasis on the act of painting itself, so you can enjoy the movements of paint and liquids on the page and really pay attention to the journey of the painting without being too concerned with the finished results.

MATERIALS: • Stretched watercolor paper, 22 × 30 inches (56 × 76 cm) • Fountain pen • Inks, including turquoise • Graphite stick • Boiling water • Tea • Paintbrushes • Watercolor paints

COMBINING THE ABSTRACT AND THE FIGURATIVE I created a series of pieces for a recent exhibition using this method. The abstract backgrounds were painted first before ghosting in figurative elements of both portraiture and wildlife. Here are a few examples so you get an idea of how to blend the elements together and just how much freedom you can have at the start of the painting. Most important—have fun and embrace the elements of chance and freedom in your work.

GATHERING MATERIALS Start with the stretched sheet of watercolor paper; the large size will really help you to loosen up your mark making and get the most out of the materials you’re using. You want to approach the piece with a lot of energy. Working with liquids in this way allows you to capture the gestural marks made with the brush, so try to have all the materials prepared and placed around the perimeter of the paper. Begin by making some gestural marks to break up the composition and give a feel for how the liquids will flow. Using a fountain pen dipped in turquoise ink, quickly create some loose flowing lines and then counterbalance them with a strong graphite mark. Working with a graphite stick and lots of liquid can be really interesting, especially as the stick moves between wet and dry grounds, and as the intensity with which it is applied to the page changes.

APPLYING LIQUIDS Dip a brush into a mixture of boiling water and weak tea and begin to throw liquid down from the brush onto the page, paying attention to the arcs and the direction with which the liquid is spreading on the page. The advantage of launching the liquid in this way is that it preserves color separations that appear on the page, whereas if you paint with the brush touching the surface of the paper through these color separations, the brush blends all of the colors together and the result is much more muddy. Next, flick inks into the liquids and slowly allow them to disperse across the page. You will see the inks finding their own channels and running into areas to create patterns within the liquids. Allow to dry.

As the inks dry naturally, they create their own color blends, and preserve some of the swirls of color. As you experiment with the amounts of liquids added at this point, it will become clearer what the finished results will be. Generally speaking, large amounts of liquid left on the page will create darker and more intense color areas, whereas areas that are lightly painted will preserve the patterns and marks left by the ink. Resist the temptation at this stage to overwork the piece. It is much better to create simple effects and allow the work to dry between layers than to try and achieve everything at one time. Each layer will add depth to your painting and create interesting overlaps and shapes to work with later.

WORKING WITH TEA Adding tea to your normal palette of colors has an effect of harmonizing everything within the painting and gives your palette a natural and earthy feel. Try experimenting with different types of tea, using both steeped tea bags and loose-leaf teas. There are hundreds of different types of teas that will give a range of effects. This piece has loose-leaf tea added directly to the page. This creates little pockets of color and adds texture to the work as well.

MAKING SENSE OF THE CHAOS Once your painting is dry, it’s time to jump in and start working with the marks you create in the first stage. Look at the patterns left behind by the teas and inks mixing, how they flow across the page and how each area is connected. This part of the process is almost meditative, but rather than look and consciously work out what you think should be added to the piece, begin to draw on the work spontaneously, adding marks around the page as they catch your eye. There is nothing systematic to this part of the process. Try to keep the piece in balance while emphasizing the parts of the painting that stand up on their own without any addition at all. Sometimes these accidental marks will be the strongest parts of the work so it is best to leave them to shine! You will find other areas where the work needs direction and input. Break up flat areas with surface pattern, such as flowing leaves and stems that are in keeping with the overall flow of the painting. Add these using a fountain pen or an opaque line painter pen to add brighter overlaying color to the work.

INK SPILLS: USING CHAOS TO START YOUR IMAGE In 2012, not long after I had decided to make a change in career from embroidery designer to full-time artist, I was fortunate to have some work shown with a small gallery called Ink-d in Brighton on the south coast of England. Inkd was a kind of curiosity shop gallery over three floors, with a crooked staircase and artwork in every nook and cranny! The lovely thing about the gallery was that its curators were always looking for unusual pieces of work, curiosity pieces that they could place in boxes for their customers to rifle through. This is how ink spills were born—the concept was simply an accidental spill of ink, which was then turned into a pattern object or sometimes a character. For this project, you will follow the same process. Working quickly is key— remember that you are trying to let the materials do all the hard work for you! This project also demonstrates the importance of using chaos as a starting point and the interpretation of chance marks to influence your compositions and paintings.

MATERIALS: • Watercolor paper, 22 × 30 inches (56 × 76 cm) • 3 heatproof glasses • Kettle of boiling water • Tea bag • Dip pens or fountain pens • Calligraphy inks, including blue • Paintbrushes, including a medium-size, long-bristled brush • Pipettes (optional)

PREPARING THE PAPER To start, stretch a 22 × 30-inch (56 × 76 cm) sheet of watercolor paper, although any size will do. I normally use a Bockingford 535 g/m2 (250 lb) cold pressed paper, which has a fairly rough texture. Stretching the paper first will mean that you end up with a perfectly flat surface and will allow the materials to run freely without pooling in any of the paper’s undulations. Always allow your paper to dry flat and to dry naturally for best results—trying to speed the drying process often results in ruined sheets!

STEEPING TEA Prepare three glasses as follows: fill the first halfway with hot water; add a tea bag to the second and half fill with hot water, leave for about 30 seconds, and then take out the tea bag; place the same tea bag in the third glass and fill it halfway with hot water. You will have a glass of clear water; weak tea, which will give a bright yellowish brown; and tea that will turn darker in color as it steeps.

DIVIDING YOUR PAGE Divide your stretched sheet of paper into a 3 × 2 grid (see here). You will work on several different ink spills at the same time to compare the experiments on the page. Having six different boxes on the page allows you to approach each miniature painting differently. Using the dip pen or fountain pen and blue ink, begin to make marks in one of the boxes. Be free with your mark making, and remember that calligraphy inks are very strong, so a small amount of color will go a long way. You can always repeat and build layers to get the effect you want.

PATTERNS WITH INK AND TEA Now, starting with clear water, apply splashes to the page using a medium-size long-bristled brush. Be creative with your application: try flicking the brush, banging it against the side of your finger, and dropping liquid from a height. You want to put down enough water to create swirls of ink from the marks you have made on the page. Too much water can wash out the lovely patterns that the ink makes; not enough means the ink won’t move. The water on the page will create a kind of template for you to add more color. Try adding tea to areas of the work. By dripping the two strengths of tea from the brush, you will see the color pushed around the page. This will also create subtle color fades as the paint dries. As the hot water and tea dry (hot water dries much quicker than cold and helps

As the hot water and tea dry (hot water dries much quicker than cold and helps maintain some of the patterns in the ink), try flicking small amounts of ink from the dip pen nib into the drying liquid to create patterns. The drier the liquid is, the sharper the pattern will be.

GESTURAL MARKS AND BLEEDING COLORS Now, let’s move on to the second box. Start with plain water—make a quick gestural mark with the brush. Fast, impulsive marks give more varied results. Try to make your brushstrokes cross and leave gaps in between, which will create interesting negative spaces. Using the fountain pen, dip into a colored ink and rest the nib on the edge of the

Using the fountain pen, dip into a colored ink and rest the nib on the edge of the water you have laid down. The color will start to bleed across the page. Repeat this with different colors of ink and try dropping some tea in the same way using a brush. For the third box, make a quick circular brushstroke using the darker tea and then lean over and blow sharply in the center of that circle. If you get it right, you will create radiating lines coming from the outside of that shape. Don’t worry if the marks cross over into the other squares—there will be a way to use them later.

ADDING VARIETY TO YOUR STARTING PATTERNS Continue to vary your approach until you have created something in all of the squares and then leave the piece to dry. Don’t move the board with your painting on it, as this will cause you to lose most of the patterns that will appear in the ink. Drying can take a long time, so start a second sheet while the first one dries and come back to it later. A lot of my work draws upon experience from life and my previous career as an embroidery designer, so I often find floral details hidden in the chaos and patterns. Look for shapes of things that interest you. At this stage, add details in a similar color ink to the background. I love drawing in blue and brown ink, but you should choose the colors that appeal to you.

The next step is driven by your imagination but also guided by the chaos and chance marks that you created in the first step. Look carefully at the abstract patterns in front of you and imagine them as real objects or patterns. Then, using a fountain pen, begin to give real form to these shapes and bring them out of the page.

ADDING DETAILS Next give the marks in the ink some kind of three-dimensional form. For instance, I look for flowing lines in the composition and often, if I am using floral elements, I will run the stem along this type of line and then go back and add leaves. Using the unusual shapes and marks left by the inks to define the

add leaves. Using the unusual shapes and marks left by the inks to define the outlines of leaf shapes really makes you work hard with your drawing skills. Sometimes you will have to imagine and draw the leaf from a peculiar angle or fold leaves behind other leaves to achieve the shape you want. I often interpret drops of ink as floral bursts, as the energy of the ink drop seems to suit the flower shape so well. The important thing is to let your drawing flow and try not to overthink what is happening at this stage. Look at these ink spills as opportunities to find new textures and motifs, so experiment freely and allow any elements that come into your mind to become a part of your finished drawing.

PUT THE KETTLE ON: USING TEA TO PAINT FLORAL PATTERNS Whether you are used to working in watercolors, acrylic paints, or pen and ink, adding new materials to your process and learning to build layered effects can bring new and unexpected results to what you paint.

MATERIALS:

MATERIALS: • Stretched watercolor paper, 8 × 12 inches (20 × 30 cm) • Ink in a variety of colors • Heatproof glasses • Various teas, loose and in tea bags • Paintbrushes in a variety of shapes and sizes • Fountain pens or pigment pens • Watercolors or acrylic paints

FLORAL PATTERNS The demonstrations in this book reflect elements that I commonly paint or themes that occur most often in my work. The appearance of flora—and, in particular, decorative pattern—is something that I am really passionate about and have developed through years of drawing embroidery patterns for gold wire and silk embroidery. FREE-FLOWING FORMS As a result of drawing embroidery designs for twelve years, I find there is a flow and continuation of line that I like to appear in all my work. If there is a curved line in your composition, follow it through with your eye and have it resolved elsewhere in the piece. Sometimes this line will weave continually through the finished artwork, passing over and under itself at various points. For this painting with tea demonstration, create something that doesn’t require any reference and start with just a simple line. PREPARATORY DRAWING Begin with a sheet of stretched watercolor paper approximately 8 × 12 inches (20 × 30 cm). Before brewing any of the teas, make a simple line drawing that will indicate the flow within this piece of work. Imagine that the line is the stem of a plant and that the finished result will represent layers of different foliage overlapping and forming a simple pattern, creating simple, alternating overlaps with the line passing over, and then under, as each section crosses another line. Using this method introduces a little depth to the pattern and also makes it feel more organic.

ADDING INK BEFORE TEA Consider changing the order in which you work. Sometimes start with clear water and other times create a drawing and then allow it to be distorted and changed by the liquids you add. PLANNING COLOR IN ADVANCE When drawing shapes to be painted later, consider what will happen to that color later on in the process when you add the tea. Generally speaking, the color of tea is a rich ocher; this means that when you draw a leaf shape in turquoise and then lightly paint tea over it, you will ultimately get a greenish result. The finished

lightly paint tea over it, you will ultimately get a greenish result. The finished color depends greatly on the strength of tea used and the amount of ink in the drawing. You will learn after practicing this technique how to predict to some extent the base colors that will be produced when the liquid combines with the drawing, and this will help in the drawing stage. Sometimes it is best to almost forget completely about color at this stage and lay down colors in a haphazard fashion, giving a much more random result and embracing the accidents that occur when the liquid is added. Try to use a limited palette of two or three colors at this stage of your painting to create the ink part of the drawing. Normally I work with a turquoise, sepia, and sometimes an additional buttercup yellow ink; if you think of these three as your primary colors, it will give you some indication of the scope of color that can be produced when they are combined.

PREPARING TEA TO PAINT The preparation of tea for painting is a nice pause in the process: You have time to review the drawing you have made while waiting for the kettle to boil and then enjoying the aroma of the various teas as they brew for painting. Use lots of glasses at this point. Even if you are using just one type of tea, it is a good idea to steep that tea into different strengths to paint with. The color differences in

to steep that tea into different strengths to paint with. The color differences in teas are generally quite subtle, and some teas look so weak in color that you would think they aren’t worth using, but persevere—the staining effect of tea as it dries often gives surprising results. Even the palest of teas, such as jasmine and white tea, give a wonderful depth of color for the softest of pastel tones.

PAINTING WITH TEA At this stage, work quickly and impulsively to get the best results. To begin, choose from one of the lighter colored teas you have prepared; it is always possible to drop a stronger tea onto the liquid later if you want a deeper color. Using this light color, load a round-tipped brush with tea and lightly make contact with the paper, following the shape of the leaf or pattern that you are painting. Your aim at this point is to allow the liquid to flow freely across the ink lines, creating swirls of ink and allowing the colors to run freely in the liquid. Try not to go back over areas, and when you add liquids, just let the brush gently touch the surface.

Staining The main difference between painting with tea and watercolors is that the

The main difference between painting with tea and watercolors is that the amount of tea used at this point will increase the amount of color that the tea leaves and the amount of staining it provides, that is, more water means a darker color. It will take a while for these areas to dry, but as you experiment with the amount of liquid, you will be able to work out just how much tea to add.

Changing Tea as You Work Make sure you clean your brush between changing teas. You don’t necessarily need to leave areas to dry before adding different colored teas. By changing color in this way, you will create seamless blends of color and smooth fades from one color to another.

ADDING MORE LIQUID Once you add tea to most of the inked areas, you will see where it is possible to intensify colors to create darker areas. It is possible to do this without allowing

intensify colors to create darker areas. It is possible to do this without allowing the tea to dry by choosing a darker or stronger brewed tea and adding small droplets from the tip of the brush onto the surface of the existing tea. If you want to add stronger color or a different burst of color at this point, use a dip pen or fountain pen that has been dipped in ink to drop color into the tea in the same way you did in the previous step. When you add stronger tea or ink into the mix, you will notice that the drier the painting is, the more defined these areas will be. This means you can add details at stages throughout the drying process, building up finer detail as you go. It is best to start with a thick brush even for detailed pieces and move to a finer tipped brush as the piece becomes drier and drier.

FORMING INK PATTERNS It is very important not to disturb the liquid too much during the process; doing so will blend all the colors together and you will end up with a muddy mix of the inks. However, you can very carefully steer some of the swirls in the ink into areas where you want the color to settle. This will create beautiful results as the ink dries, and give you some really interesting shapes and patterns to work with.

Spattering Another technique that will bring small color changes and patterns in the ink and tea is to flick a small amount of ink or tea from the end of a brush. Use a large, flat brush with a light load of ink or water and gently tap the brush against your finger to release small droplets of ink that will swirl into the liquids on the page. You can vary the time at which you do this. The closer the painting is to being dry, the more defined these patterns will be. This is a great way to get intense color and add life to the painting. You will find that brewed tea will pop off the page and appear almost like spheres, adding a real richness to the color of the work.

DRYING It is important to let the inks dry naturally—avoid the temptation to use a hairdryer or heat gun to speed things up at this point, otherwise all the tiny details that you have created by carefully placing the inks on the page will be lost. It is sometimes good to work on a few pieces at once so that you can move among the works as they are drying and then return to the work to add details later. ADDING DETAILS

ADDING DETAILS Once the work is dry, add fine details to some of the flora, using the chaotic patterns, marks, and swirls of ink to dictate the shapes of leaves and flowers on the page. Using a fountain pen and the same inks you used to color the tea can create a really harmonious palette. Add details using a fountain pen and similar color to the underlying painting. This can either create really subtle texture marks. Or you can paint over in contrasting colors to create strong details and shadows. CROSSHATCHING Using a fountain pen, lay down fine lines over your painting. If you are careful, you can accentuate the tone of parts of your drawing this way. Fine, delicately placed lines will add tone to the work and, from a distance, add the effect of color blends. You can really make the color pop by doing this with lines that are very close together and then slowly move them farther apart.

IMAGINARY FORMS

Have fun with your drawing at this stage. Although there are different leaf shapes in nature, remember that you have creative freedom to change the shapes and create your own forms guided by the painted marks underneath. This part of the painting is almost meditative: Put on your favorite music and lose yourself in the drawing!

CAFFEINATED PORTRAITS: USING COFFEE AS PAINT This is a great project for those of you who like a strong cup of coffee in the morning. Begin by brewing some of your favorite coffee. This demo uses a strong cup of espresso, which gives the best color painting, as espresso usually contains the oils of the coffee bean and has the richest color. Adding to this are a pot of filter coffee and some ground coffee, or you can use granulated or freeze-dried coffee as a substitute.

MATERIALS: • 2H hard pencil • Stretched watercolor paper (It is okay to use a heavy unstretched paper for this, but you may find the undulations in the paper gather the coffee in places you don’t want it to go!) • Assortment of coffees (granulated or ground coffee, espresso or strong coffee, filter coffee) • Round-tipped brush size 8 or 10 • Fine brush for detailing • Paper towels or absorbent tissue

CHOOSING AN IMAGE I have chosen an image from a series of work I used as reference for an exhibition called Fragments. I chose to light the subject really strongly, and the contrast of lights and shades combined with soft tonal differences is ideal for this project. You are free to work from life if you wish—I definitely recommend working from life whenever possible—but for this kind of portrait painting, it is good to have the defined lighting to make the initial drawing stage easier.

DRAWING YOUR IMAGE Use a 2H hard pencil to lay out the drawing for this project, as you don’t want the drawing to distract from the shapes and marks that the coffee makes on the page. When drawing your image, look for areas of similar tones and trace these as outlined shapes; this will help later in the project when you are building up

layers bit by bit.

ADDING COFFEE Once you are happy with the general outline of your drawing, you can begin to paint. Start with the filter coffee to make light washes over the portrait. It is fine at this stage for your lighter areas to cover the areas that you wish to become darker later. If you look at the portrait you will see that the darkest areas are the shadow under the brow of the right eye and the harsh shadow around the mouth and nose areas. Defining these areas carefully will give you the feeling of light on the portrait. You will also notice that the right side of the face has strong light reflecting along the edge, so be sure to use the whiteness of the paper to keep this well defined.

Lifting Using traditional watercolor techniques, such as lifting, you can preserve the soft edge on the right-hand side of the face and also reduce any areas that have become too dark. Lifting simply involves taking a paper towel or absorbent tissue and dabbing the liquid from the page. If you apply pressure lightly you can simply remove liquid from the page, but by applying more pressure, you can lift the paint—or coffee, in this case—creating a lighter area. Experiment with different types of cloth. Sometimes the different textures of cloth can produce interesting textured effects.

ADDING MOVEMENT TO YOUR IMAGE The reference image for this project has plenty of movement, especially the hair. When creating portraits, connect lines that flow through the piece and try and give the painting a feeling of energy and movement, even throughout the face. A good way to create movement in the work is to throw water from the tip of the brush onto the paper. This isn’t just using a spattering effect; almost tracing the curves in the hair, for example, allows the liquid to release from the end of the brush. You do this by making repeated arcs above the paper in an increasingly quick motion until the paint releases. This creates a nice rhythmical pattern of drips that flow and follow the direction in which the brush is moved.

drips that flow and follow the direction in which the brush is moved.

POOLING COFFEE AND BUILDING LAYERS There are three simple ways to add depth and darker tones to your painting using either wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry techniques. Wet-on-wet involves dropping some of the darker espresso coffee into the already wet, painted areas of the portrait; done carefully, this will create a slight fade from dark to light. Another way is to wait for the first layer to dry and then build up layers of coffee, adding overlapping shapes to create darker tones. When using the second method, try to vary the outlines of the shapes you paint so that you create areas that overlap and

vary the outlines of the shapes you paint so that you create areas that overlap and areas that extend beyond the previous layers. A third way to darken areas is to sprinkle ground or granulated coffee onto the wet areas. This will make a darker and more textured area on the painting.

ADDING DETAILS Once you have captured the overall balance of light and dark within the portrait, use a finer brush to add details. Try not to become too obsessed with adding detail, though, as the beauty of these images is sometimes their simplicity, with less definitely being more!

A WEE DRAM: ADDING A LITTLE BOOZE TO YOUR PAINTING The use of alcohol in my paintings is something that has really been picked up on over the years—it obviously tells a good story! But the effects of using alcohol are really quite subtle. In this project, you will learn a few techniques on how useful it can be for adding texture to your work, creating delicate color fades, and using for printing.

MATERIALS: • Stretched watercolor paper, 15 × 22 inches (38 × 56 cm) • 2H, 3H, or 4H pencil • Fountain pen • Inks • Gin • Paintbrushes • Light-colored tea, such as jasmine, or a lightly brewed chai blend

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ALCOHOL Watercolor painters have been using alcohol for years in their work. Ethanol or

Watercolor painters have been using alcohol for years in their work. Ethanol or rubbing alcohol are the safest materials to use and also have the most dramatic effect when used with watercolors and inks. I began to use other alcohols in my work about seven years ago, mainly because of the interesting effects they seemed to give when painting in combination with other materials. The list of alcohols I use in my work now includes gin, brandy, vodka, and whiskey, but I am always on the lookout for others that will give interesting results. SEPARATION One of the most interesting effects is the way in which alcohol separates the colors used in some pigments. For example, if a fountain pen ink is made of two different pigments, these can sometimes become separated in the alcohol. The alcohol may have different effects on watercolor paints, too. I have found that alcohols work particularly well with tube watercolors, but when used with pan watercolors, the alcohol seems to dry the paint out too much, leaving the powdery pigment on the surface of the paper. BOOZY PORTRAITS In 2015, I made a series of quick portraits using different types of alcohol to explore the effects on the paint and alone and in combination with other materials, such as tea and fountain pen ink. For this project, I am going to start with an image that has a light, ethereal feel and use the alcohol to create subtle color effects. For this gin painting, start by stretching a 15 × 22 inch (38 × 56 cm)-size sheet of Bockingford 535 g/m2 (250 lb) watercolor paper or similar. Then, use a light pencil—a 2H, 3H, or 4H pencil will work well—to draw delicate outlines of the portrait, paying attention to shadows and darker areas. Keep this line lively and preserve some of the drawing areas later. The combination of drawn line and painted marks really works well and gives the piece energy. Also, during the drawing process, erasing sections of line in a particular direction helps give movement to the work. Try experimenting with the eraser and using it as a drawing tool rather than something for correcting mistakes. For example, you can lay down an area of light tone in graphite using the side or soft edge of the pencil and then shape and define this area more using the eraser.

ADDING A LITTLE COLOR When building up your painting using alcohols and liquids, it is essential to work from light tones to dark. There is a temptation to jump in and make some of the shadow areas too dark from the start. Try to resist the temptation. By laying down just a little color at a time, you will be able to build up to those darker layers by repeating the drawing and painting process. This gives your image

layers by repeating the drawing and painting process. This gives your image interesting depth and a richness where the soft pastel colors combine to produce richer tones throughout the work.

FOUNTAIN PENS The fountain pen is one of the most versatile tools you can use. For this project, let’s explore adding ink in very fine lines that can be used later to build up tones in the painting. Starting with turquoise ink, dip the pen into the ink and then immediately after into clear water; this will soften the intensity of the color. Begin drawing freely over your portrait. With your eye, trace some of the shadow areas of the painting and use the back of the nib to create shapes over your artwork using a continuous line. These lines work well when tracing the contours of the face and help give some form to the subject. Next, add some lines using sepia-colored ink, again dipped into water after

Next, add some lines using sepia-colored ink, again dipped into water after dipping in ink. Make sure you clean the pen nib if you are using the same pen or use two different pens to keep the colors clean. For the darker tone areas of your image, use a combination of sepia and turquoise ink together, while keeping the lines in separate shapes and marks. What you are trying to achieve are areas where the alcohol, when applied later, will bring these two colors together on the page.

ADDING ALCOHOL Pour a small amount of gin into a glass and then use a large paintbrush to brush the surface very lightly. Paint over some of the areas of your drawing that will become darker later on. These might be the shadow areas under the eyes and the sides of the portrait. Try not to overpaint any areas, as this will blend the colors too much. Where there is too much liquid on the page you can use a blowing technique to splash it from these areas. Simply put your mouth close to the piece and aim in

splash it from these areas. Simply put your mouth close to the piece and aim in the direction you want the paint to move, blowing sharply on the painting. Try to make these marks so that they move away from the portrait. For example, if you have paint over the eye area, blow the gin upward and outward from the face. Try flicking the gin from the brush to create arcs of paint, and then try lifting and tilting your painting so that the color runs down the page. Pay attention to where the gin has pooled the most, as these are the areas that will run. If there is gin in an area you don’t want to run, then simply lift the excess with a paper towel. You will notice that the gin creates beautiful swirls of color in the paint and that it dries much quicker than water, preserving the patterns in the ink much better.

ADDING SOME TEA You can get some really interesting effects when mixing teas with alcohol, as the two materials slightly repel each other on the surface of the painting. The best way to do this is to have the gin already wet on the surface of the paper and then flick small amounts of tea into this wet base; as the gin evaporates, it will create channels for the tea to run into.

LAYERING YOUR WORK You can build up your portrait now using alternating layers of drawing and painting with tea and gin. Try also using rubber stamps to create pattern and texture within your images and experiment with the effects that these have on both wet and dry surfaces, using ink to print with and also using gin or tea to print over the painted areas.

THROWING PAINT: NEW WAYS TO LAUNCH PAINT AT YOUR WORK I just can’t sit still when I paint! If I am in a comfortable position when working it seems to create a stillness to my work, which just doesn’t suit me. As a result, I have taken to working at all sorts of angles and using an easel that adjusts quickly from horizontal to vertical. This movement has had a huge effect on my painting—as I rotate and tilt the board, I create accidental spills and arcs in the work, which I then use and interpret into my style of painting.

MATERIALS: • Stretched watercolor paper • Light pencil • Masking fluid • Paintbrushes • Assortment of teas • Alcohol, such as gin • Inks • Pigment pens • Hair dryer (optional) • Paper towels • Graphite sticks

BE DYNAMIC For this project, you are going to paint a floral still life piece using some dynamic techniques to give the painting lots of energy and a balanced flow. Floral paintings are suited to this type of treatment, and the freshness and energy created by throwing paint really brings the subject to life. LIGHTING AND COMPOSITION When painting from life, especially when using natural light, take several photographs to accompany the work and capture any light effects that may change over the course of the painting. Also, to make the subject more interesting and dynamic, try to be as dynamic as possible with your composition. Rather than the finished image being of flowers in a jar or in their natural setting, focus on the lines and shapes of the flowers, suspended on the page, to create a feeling of movement and weightlessness in the composition. You can do this by using clips, string, or rubber bands to contort the still life setup and create an engaging composition. USING MASKING FLUID Look carefully at the brightest areas of your composition using a combination of your photographs and natural lighting. You’ll then mask off these bright areas while drawing the image. Quite often masking fluid is treated very delicately and carefully placed in the image using a brush. You’ll apply the masking fluid in the same way that you will be working with paints—using dynamic lines, quick brushstrokes, and spatter techniques. This will help give a fresh and lively feel to the whitest area of the painting later on. Also, doing this at the same stage as the drawing produces lively effects created as the pencil line passes through the fluid

drawing produces lively effects created as the pencil line passes through the fluid and drags it around the page. You will need to work quickly on your composition in order to finish while the masking fluid is still wet.

Try to use the following techniques with the masking fluid to add dynamism to your work: • With a light load of fluid on the brush, make quick strokes that leave texture on the page. • Around the areas where you have made the brushstrokes, try blowing the fluid from the tip of the brush to create a spattered effect. • Try flicking the wet brush of masking fluid in arcs on the page to create movement.

• Smear a blob of masking fluid lightly with a piece of stiff cardboard. • Blow areas of masking fluid to create a burst of light. • Allow the fluid to drip down the page to create light areas. Note that you can remove some of these drips by painting in between layers to create softer areas.

BE BOLD Once the areas of masking fluid are completely dry and your composition is drawn, brew several types of tea. This project uses English breakfast tea, rooibos tea, and chai tea for variety. Lay down tonal areas using these materials and add a little alcohol to areas to create texture. Make large sweeping brushstrokes to lay down the tea and create movement by throwing the tea from the brush in an arc and blowing on areas. Add color to these areas by dripping and throwing ink and pigment pen on the page. You will achieve greens by dropping blue color into the tea; try dropping tiny amounts of blue into the rooibos tea and then blowing the ink to create a spread of green. Using your painting as a palette is one way to mix your colors on the page without being too refined.

With this painting, the sections of light are protected by the masking fluid, which enables you to paint much more freely while keeping control of the composition. As the paint begins to dry, you can use several methods to carefully control the staining and where the darker tones will be. Tilt the painting to steer paint around the board, use a hair dryer to pool liquids into certain areas to make them darker, steer color away, and gently absorb color from the painting using paper towels to create lighter tones in certain spots.

CREATING BLOOMS OF LIGHT Areas that you have painted with masking fluid will be the brightest parts of your painting. To create the feeling of light around these areas, use a hair dryer to steer the paint away by pointing it directly at the fluid or dab very gently with a soft paper towel to remove the paint and tea. Another technique as the work becomes slightly drier is to drop water or even gin on these areas, which pushes the color away slightly. Try a combination of these methods to get the desired effect.

CREATING BLOOMS OF COLOR When the surface of the paper is damp, you can use pigment pens, such as line painters, or gouache, watercolor, or acrylic paints to add tiny droplets of color that will bloom into the damp background, giving a soft edge. Take a pigment pen or brush loaded with a small amount of concentrated color and tap it against your finger above the work to release droplets of color. Vary the angle of these flicks to allow color to move outside the area you are targeting—the tiny droplets that land will create smaller blooms. Layer color in this way to give the floral areas a dynamic feel.

floral areas a dynamic feel.

ADDING DETAIL Now comes the satisfying part of removing the masking fluid, which will create contrast and help define the lights and darks in your composition. The jury is out on using white paint in these paintings. Watercolor purists believe that the white of the page is sacred, and I agree that if you can preserve the white of the paper, its simplicity is much preferred to using white opaque pen or paint to highlight areas. There may be instances, however, when you want to use white to bring out tiny details or even texture in your composition. White line painter pens have a fine nib and are excellent for adding directional marks. Try releasing paint from the nib of the pen and blowing some of the white specks onto the page. You can try a similar technique with a brush and white gouache or acrylic.

Balance Try to add detail to your painting sparingly in areas that you feel need this extra definition. If you have accidents or shapes that define an area perfectly, then steer well clear of these and leave their simple beauty! It is very hard to gauge whether a painting is complete in this respect. I normally consider a work finished at the point where it has balance.

DRAWING WHAT IS THERE AND WHAT IS NOT Aim to keep a balance between figurative and abstract elements. Each piece should capture the look of its subject, yet, at the same time, extend beyond this to capture the energies and tensions of things that we can’t see. Some of the most emotive pieces I have created are of nature and I always bring an element of the natural world in my portraits, still lifes, and abstract paintings. Consider the direction that the light falls on objects when adding details to the piece; the relationship between those objects and their surroundings; and even your own relationship to those objects. If you feel an impulse to add detail that isn’t there, just include it. The combination of studied elements and abstract marks and lines that bring energy to the piece help give a painting an otherworldly feel and engage the viewer. Essentially, I like to create something that viewers recognize instantly, but when they peer under the surface, they find surprise elements in each layer.

LOOKING FOR THE FLOW In each composition, find a flow through the image. This could be from where the light falls or from connecting lines. Gestural marks with paint and sometimes bold sweeps with a graphite stick can really change the feel of a composition. Experiment with these additional marks and work freely and honestly. You will start to find elements within your drawing that are very personal to you and give the work a sense of identity.

A PINCH OF SALT: USING SALT TO CREATE TEXTURE In this simple project, which uses materials that you may have already lying around the house, you will explore the effects of salt on ink and tea and how you can use salt to create textures within your paintings. Rather than trying to create an image, you are simply going to observe the effects that the materials have on each other. If you are inspired by the end result, then you can take the painting further.

MATERIALS: • Stretched watercolor paper • Paintbrushes, including a flat about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide • Assortment of brewed teas • Turmeric, an orange, and star anise • Inks, including turquoise • Palette • Fine salt, rock salt, or sea salt

PREPARING MATERIALS

Make a tea from turmeric, orange, and star anise. Star anise has a strong, bright yellow color. I was eager to see how it works as a painting material, so I thought, where better to start than for this demonstration? You will use turquoise ink with the tea and Himalayan salt, which is available as large crystals that you will use on their own. Grind some of the crystals to a finer powder to use as well.

SIMPLE WASH Begin by painting a heavy wash of the teas into a rough rectangle shape about 4 × 6 inches (10 × 15 cm). Use a broad brush for this—maybe 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide—and spread out the tea so that it forms an even layer. Then put a few drops of the turquoise ink into a palette and dip the brush you used to create the wash into the ink. (You don’t need to clean the brush before doing this.) Brush the ink over the wet tea rectangle that you just created. Work quickly so that everything stays wet and you have a nice even wash.

ADDING SALT TO YOUR PAINTING With the rectangular wash still wet, take a pinch of salt between your forefinger and thumb and drop a little at a time into different areas. Although the effects of the salt will not be apparent at first, continue to sprinkle the salt until you have some over the whole area. Using too much salt or getting too much coverage will cause the salt to clump up and make it quite hard to remove after the painting is finished, so use just a tiny amount in each area. Another thing you could try—but you may need tweezers and a steady hand for this—is to use salt to create a pattern within your image. The salt will start to affect the ink underneath and you will notice there is a little more color where each grain has landed; gradually you will see that each grain of salt creates its own pool, much like a bleaching effect. There is a large element of chaos to this process and I really love the unpredictability of its effect.

Drying

Here you can see the finished result of adding just a few grains of salt to watercolor. Try to vary the amount of salt you add and experiment using more salt in some areas than others to test the effects. When the wash is completely dry, you can remove the excess salt by wiping it gently with a cloth or dry brush.

Other Ways to Use Salt Try mixing 2 teaspoons (12 g) of salt in 1 cup (235 ml) of water until completely dissolved, and then paint the saltwater wash onto watercolor paper. While the wash is still wet, drop or flick small drops of watercolor or fountain pen ink into it. The suspension of salt in the water affects the way the color dries and creates blooms of color with crystallized edges. This can create wonderful textures, so have fun experimenting with different colors and layering the effects together! BEGINNING WITH CHAOS Sometimes it is great to start your painting without thinking too much about the

Sometimes it is great to start your painting without thinking too much about the direction it will go in. By layering these techniques and using some of the other techniques in this book, you can create a really appealing surface to begin your painting.

USING THREAD AND STITCHING IN YOUR WORK At the start of my career, I was fortunate enough to serve a two-year apprenticeship with master craftsman and embroidery designer Ken Miles at the embroidery firm Hand & Lock in Soho, London. I worked for twelve years designing embroidery patterns for gold wire hand embroidery and gained an understanding of the techniques and methods in which complex threedimensional embroidery was constructed. Later in my artistic career, these influences are still found within my work. The inclusion of floral patterns, directional lines and, more recently, the elements of stitch all come from my background as an embroidery designer. The inclusion of embroidery in my work has also changed the type of board I stretch my work on. Using an open-back aluminum frame allows me to introduce stitch to a work while it is still stretched on the board because I can access the paper from the back and prepare the embroidery using a pricking tool. This project will explore two different ways to use stitching in your work, first as a temporary method to create geometric shapes and second as a way to add texture and line.

MATERIALS: • Pencil • Knife • Stranded cotton thread in various colors • Embroidery needles • Watercolor paper, stretched or unstretched • Watercolor paint or fountain pen ink • Paintbrushes • Thimble • Pair of pliers or wire cutters

USING A NEEDLE TO CREATE ARTWORK For this project, you will use two types of thread work to show how laying down items on the surface of the paper can work as a guide for creating colorful geometric patterns.

Preparing Your Threads You will need to thread a needle with two strands of cotton from a skein. To do this, unwrap the skein of cotton and cut a 45 inch (60 cm) length. You will notice that the thread itself is made up of several strands of thread, usually three pairs. You want to divide one pair of these twisted threads at a time. First grasp two of the threads between your fingers and then pull away from the rest of the stranded cotton. You may need to keep smoothing this out as you tease out the thinner strands, but eventually they should pull clear and can be used to thread a needle. Prepare either a piece of stretched paper for this project or simply embroider through a heavy sheet of watercolor paper. However, a stretched sheet works better as it will keep taut in the frame and make stitching so much easier. PRICKING THE PAPER Embroidering through heavy watercolor paper can be hard going on your hands, so use a thimble if you have one. Another trick to make things easier is to use the point of a compass, or make a pricker using a needle and pencil. To do this, use a pair of pliers or wire cutters to snip off the tip of a needle so you have 11/4 to 11/2 inches (3 to 4 cm) showing, including the pointed end. Holding the needle

with the pliers near the tip, push the blunt end of the needle into the tip of the pencil alongside the pencil lead until there is about 3/8 inch (1 cm) showing. It is easier to do this if you break the lead of the pencil off first. If you are having difficulty inserting the needle, make the hole with the pointed end first and then remove the needle and insert the blunt end into the hole you have made, forcing it down into the wood until it is secure.

Using the Pricker Tool The pricker tool can now be used to make holes through the paper. It is best to make holes from the top of the paper surface so that any paper pushed through is on the reverse of the sheet. You can make these holes as you go along or you can prepare your image, prick your holes, and then begin stitching. STARTING YOUR EMBROIDERY Start from the underside of the sheet and knot the end of your thread twice so that it does not pull through the hole. Then begin making long stitches on the surface of the paper. For this example, I created enclosed shapes mainly

surface of the paper. For this example, I created enclosed shapes mainly composed of triangles, in strong contrast to the natural forms within the work.

Once you have created a number of these shapes, take the needle back through the last hole and tie it as tight as you can without bending or pulling the paper. (I normally use a little piece of gumstrip paper, dampened and then stuck over the knot on the reverse as an extra bit of security so that the stitches do not pull through.) For this example, we are going to remove the stitches after we have applied some paint to the image. APPLYING COLORED WASH Once the threads are secured and you are happy with your stitched outlines, you can begin to add a wash to your embroidered shapes. Take a clean glass of water and mix in a little watercolor with a fairly large brush. Using the edges of the stitched thread as a guide, paint the wash within the shapes. You will find that the color bleeds through slightly but that the thread draws the paint and wash toward it, creating darker areas around the embroidery.

toward it, creating darker areas around the embroidery. Play around with different colors and different levels of wash—some watery and some more concentrated in color—and then allow your piece to dry flat.

REMOVING THREADS Once your watercolors are dry, you will be able to remove the thread by simply cutting one of the surface threads and then pulling it back through the paper from the knotted ends. You can also use the back of a knife to smooth out the holes you have made in the paper from the reverse side so they are not so obvious from the front of the image.

ADDING COLOR WITH THREAD Embroidery can also be used to add shading and texture to your finished image. Stitching converging threads over a section of work can add bursts of color that sit on the surface of the work. This means that when you view the work from a slight angle, the threads appear closer together and the color becomes stronger. To do this, take a triangular section and make a pricked point in the sharpest corner. Then, about 1/16 inch (11/2 mm) inside the triangle, make a second point. This gives you an in and out point to keep your stitching neat and makes it easier to keep your threads on the surface of the paper. Then, along the opposite straight side of the triangle, make a series of equally spaced points along the

line; the number of points depends on how dense you want the stitching to be. Take a skein of colored stranded cotton and remove a twisted pair of threads just as you did for the first step. Knot the end of the thread and come up through one of the end holes on the flat side of the triangle from the reverse. Take your needle to the inner point of the triangle through the back and then back out at the adjacent point right at the tip of the triangle. Next, stitch back down to the flat end next to where your first stitch came out and back up through the adjacent hole, and then back in to the inner point of the triangle. Repeat this process until you have formed a dart of stitches with all the lines converging at the front. Try playing around with different colors of thread, overlapping them to create blends of color. Experiment with stitching parallel threads as well and try varying the distance between each stitch.

COMBINING STITCH WITH OTHER MEDIA On this page are two examples of work in which I have used the combination of stitch with free-flowing painted work. You can even extend some of your fountain pen lines so that the boundary between stitched line and drawn line is not so obvious.

HOT STUFF: USING FLAME AND SMOKE TO CREATE MARKS Using candle smoke to create images is a fun way to quickly lay dark tones down on the paper and then layer them up, erasing details as you progress. This technique is an interesting way to make free-flowing marks on the page and create some really interesting polarized images and textures. The soot marks made by the candle sit delicately on the surface of the work, allowing you to easily brush them away and work further on the image with the candle. The beauty of this method is that the flame is fairly uncontrollable and the marks made by the candle have a soft, random flowing feel to them. In contrast, the erased marks made with a fine brush have a very defined yet delicate quality. The final image has the feel of a charcoal drawing but with an element of mystery to it.

MATERIALS: • Wax candle, preferably with holder to catch the drips • Watercolor paper or heavy cartridge paper • Assortment of brushes with varying tip shapes • Putty rubber • Fixative

PREPARING YOUR WORK AREA This technique involves working with a naked flame, so please take all necessary safety precautions before you begin. It is a good idea to have an extinguisher or, at the very least, a bucket of water nearby. Because you need to work with your paper upside down, beware of dripping wax when painting and cover your clothes and work surface to prevent spillage. SETTING UP YOUR PAPER Although this project doesn’t require you to stretch your paper, it is a good idea to fix your paper to a board to enable you to work with it above your head. Working with your paper upside down and at a slight angle allows the marks of the candle to travel upward on the sheet, giving an ethereal feel to your drawing. You can do this by propping the paper up on two easels and working on the floor, or by fixing your board to a table and allowing it to overhang. Another method is to work on smaller paper and have the candle fixed on a table and then you maneuver the paper to create the smoke marks. You may find this a little hard at first to control, but it makes it easier to discover the type of marks you can make and vary the angle of the paper.

PREPARING YOUR IMAGE Use a high-contrast image for your work—something that has very deep blacks and defined, highlighted areas. This type of image really suits drawing with a candle, as mid-tones and light tones are quite difficult to achieve without lots of practice. Depending on your preference, you can make a light drawing on the paper before starting or just begin your drawing with marks from the smoke.

LAYERING Begin by building up layers of smoke in the areas where your image is the darkest. You can achieve the strongest contrast by working into the blackest areas of the page where the soot has really built up. To create more subtle changes in tone, use the smoke again over your drawing to soften the layers. Be careful not to hold the flame for too long in any one place or you will singe the paper and then lose the ability to brush away the soot, leaving a white line. Once you have defined the areas of shadow on the paper, begin to edit and add details to the work using a dry brush. In some areas, the soot left by the candle

details to the work using a dry brush. In some areas, the soot left by the candle smoke lifts very easily with a dry brush; in others, the paper will only return to a light gray color. The more horizontal the paper is, the better the effect works for editable marks; the more angled the paper is away from the flame, the more permanent the traveling smoke mark becomes.

VARYING YOUR MARKS Use a combination of drawn marks in smoke and erased marks on the paper to define your image in the subtlest way possible. Very fine detail can be achieved

define your image in the subtlest way possible. Very fine detail can be achieved using a fine-tipped brush to gently brush away the soot from the paper. Try using different mark-making tools to achieve texture in your work: scrunched-up paper and masking tape are great examples. Use the masking tape to create harsh lines by affixing it to the paper before you work or alternatively, use the tacky side of the tape to lift areas of soot from the page. Also, try cutting out shapes from the tape to place on the page before working with the flame to create sharp, contrasting shapes. Always spray your finished piece with fixative to keep the soot from getting smudged.

WORKING ON GLASS Another way to work with smoke is to use a glass sheet or object. Working on a shiny surface makes it possible to completely remove the smoke areas and give extra definition to your painting.

CUTTING YOUR OWN RUBBER STAMP Creating and using stamps to add texture and pattern to your work is a lot of fun. You can keep a selection of printing stamps to use to create patterns of various sizes and shapes. The soft rubber material makes it possible to print with ink, tea, and even alcohol. In this project, you will create a rubber stamp and then use it in various ways in your work.

MATERIALS: • Soft rubber erasers • Small piece of wood • Wood glue • Carbon copy paper (optional) • Permanent fine line pen • Craft knife or scalpel • Lino cutting tool • Inks • Watercolor paper • Flat paintbrush • Teas • Cloths

PREPARING YOUR DESIGN First, decide on the size and shape of your design for your stamp. I sometimes begin creating a print from just a single eraser, but if you want to create a larger stamp for your image, simply glue several of the erasers to a piece of wood using a strong wood glue. It is important to have a strong base as you will be using wet inks to print with, and a weaker base, such as cardboard, will quickly become soft and unstable. A strong base also makes it easier to clean your stamps afterward when preparing for new prints. TRANSFERRING YOUR DESIGN TO THE ERASER You can create a symmetrical pattern or something that will work well as a repeating pattern. Either work freehand and draw your pattern or create your design on paper and use carbon copy paper to trace the design on the eraser. Once you have the design on the eraser, use a permanent fine line pen to draw clear outlines and mark the negative spaces between the patterns with crosshatching to make them easier to see when cutting.

CUTTING YOUR DESIGN Start by tracing the outline of your design with a craft knife or scalpel. If you cut at a slight angle away from the line, it will be easier to remove the crosshatched area of rubber later. Once you have followed all of the outlines, you can begin to remove the crosshatched areas. The easiest way to do this is to use a knife and make a V cut that follows the outline, cutting inward to meet your first line. If you have a lino cutting tool, you can use this to quickly remove larger areas of

the eraser. You don’t need to cut too deep when removing these areas, just 1/8 inch (3 to 4 mm) is plenty to enable you to print; the shallower you cut, the more robust your print will be. Continue to remove all the crosshatched areas until you are left with your design.

TESTING THE CUTS A good way to see your stamp clearly at this point is to take a cloth dipped in colored ink and rub it lightly over the surface of your stamp; this will highlight any areas that may need refining. When you are happy with your design, you are

any areas that may need refining. When you are happy with your design, you are good to print!

USING YOUR STAMP IN YOUR ARTWORK Now it is time to test your stamp on a piece of plain watercolor paper. Pick up a small amount of ink with a flat brush and then lightly cover the surface of the stamp and immediately press it firmly onto a piece of watercolor paper. Carefully lift the stamp away from the paper and there you have it! To help place your print in your artwork, create a test print of your stamp and then affix it to the reverse of the board. One of the nice things about using colored ink or even tea to make your printing is the edge quality of the finished print. Your prints will behave like watercolor paintings and, when dry, the edge will have that same watercolor crisp edge with a slight variety in the depth of color and texture.

Here are some techniques to try: • Paint a color fade using inks on the back of your stamp before printing. • Try printing onto wet and damp paper to achieve a softer print. • Layer prints of different colors. • Paint a solid ink background, let it dry, and then print in clear water. Before it dries, lift the liquid with paper towels to create a negative image. • Use ink, tea, and alcohol to print layered designs. • Try printing a repeating pattern without re-inking your stamp to create a color fade. • Print over a spattered surface to create a mottled version of your design. Below are two examples of artwork in which I have combined the printed background with painted images in ink, tea, and alcohol. I also used one of the rubber stamps to create whiskey wallpaper!

NEGATIVE SPACES: USING LEAVES TO CREATE TEXTURED LAYERS This project will look at using objects from nature to create silhouettes and texture in your paintings. You’ll create negative spaces and build up layers to give a three-dimensional effect to your work.

MATERIALS: • Flowers and foliage with interesting silhouettes • Traditional or microwaveable flower press • Small sheets of watercolor paper • Inks • Pigment pens • Watercolor paints • Acrylic paints • Diffuser, diffuser spray, and toothbrush (optional)

COLLECTING FOLIAGE For this project, you will use various flora to create miniature layered silhouettes of plant shapes. Begin by collecting leaves and stems that have interesting characteristics to use in your composition. Because we are going to press flowers and foliage—that is, dry them out flat to use in the painting—use fresh plants that are well suited to pressing. Plants with simple flat flowers and a single layer of foliage work best. Try using forget-me-nots, daisies, buttercups, pansies, cosmos, and wild geraniums for your project. Avoid flowers with bulky layered petals, such as roses and dahlias; these also produce less interesting silhouettes.

PRESSING YOUR FLOWERS To get the best results, you will need to press your flowers and dry them out so that you can use them as a stencil in your work. Traditional flower presses work great for this purpose if you have the time. You can also use a new type of press that works in a microwave oven and is made specifically for drying and pressing flowers in a very short time. This press is ideal for working quickly. The plastic press is simply placed in a microwave with a cup (235 ml) of water and takes around 20 seconds to produce a pressed flower. PLANNING YOUR COMPOSITION For this project, you will use layers of flowers and leaves to create the illusion of depth. To do this, you will layer the pieces over each other before beginning. A good way to do this is to press several flowers and then arrange them in a small group on the press, returning them to the microwave for a short, 5-second pressing. This helps hold your composition together and makes moving the flowers to the watercolor paper a little easier. ARRANGING BACK TO FRONT

ARRANGING BACK TO FRONT You want the flowers with the finest detail to be in the background of the image and the bolder, more robust and defined shapes to be in the foreground. To do this, lay down the flowers in reverse order. Therefore, if you press your flowers in groups, place the foreground flower first and overlap with the mid-ground and then the background flowers to create a scene.

TRANSFERRING THE PRESSED FLOWERS The dried flowers in the press will be very delicate, so it is best to wait a little while for them to dry out further before transferring them to your watercolor paper. Lift the flowers carefully from the press and lay them onto a sheet of slightly dampened watercolor paper. This will keep the flowers in place while you apply color to your image. It also means that the background layers of your painting will have a slight wet effect, making them blur. As you work, the paper will dry and the final foreground silhouette will be much sharper, creating the illusion of depth.

APPLYING COLOR TO YOUR IMAGE You can use various methods to add color to your image, but all of these methods involve flicking or blowing paint onto your paper. It is difficult to apply washes over the flowers without disturbing them too much. Try using the following methods to add color over the flower stencils. Diffuser. A diffuser will enable you to get a fine spray of color over your image and slowly build up the layers. You can use a blow diffuser, which consists of an L-shaped tube: one end goes in the liquid and you blow through the other end, allowing you to control the pressure and amount of ink onto the page. Varying

your distance from the drawing will also help you control the area that is covered. Diffuser spray. Much like a diffuser, a diffuser spray uses a pump action to spray color onto your image. This method has slightly less control than the diffuser method above. Toothbrush. Dip your toothbrush in paint or ink, and then pull back the bristles and release your finger to create a coarser effect. This method produces nice, intense dots of color. Flicking. Flicking paint from a brush can give your marks direction and movement. USING YOUR LAYERS Once you have applied your color to the first layer, gently peel off the top layer of flowers. This layer will become the background part of the painting. Then begin building up another color over parts of the image. Using the same color throughout will give a nice tonal effect, while using a combination of two colors will create more depth. Repeat this process until you come to the final layer. When the paint is dry, carefully peel away the last of the floral stencils to reveal the image. This final layer will have left a white silhouette, and you can now add more flicks of paint to the image or use inks or watercolor paints to suggest details of your flora in the foreground. Use this technique with other painting projects in this book to add floral detail to your work, and then add fountain pen detail to the shapes. Try increasing the number of layers to create complex patterns and textures.

THE BIG SPIN: USING GRAVITY AND CENTRIFUGAL FORCE Sometimes the position you work in can affect how you paint and draw, and have a large impact on the overall image. I have always found it difficult to paint in one place. The natural arcs I make when drawing means that if I do not rotate the page when painting or move around, each piece will have a similar flow and movement to it. For this project, experiment with your natural drawing position. If you normally sit at an easel with vertical work, try standing at a bench and working flat to allow you to move around the drawing. If you are used to working flat, try tilting your work to 45 degrees or more throughout the process. Even changing your position in the room can make a difference to how you create work. It may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but hopefully the resulting work will show the benefits of being more dynamic in the drawing process.

MATERIALS: • Square piece of watercolor paper (unstretched is fine) • Pencil • Marble, small screw, or ball bearing • Watercolor paints • Fountain pen inks • Teas • Alcohol • Paintbrushes • Paper towels

For this example, I used a piece of unstretched watercolor paper, specifically a heavyweight Bockingford 535 g/m2 (250 lb) cold pressed paper. Because you are not doing a lot of staining or using large amounts of liquid, it should be fine to work with unstretched paper. Consider stretching a piece of work halfway through or even remove it from a board and re-stretch it onto an open frame if you are adding some stitched elements to the work. DRAW! Before you begin, draw an X on the back of the paper from diagonal corner to diagonal corner to find the center of the paper. You will use this point later to affix a ball bearing or similar object to the paper to allow the page to spin easily. If you have a turntable of some sort, that’s an ideal way to get your page to spin, but manually can work well too and you can control the speed by hand. You are going to create a portrait piece for this example. The nice thing about this is that all the lines will radiate to a point central to the face when you have finished and will draw your eye to the center. Start by finding or creating a reference image for your painting. Choose something with high contrast, strong shadows and interesting shapes that you can follow with abstract marks later.

BLOWN AWAY Once you have the outline of the face, you are ready to add some color to your work. To start the process off, paint some plain water in the center of the paper and blow sharply in the middle to create radiating lines from the center. Then, with the paper on a flat surface, spin your watercolor paper and begin to drop colored paint into the wet surface, starting at the center. Try and keep your drawing very simple and use lines to trace the contours of the face and lay down the basic shadows so they will show through the first layer and enable you to add paint later. Before the next step you will need to affix something to the paper to allow it to spin easily on a flat surface. A marble, small screw, or ball bearing will do the trick, but really anything to lift the center should work.

Use a whole variety of materials and also experiment with varying the speed at which the paper spins to create different effects. Try ink, tea, and a little alcohol. You could also experiment with lifting effects such as boiling water over dry layers of an image. Here are some techniques to try: • Drip tea moving from the center outward on a slowly spinning piece to create arcs in your painting. • Touch the brush tip and move it outward to create a spiral effect on the work. • Reverse the direction of your spin to create crossover marks. • Create a wash on your paper, add drops of ink, and then spin to create radial patterns.

patterns. ADDING A COLORED TINT Using some blue ink mixed with a little water, paint a wash over the shadow areas of the face and then stand the image upright so that the ink runs down. As it does so, you can drip some clear water to create lighter areas or add some stronger colored inks to create darker areas.

USING GRAVITY You are now going to work further into this same image to give it an ethereal feeling by using marks that drip upward on the page. Upward drips are a fun way to give a weightlessness feel to your image, and this can be further enhanced by adding detail with vertical lines that fade out as they reach up toward the top of the page. This is another part of the process that embraces chance, and some of the marks may not go quite where you want them, but the addition of chance can often give unexpected and pleasant results. To begin, use some brown ink to add wisps of hair to your painting using a fountain pen nib or dip pen. As you do this, create movement in the lines so that

fountain pen nib or dip pen. As you do this, create movement in the lines so that the ends of the strands of hair reach toward the top of the image. This will create a guide for where the drips fall later. Now prepare two glasses of boiling water. Add a tea bag to one of the glasses and leave it to steep for a couple of minutes. You’ll use the tea in a minute.

UPWARD DRIPS Lay your paper flat and paint plain boiling water over the wisps of hair you created in ink using the fountain pen. Tracing the water over the inked lines will cause the colored ink to pool. Leave plenty of water sitting on the page and try to leave gaps between each of the pools. Now get paper towels ready to catch some of the water. The next stage is to quickly tilt the picture so that your image reads upside down and is standing vertically so that the water can run down (up) the page. It sometimes helps to tap

vertically so that the water can run down (up) the page. It sometimes helps to tap the edge of the paper on a surface to encourage some of the droplets to run down the painting. You now have your image with the wet drips running upward from the portrait. Lay the piece flat again and add some of the tea to the base of these drips. You can then tilt the work slightly to let the tea run into the channels made by the clear water. This is a lovely technique that allows you to use the channels of clear water to guide where the paint goes, just by tilting and rocking the work. If you have darker tea stains running into areas of the image that you are not happy with, simply use the paper towel to lift these stains. You can keep tweaking and adding paint or ink to these channels while tilting the board to add color fades and ink runs. When you are happy with where the paint is sitting, leave the piece to dry, but keep an eye on the way things move around as the painting dries. You may want to continually edit the work as it becomes drier and drier.

FINISHED OR NOT? I would normally consider this part of the process to be the start of a piece of work, but sometimes things fall into place so perfectly that you can consider the piece finished if you like! You can add some details to the work that focus on the interesting marks made by using the spinning and tilting effects, only adding detail if you feel that it enhances the finished painting. Try to vary your mark-making tools when adding these details. Making marks with crude objects or sometimes limiting the elements you use in a painting can challenge you to make new marks and shapes that will then become part of your visual library.

LIFT OFF: USING BOILING WATER TO “LIFT” PAINT Lifting is a wonderful technique to remove areas you may not want in your painting—think of it like a soft eraser! It works by simply dabbing the paint while wet to remove it and return the paper to white. Rather than just using this method to fix things in a painting, you will explore how to use the lifting technique to create some great effects. Instead of using cold water and paper towels to remove paint, you are going to use boiling water to create shapes and patterns within the work. This lifting technique is an ideal way to experiment with floral painting. Use it to create interesting shapes and outlines, then add details to really make things stand out.

MATERIALS: • Stretched watercolor paper, about 22 × 30 inches (56 × 76 cm) or 15 × 22 inches (38 × 56 cm) size • Kettle of boiling water • Tea bags • Glasses • Paintbrushes • Fountain pen inks • Paper towels • Mug • Pipette or dropper • Watercolor paints

• Watercolor paints

PREPARING THE PAPER Begin your painting with a heavy watercolor paper. I used a sheet of Bockingford CP 535 g/m2 (250 lb) paper, which has a rough-textured surface. This paper works well when using the lifting technique, but you should get great results with any good-quality watercolor paper. The stretching is essential for this one, as you will be using lots of liquids in the creation of the piece and also because hot or boiling water makes the paper pucker much more than cold water. Although you can use an image reference in this piece, you can also create the composition quite randomly and use the chaotic forms and marks to shape the work as it develops. This helps give your work an organic, free-flowing feel and captures an energy in the work. MAKING THE BACKGROUND To start, make some really strong tea to help create some tones that suggest undergrowth and foliage. Boil a kettle and put two or three tea bags in a glass ready for when you get to that stage in the painting. Don’t add the hot water just yet, as the tea will need to be fresh for use in the painting. Begin with a wide brush loaded with water. The idea is to create an interesting outline to your piece that has a darker center ready to work the lifting technique. By painting this layer quickly and quite forcefully, you create directional splashes that break up the outline and form interesting shapes to turn into foliage later.

ADDING INK Next, add contrasting colors of ink; this will help get some really dark tones to work with. I used two different colors of Waterman ink, a bright turquoise and a sepia brown. The turquoise is a really vibrant color and will help create some strong greens, and the sepia, although a very dark brown, has a lovely rich red color that, when diluted, creates strong pinks and browns. The advantage of combining contrasting colors on the page is that in combination they produce a deep, rich, almost black color with plenty of depth, ideal to illustrate the lifting process. Use a brush to apply these inks but rather than dipping your brush in the ink and then painting on the page, use the loaded brush to flick and spatter ink over your water ground. The ink will spread quickly in the water, but you can also gently blow on the surface of the painting to spread the colors out and create overlaps between the turquoise and sepia. Try

to spread the colors out and create overlaps between the turquoise and sepia. Try to keep the darkest tones in the center of the painting, gradually getting lighter as they reach the edge. You can gently tilt the board you are working on to help soften the image and blur the boundaries between the inks.

ADDING TEA To help give the background a more natural and earthy palette, add a small amount of tea to the still-wet painting. Pour a little boiling water into the glass with the tea bags (up to halfway should be enough), and then stir and squeeze the tea bags with a spoon to quickly brew the tea and produce a strong color. Then, in a very similar manner to how you added the ink, flick small amounts of the tea from the brush into the colored inks to create some variation in color. The inks should provide most of the color but adding the tea will really give a harmonious feel to the whole piece. Again, you can gently blow on the surface of the paint to help blend the colors. GENTLY LIFTING COLOR You can begin to experiment with the lifting technique on the wet background at this stage to create a little texture and to define some lighter areas of the painting. Simply take some folded or scrunched-up paper towels—the scrunched-up towel will give a little texture while lifting—and dab gently onto the surface of the wet paint. The more pressure you apply, the more paint will be lifted from the surface, leaving a lighter area.

lifted from the surface, leaving a lighter area.

Leaving to Dry Once you are happy with the results of the background you have added, leave the piece to dry thoroughly. The lifting stage requires the paper to be fully dry so you can get some really crisp edges; if you did want to achieve a softer effect, however, you could always try the next technique just before the paper is completely dry. USING HOT WATER TO CREATE NEGATIVE SHAPES With the background dry, it’s time to create some patterns using the lifting method. The first step is to boil a kettle of water. You need to be careful while sloshing this around, so it’s a good idea to use a sturdy mug or something similar to hold the water while you paint. You will also need a medium-size paintbrush —rounded is probably best and one that will hold a fair amount of water.

—rounded is probably best and one that will hold a fair amount of water. Additionally, you can use a pipette or dropper to create some of the effects. Have some paper towels handy to lift the paint.

Dropping to Create Shapes First create some simple droplets of hot water. Do this by dipping the brush in water or use a pipette to draw up some of the hot water, and then drop it one drop at a time onto the painted background. If you do this from a height of 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm), you will create a droplet shape with a really symmetrical pattern from its impact on the paper. Once that droplet is on the paper, flood a little more of the boiling water on top of the point where it has landed; this helps disturb the paint underneath the water and remove the paint. The trick with hot water is to allow this to sit for a little while, maybe for up to a minute or so, and then you can absorb some of the liquid using a corner of paper towel. When most of the liquid is dry, press down hard with a folded paper towel, making

most of the liquid is dry, press down hard with a folded paper towel, making sure you use a nice clean area to lift the paint. When you lift, you will find that the splashed area is erased from your drawing, standing out strongly against the background. You can build up the painting for hours with a fountain pen and ink if you are just not happy with the results. Using boiling water is a great way of stripping some of the drawing back to its basics while leaving some elements there. The bottom example is a great illustration of how attacking a piece of work with lots of boiling water can add great dynamism and energy to the piece, yet still allow you to build layers afterward.

USING DRIPS AND RUNS For this effect, simply have your paper on an easel or propped up at about 45 degrees. You will need to place something underneath the work to catch the drips and volume of water that will run off the page or, alternatively, work near a

sink or bath and prop your work up there. You can decant some of the boiling water into a jug or similar vessel to make pouring easier or go straight from the kettle and work with a little at a time. When you pour the boiling water onto the paper, the runs of water down the page will naturally begin to erase lines through the work. The more you continue to run the water through, the greater the effect. You can start with the board horizontal and pour from a great height and then tilt the board vertically to allow the liquid to run down the page. Remember, you can always turn your work to the side or upside down to vary the direction that these runs take. Just have fun with it and try not to be too precious. You always have the option of building up the piece later, and I find the works that I take the greatest risks with seem to have the most impact. You can also use the lifting effect with these runs to accentuate the marks made and create a crisper edge, too. Using a variety of techniques together will give a really interesting effect.

DRAWING INTO THE LIFTED AREAS After lifting the paint from some of the areas of the work, you will be left with

After lifting the paint from some of the areas of the work, you will be left with intriguing silhouettes that are clean yet have some of the texture of the background. These make great areas to add detail to, and sometimes even suggest shadow around their outer edges. The eye is then fooled into seeing these areas as more opaque and standing out from the background. You can have a lot of fun adding details with watercolor paints or other media. Remember that it is possible to keep repeating the process to layer the effects. The more you do this, the more you give depth to the drawing and add interesting texture and pattern.

USING GOLD, SILVER, AND COPPER: SUBTLE MARK MAKING Metallic paints can give a real richness to a piece of work. The way that they play with the light and jump out from the page makes them ideal for highlighting areas of your work. Gold, silver, and copper leaf create a smooth and reflective surface. These are generally available as imitation gold—or even as real gold up to 24 karats—and give your work a real opulence! Using gold leaf in a painting usually works best right at the end of the process; you can create layers that will sit over the gold, but the full impact of using it will be lost slightly.

MATERIALS: • 22 × 30 inch (56 × 76 cm) stretched sheet of watercolor paper, such as Bockingford 535 g/m2 (250 lb) • Acrylic sizing • Paintbrushes • Ink • Palette • Old toothbrush or short-bristled brush • Masking fluid • Gold, silver, and copper leaf, both in transfer and loose-leaf forms • Burnishing tool (optional) • Metallic paint

VARIETIES OF GOLD LEAF Gold leaf is normally available in several forms, as imitation gold and real gold sheets of varying quality and thickness. The real gold sheets are normally produced with a gold content of 22 to 24 karats, and with varying color shades depending on the gold they are made with. The imitation gold is in general much brighter and shinier than the real gold, and also much less expensive to buy. You can buy gold leaf in small booklets that have a tissue sheet between each leaf. They are generally available in either loose-leaf or transfer varieties. Loose leaf is more difficult to use and is very delicate. It is best handled using a gilding knife to lift to the painting before gilding, whereas the transfer sheet has a wax paper backing that holds the leaf until it is placed onto the sizing. Experiment with both to see which you prefer. I generally use real gold leaf transfer sheets, as I find them much easier and less likely to blow away. GETTING STARTED For this example, I started with a limited-edition print of my painting called Eris, Goddess of Chaos. Quite often I use the gilding techniques shown here to hand finish limited editions and give them a unique appearance. Hand finishing prints with gilding or even embroidery is a great way to make small additional editions

to accompany your work if you make prints of your paintings. Alternatively, you can use some of the techniques in this section to add gold to one of your existing paintings or start fresh on a new piece to add gold to. Try using a combination of techniques from this book to add gold detailing.

WORKING WITH SIZING When working with any gold leaf, you first need to apply a layer of fluid called sizing. This is similar to glue or masking fluid. It comes as a white liquid and dries clear on your artwork, leaving a tacky surface that the gold leaf will stick to. I normally use acrylic sizing, which is fairly quick drying and works very well with watercolor papers. One of the lovely things about sizing is that if it is used quite fluidly, it dries with a slight three-dimensional surface, so elements such as drips and splashes can appear as liquid gold when gilded. Sizing is usually applied with a brush, and depending on the effects you want to achieve, it is pretty much as versatile as the paint itself. Using the starting image, work in some detail on the existing elements on the page using a brush. It can be difficult sometimes to keep track of where you have painted the sizing, so mixing a very small amount of ink with the sizing in a palette first allows you to see where you have painted much more clearly, and it makes the gilding process much easier later on! When applying sizing with a brush, it’s a really good idea to have some water nearby to wash your brush as soon as you finish. You will find that if the sizing

nearby to wash your brush as soon as you finish. You will find that if the sizing dries on the brush, it is very hard to remove. Another tip is to try dipping just the tip of the brush into the sizing. If you dip all of the brush in, it can be quite hard to remove from the base of the bristles. Consider also using a separate brush just for your gilding work. Below are some different ways to apply sizing to get a range of effects.

Using a Fine Brush Start by creating some detail using a fine brush. You will find that when areas are gilded they become solid gold, so try to keep your detailing as fine as possible. In this example, I wove a floral section through part of the print, making the design of the leaves appear as though they pass under and over the painting. This is a nice way of creating the illusion that the gold is interacting with the other elements in the painting and keeps it from feeling like just a surface effect. To do this, create a flowing curve that represents the stem of the plant, breaking this line at sections where it can appear to pass under various elements of the artwork. Then going back to the start of this line, begin to add leaf shapes and pattern in an organic way, some overlapping but keeping the flow of the line.

Spattering and Flicking You can use an old toothbrush or a shorter bristled brush to add some very fine spray or detail to your image; this will give a burst of life to the floral elements, and if you work with the direction of the flowing plants, it will help add movement to your painting. Start by pouring a little of the acrylic sizing onto a palette and adding a few droplets of water. Thinning the sizing just slightly will help with the spattering effect, but will not affect the ability to hold the gold leaf when dry. Dip your brush into the mixed sizing and then use your finger to pull back the bristles and flick the sizing onto your painting. Alternatively, you can hold the brush over your work and tap it gently against your finger to release small droplets onto the page. Flicking the bristles gives you a finer spray and tapping against your finger releases larger droplets. Try varying the direction you do this in to give movement to the painting.

Creating Runs and Drips Another way to integrate the gold leaf into your painting is by adding drips; these give a really fluid effect to your painting. Similarly, you can use techniques to integrate the drips within your painting so that they cross over and under your existing painted marks. To do this, first choose the areas that your drips will pass under. Then, using a little masking fluid and a separate brush, mask off the areas you want the drips to appear to pass under. When the masking fluid is completely dry, apply drops of the diluted acrylic sizing at the top area of your painting, keeping your board flat. Then simply tilt the board vertically and allow the sizing to run down the page. You can vary the drips so that some run off the bottom of the page and others come to rest partway down. When the sizing is completely dry, you can carefully remove the masking fluid to remove the crossovers ready for gilding.

Blowing to Create Bursts Using slightly diluted acrylic sizing, paint a small pool of liquid where you want the burst of gold to appear, and then simply move your mouth close to the area pointing in the direction you want the burst to go and, with a short, sharp blow, create an explosion effect. Sometimes I combine these small explosions with areas where the gold appears to have hit a leaf or other object to give movement to the work.

Creating Solid Areas of Gold to Appear as a Background Applying gold leaf to the entire background of your painting is a great way to give your work a beautiful changing light and real richness. The nature of the finished gold surface means it is quite difficult to work over with anything other than opaque layers. However, you can carefully paint the sizing over the entire background of your work, picking out areas of pure white. This will give the appearance that your work is painted over the gold when actually the gold is added at the end. This will also give your watercolor painting an opaque appearance. It’s painstaking work but well worth it in my opinion.

APPLYING GOLD LEAF TO YOUR PAINTING Working with gold leaf is a very satisfying process. The hard work is done when all the acrylic sizing you have painted is completely dry. Leave it for a good hour or so, more if you have very wet and raised areas of sizing. When dry, the sizing will still feel very tacky because it holds the gold leaf to the surface. To gild the areas of your painting, simply place a loose leaf or transfer sheet with

To gild the areas of your painting, simply place a loose leaf or transfer sheet with the gold side down over your prepared area. If you are using a transfer sheet, you will find that only the areas where the gold comes into contact with the sizing will peel away from the backing. Then, using a soft, flat, dry brush, gently rub the bristles over the area where the gold has stuck to the sizing. You can then gently begin to rub away the excess areas of gold, leaving the finished gilding. You can burnish this gold lightly with a burnishing tool, or simply by repeatedly brushing over the surface of the gold with your dry brush. You will find that doing this gives a smoother and more reflective surface. Most leaf sheets are available in a range of colors and finishes, including a patterned gilding metal called variegated. You can find copper, silver, and aluminum leaf in art and craft shops. Try experimenting and choosing the most suitable leaf for your projects, or use them in combination. Adding gold leaf is a great way to add variety to your image and capture elements that may have changing light in your paintings. The gold can appear as dark or light depending on where the painting is positioned in relation to the light, transforming elements within your painting, especially when used as a background. Opposite is the finished print of Eris, Goddess of Chaos, with added gilding using techniques from this chapter, showing how the gold leaf catches the light. It is also possible to use the gold leaf in larger editions, using a screen-printed method to apply the sizing and then hand applying the gold leaf when the sizing is dry. This type of gold leafing is perfect when you want to create a consistent look across a whole edition of paintings.

USING METALLIC PAINT Metallic paint is a simpler way to add this effect to your painting. Although metallic paint does not work as well as metallic leaf, there are many acrylic

metallic paint does not work as well as metallic leaf, there are many acrylic paints that give a good reflective effect. I use acrylics made by Golden in my work, particularly the fluid range, but a good metallic to try is the Golden fullbodied paint available in both gold and silver.

GETTING MESSY: COMBINING MEDIA TO CREATE LAYERED WORK In this project, you will combine some of the ideas and techniques that I get the most excited about when drawing. You will use layering and abstract elements to build the tones of a portrait. I am going to walk through step by step one version of how I might approach a portrait project, but remember that I always encourage you to approach each piece differently; it keeps the mystery in the work and the painting fresh and vibrant while making sure you are always discovering new things. When working on a portraiture piece, work from an image that has a good amount of contrast, and with shadows that help define additional patterns. When arranging a photo shoot, make sure that the darks and lights are extreme. Dramatic lighting translates very well into watercolor techniques, but most important, it creates a bold and recognizable silhouette to base the piece on. Why is this important? Well, when you start to break up your portrait into abstract shapes and many layers, it is much easier for your brain to pick out the figurative portrait if there is a lot of contrast. It means that you can be a lot freer in the creation of patterned layers and abstract marks while still keeping the essence of the portrait. The sepia and turquoise water-based calligraphy ink used is nonpermanent and, for this demonstration, I am using Waterman inks. The ink has a wonderful separation quality and breaks down into a very subtle rainbow effect when drying. I have two fairly heavy brushes that I use mainly at the start of the work to keep things loose, and glasses ready to fill with boiling water and to add tea to as the painting progresses.

MATERIALS: • Stretched watercolor paper • Pencil • Eraser • Fountain pen or dip pen • Sepia and turquoise water-based calligraphy ink • Paintbrushes • Glasses • Kettle of boiling water • Assortment of tea

USING REFERENCE I started this example from a photograph taken by photographer Cleveland Aaron, whom I work with to create images for the start of my paintings. The image has an ethereal feel that leans toward the escapist and wonder-type themes that run through much of my work. The first step is to make a loose sketch of the work. Drawing has a number of purposes—it helps to plan the figurative elements of the painting, but it is also integral to tonal work. In making the drawing, concentrate on creating contour lines that will overlap and form abstracted areas later in the piece. You can see from the start of the sketch how loose the drawing is—concentrate mainly on tonal values at this stage and just map out proportions to get a feel for the portrait. Make the drawing quickly, and try to impart the same amount of energy in the drawing process as you do to the following stages when you start to add liquids to the work. Work with an eraser at the same time, using it to cut through some of the lines in the work and break up flat tonal areas. This has the advantage later on of keeping the colors clean in the painting. It is also a good way to give texture to the drawing by overlapping hatched areas, erasing through parts of these, and then adding lines in a different direction over the top.

THINKING ABOUT COLOR Once the drawing has started to take shape and the tonal values in the work are coming together, start to think about the next process and how color can be added to the work. Work tonally and very freely with reference to color. I love working with black-and-white images as a reference or starting point, as they place less restriction on the notion of color. Doing this allows you to embrace the accidents and chance happenings that appear on the page and go with them, rather than trying to assign a correct color to a particular area.

USING A FOUNTAIN PEN OR DIP PEN Start to lay down some color, which ultimately will be stretched and moved around the page by adding liquid later. My preferred method for this is to use a fountain pen. I have been in love with this simple drawing instrument since I was in college: it is free flowing, holds a good amount of ink in its reservoir, and can also be used to flick ink across the page to make more expressive marks. In

can also be used to flick ink across the page to make more expressive marks. In my earlier works I used to fill various pens with different colored inks using a draw cartridge, but nowadays I tend to use the fountain pen like a dip pen. I usually keep one for blue ink and one for brown ink, especially at this stage, as it keeps the colors fresh and clean.

LAYING DOWN COLOR When laying down the color at this point in the painting, you need to be thinking a little bit ahead, and there is a certain amount of guesswork involved in planning where the ink may run! This means that you can be very free with your drawing, as the lines you make at this point will be mostly erased or, at the least, distorted by adding liquid at a later stage. Begin with the turquoise ink and, again, moving quickly, trace your pen over the contours of the face, looking for the areas of shadow. Try drawing enclosed shapes, imagining flat pools of color within and how these might overlap when you add water to the ink. As you do this, try to vary the pressure of the pen and the speed with which you draw. A slower, heavier line will lay down more ink and create a darker tone, whereas a rapid, light one will give a subtle effect when water is added.

Lose Yourself! The marks will sometimes follow the pencil drawing underneath and, at other times, they will form a contrast to these marks. It’s great to really lose yourself while mark making and allow yourself to create little accidental shapes as you draw over the graphite; none of these marks is permanent, and one of the advantages of painting in this way is that you can come back and layer over and over again until you have created the desired effect.

FLICKING INK You can see at the lower part of the sketch at left the flicked ink in the shadow areas of the drawing which is a quick way to lay down a darker tone. Use similar

areas of the drawing which is a quick way to lay down a darker tone. Use similar marks in sepia to give even more depth to this area later. Remember that the calligraphy ink will go a long way and that you want to build this image slowly by adding repeating layers. The wonderful thing about painting in this way is preserving the surprises that occur when you start adding liquid to the piece, and being sparing with the ink and then liquid is a great way to ensure that this layering is successful.

WORKING WITH A LIMITED PALETTE Changing pens to start drawing with the sepia, it is worth noting again that this color has a really strong pinkish red base that is most evident when you add a wash of clear water. It also gives a lovely deep, reddish brown when working with tea. Before painting with liquid such as tea and alcohol, I used to create sketches just in brown and blue ink with subtle washes of water. I didn’t really have the

confidence to use color. I used to work tonally, but quickly lost control of a painting, and I think it was because I gave myself too much choice. Limiting the materials I used really forced me to start thinking about how I could achieve a certain color with what I had on hand. After painting with tea for a while, I realized that the three main colors—sepia, turquoise, and the warm yellow brown of the tea—were not too dissimilar to the three primary colors. To achieve a green, I would lay down turquoise and, later in the painting, ensure that this color would come into contact with the tea, giving a subtle green color. The wonderful thing about restricting the palette in this way is that it creates a harmony in the painting and a real feeling of nature. When creating portraiture, freely introduce the color in different layers, so that you can see the earlier, brighter clean washes showing through even at the later stages when you add darker layers. Draw attention to the shapes of these layers by outlining the areas using a fountain pen.

ADDING LIQUIDS After laying down the small amounts of ink, it is time to add water. Now, because you are going to introduce the tea slowly to this painting, start with a fresh glass of boiling water—another reason to stretch even the heaviest of watercolor papers. It is probably debatable that the temperature of the water creates a different effect at this stage of the work, but I think the fact that it dries

creates a different effect at this stage of the work, but I think the fact that it dries much quicker helps preserve the patterns in the inks.

GETTING MESSY Here’s where the fun begins! You can afford to be fairly free at this stage, but the application of water onto the paper is done in a slightly different way than when painting with watercolor. Because of the amount of liquids used and the staining qualities of some of them, use a lot of water to drip or throw from the brush and then steer it gently on the page, which helps preserve the shapes of the splashes and marks. Using a soft, thick brush, add some brushstrokes in clear water through the fountain pen lines at the top of the drawing where the hair is. Follow the direction of the hair and just allow the patterns and pulls in the ink to fall where they want to! FOCUSING ON THE EYES Doing the same with clear water over the eyes, begin to get a feel for just how

Doing the same with clear water over the eyes, begin to get a feel for just how the ink reacts to the water being added over the top. The eyes are always a tricky area because you want the painting to have the same feeling of energy in these areas but the painting of them demands a little more control as you try to preserve the detail. Using a large brush helps you not get too concerned with the minutiae at this point. Careful brushstrokes connecting the areas of shadow can be built upon later when this layer dries, so one of the main concerns is preserving the white areas of the page so that these show through at the end. You can use masking fluid for these types of effects, but I always think that the naturally preserved white space and the brush and pen marks around them flow much more nicely when they are just painted around rather than masked out. Still keeping to plain water, begin to define the eye a little more, just adding a light dab of water to catch the lighter shadow under the lid. Getting the eye shape is really important and looking very carefully at how much of the iris is showing really helps give mood to the stare, but too much and the subject looks surprised or intense; too little and the stare is cold and piercing. At this stage, the eye looks well formed but maybe a little dark for how I want it to dry, so carefully positioning myself over the center of the eye, I blow sharply just over the iris area, causing the paint to radiate out from this point, lightening that whole area and causing some unexpected effects around it.

This image shows the real beauty of those chaotic marks in action, creating wonderful negative space and an energy that is difficult to achieve with the brush. While these areas are still wet, it is also easy to introduce stronger color by dripping ink into the wet areas. The liquid will flow only into the wet areas, so you can use this plain water technique almost as a stencil. You can clearly see the pencil marks showing under the ink as well. It is possible to remove these marks after the water has dried, but I like to see each layer peeping through in the finished work—it tells the viewer about the journey of the painting and helps give a freshness and energy to the work.

ADDING TEA TO THE IMAGE

ADDING TEA TO THE IMAGE With the painting beginning to take shape tonally, it is time to introduce some more color by adding tea! Simply drop a tea bag into a glass of hot water. Without stirring or agitating the water, you will quickly get a pale yellow color —and a nice aroma! This demonstration uses an English breakfast–type tea with a nice yellow-orange color that, when brewed for a long time, becomes an intense and deep color. Adding tea to the plain water areas creates subtle color blends within the piece. As you work, the brewing tea gets stronger, so it is a great way to work organically from light to dark. For this reason, start working in the lighter areas of subtle color in the face and outward to later work on the hair, which you can create by throwing liquid from the brush. If you can move the liquid around a lot at this stage and allow chance shapes, drips, and marks to occur, they will create much more interesting silhouettes to work with throughout the process. Some of these will work to your advantage when creating the final image; others you will have to balance out and alter—but that is part of the fun of the process.

THE DRYING PROCESS You can see from the image at the far right the subtle gradations of color that appear as the inks slowly bleed into each other. Be very careful to keep the work still to avoid losing these elements. It is important to be patient during the drying phase. You can work on several different pieces at the same time so that you can keep alternating between the wet and dry work. It is important to understand that the process of creating each painting can differ hugely from piece to piece. For example, after a layer has dried, take a kettle of water and pour from a height onto the piece, and then tip the work vertically, creating runs that erase channels through the work. Or leave the work to dry at an angle so that all the color staining dries to that side. The process very much depends upon the results you want to achieve.

want to achieve.

PATTERNS IN THE INK You can see the swirls of ink on the right-hand side of the portrait opposite. As the liquids slowly dry, the definition in these swirls will soften greatly and you will learn when it is possible to add small splashes of ink to create similar effects. By using a fountain pen loaded with ink you can experiment with drawing into the wet ink layers. The wetter the paper is, the more these marks and lines will soften as they dry. You can use this process to create depth, as the

and lines will soften as they dry. You can use this process to create depth, as the soft lines have an almost out-of-focus feel to them.

DRAWING WITH WET INK INTO WET TEA Using a turquoise ink and fountain pen, created additional contour lines over the portrait around the left side of the mouth and in the shadow areas to the left of the mouth between the hair and face. You will see when the piece dries just how these marks settle, and this will help you learn the effects of working as the paper dries. The contrast between the harsh outlines and these soft marks will really help give the piece depth and provide an interesting surface to add texture to your portrait later.

DRIPPING CONTRASTING COLORS As the painting dries, you will find you can drip contrasting colors to create very subtle color blends in the painting. This is best done by tapping the side of the brush and flicking small amounts of paint onto a contrasting color. The reason it is better to drop the paint rather than using the brush to paint in detail is that it won’t disturb the patterns within the ink or paint. There is also the chance element of allowing the paint to fall and create surprising results.

ADDING ABSTRACT ELEMENTS Using a fountain pen to add detail to your image is a great way to accentuate the accidental marks and patterns that have happened as you built up layers within the painting. The marks you make can either be figurative and representational, helping to build the image of the portrait you have started in paint, or abstract so that you are adding elements to the portrait that break up the space that the portrait sits in. Much of my work playfully moves between the figurative and the abstract representations of the portrait. Once you start exploring these abstract elements, it is surprising how far you can move toward abstraction while still keeping the image readable as a portrait. My aim is to view a portrait from a distance but then explore its layers by examining it more closely.

OUTLINING THE CHAOS

When working with the fountain pen, draw attention to some of the chaotic marks, such as splashes and drips, that occur by accident. By simply outlining these shapes you can create really interesting surface patterns to work with in your portrait. There is also something very satisfying in the tracing and understanding of something chaotic. The marks you are outlining have been made by pure accident and, by tracing them with the pen, you begin to add this type of line to your drawing style. This really helps blend all the elements of your painting together.

ADDING DETAILS Using the random marks made by the tea and ink can be a great starting point for creating floral patterns. Follow the flow of the marks and paint to create organicfeeling blooms and combine these with abstract elements. Overdrawing these elements helps give them more impact and depth. As you increase the amount of drawing, keep viewing your portrait from a distance, making sure that the elements you add are also working tonally with your portrait.

elements you add are also working tonally with your portrait. This mixture of being able to read the image differently from close up and from far away helps create a layered effect that has both impact and intrigue. You have unlimited possibilities with the elements you include in the details, so make these personal and related to what you love to draw. Perhaps even include elements that relate to the theme of your painting or that suggest a mood or feeling. Most of all, have fun exploring the chaos and the control!

SAMPLES OF WORK The Mystery Painted in ink and tea, using a large amount of turquoise ink for the delicate floral work within the portrait and over-painted with strong tea to achieve movement with the hair. This piece was shown at Moniker Art Fair in London.

Refraction This piece displays a delicate use of inks with clear alcohol to achieve the glass-like elements, as well as a buildup of teas in the portrait to create texture. The piece was shown at Invisible Lines, a solo exhibition in Hong Kong.

Strength This is one of my early paintings. It explored the separation in inks by using liberal amounts of boiling water. The pink colors in the portrait were achieved by throwing boiling water over an underdrawing in sepia pen.

Beautiful Decay This piece probably used the largest amount of liquids out of all my work; it took nearly two days to dry before I could add detail into the shadow areas. You can see the richness of color that can be achieved by staining with teas and alcohol. This process provided a perfect ground for adding intricate floral details.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carne Griffiths works primarily with calligraphy inks, graphite, and liquids such as tea. His fascination with drawing focuses on the creation and manipulation of the drawn line. His images explore human, geometric, and floral forms, in a combination of both literal and abstract translation and in response to images and situations encountered in daily life. Images are recorded in a dreamlike manner onto the page, where physical boundaries are unimportant. His work creates a journey of escapism that focuses on scenes of awe and wonder, projecting a sense of abandonment and inviting the viewer to share and explore this inner realm. Originally from Liverpool, Carne graduated from the Kent Institute of Art and Design in England in 1995. After completing a one-year KIAD fellowship and moving to London, he served an apprenticeship at the longest established gold wire embroidery firm in the world. Here he worked as a gold wire embroidery designer for twelve years, eventually becoming the creative director. Carne produced intricate designs for the military, film and theater, fashion, and advertising industries. His designs were used for the uniforms in the films Valkyrie and The Last King of Scotland. His “Red Death Coat” embroidery design was used in the film version of The Phantom of the Opera. Carne’s elaborate floral designs for British luxury brand Asprey were included in its first-ever catwalk collection, and his work was featured on the embroidered cover of the eightieth annual Royal Variety Performance program in 2008. Since establishing his own studio in 2010, Carne has exhibited in the United Kingdom and overseas, with work shown at the London Original Print Fair, the Royal Academy, Stroke Art Fair, Affordable Art Fair, the London Art Fair, and in solo exhibitions in Dubai, Hong Kong, Milan, and Hamburg. Carne’s illustration work has seen him collaborate with the British photographer Rankin for an article in the second edition of Hunger magazine, and his work has been featured in publications worldwide, notably on covers of the New York Observer and English Heritage magazine, as well as brand projects for Microsoft, Derwent, Peroni, Lakes Distillery, and Ibis Hotels. Carne is a supporter of a number of charitable organizations and has both organized exhibitions and auctioned his artwork, raising more than $105,000 (£80,000) for charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Macmillan,

(£80,000) for charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Macmillan, Shelter, the Anderson Foundation, and Cardboard Citizens. In 2017, Carne’s portrait of H.R.H The Duchess of Cambridge raised almost $40,000 (£30,000) in aid of the Anderson Foundation.

INDEX abstract with figurative elements adding inks, 31 adding marks, 33 adding tea, 31, 32 figurative elements, 33 materials, 30, 31 alcohol portraits adding alcohol, 56 adding color, 55 adding tea, 57 color separation, 54 fountain pen, 56 layering, 57 materials, 54 types of alcohol, 54 Beautiful Decay (Carne Griffiths), 123 calligraphy inks, 18 centrifugal force. See gravity and centrifugal force. coffee portraits adding coffee, 51, 53 adding details, 53 adding movement, 52 image sketch, 50 image selection, 50 layering, 53 lifting technique, 52 materials, 50 pooling coffee, 53 wet-on-dry technique, 53 wet-on-wet technique, 53 color palettes, 26 combined materials, 27 combined media adding abstract elements, 116 adding color, 108, 109, 116 adding details, 118 adding ink, 109, 115 adding marks, 109

adding outlines, 117 adding tea, 112 adding water, 110 color planning, 107 contrasting colors, 116 dip pen, 108 dripping color, 116 drying, 114 eye details, 111 flicking ink, 109 fountain pen, 108 image sketch, 107 ink patterns, 115 layering colors, 110 limited color palette, 109 materials, 106 wet ink into wet tea, 115 Eris, Goddess of Chaos (Carne Griffiths), 99, 104 feathers, 23 flame and smoke adding marks, 77 glass surfaces, 77 image preparation, 75 layering, 75 materials, 74 paper preparation, 75 work area preparation, 74 floral patterns adding details, 48 adding imaginary forms, 49 adding ink before tea, 45 adding ink patterns, 47 adding tea, 46, 47 color planning, 45 crosshatching, 48 details, 48 drying, 48 free-flowing forms, 44 imaginary forms, 49 materials, 44 preparatory drawings, 45 spattering, 48 staining, 46 tea intensity, 47

tea preparation, 46 tea variations, 46 fountain pens advantages of, 26 inks, 18 gold leaf adding bursts, 102 adding to painting, 103 backgrounds, 102 fine brush details, 100 image selection, 99 materials, 98 metallic paint, 104 runs and drips, 101 sizing fluid, 99 solid areas, 102 spattering and flicking, 100 varieties, 98 gravity and centrifugal force adding color, 87 adding colored tint, 88 adding tea, 90 image selection, 87 marking variations, 90 materials, 86 spinning, 87 spin point, 86 upward drips, 89 ink calligraphy inks, 18 fountain pen inks, 18 iron gall ink, 19 ink spills adding colors, 36 adding details, 42 adding tea, 36 adding variety, 40 bleeding colors, 39 details, 42 fountain pen, 39 gestural marks, 39 ink and tea patterns, 36 materials, 34 paper division, 36 paper preparation, 34

pattern variety, 40 tea preparation, 35 iron gall ink, 19 leaf textures adding color, 84 adding layers, 84 back-to-front arrangement, 83 collecting foliage, 82 flower pressing, 83 flower transfer, 84 materials, 82 planning, 83 lifting paint adding details, 96 adding ink, 93 adding tea, 94 background, 93 drips and runs, 95 dropped shapes, 95 drying, 94 lifting technique, 94 materials, 92 negative shapes, 94 paper preparation, 92 liquor. See alcohol portraits. materials abstract with figurative elements, 30 alcohol portraits, 54 coffee portraits, 50 combined media, 106 flame and smoke, 74 floral patterns, 44 gold leaf, 98 gravity and centrifugal force, 86 ink spills, 34 leaf textures, 82 lifting paint, 92 rubber stamp, 78 salt textures, 64 thread and stitching, 68 throwing paint, 58 The Mystery (Carne Griffiths), 120 oak gall ink. See iron gall ink. paper

paper stretching, 12 weight, 12 pens fountain pens, 18, 26 quill pens, 23 pigments, 21 pricker tool, 69 primers, 15 projects abstract with figurative elements, 30 alcohol portraits, 55 coffee portraits, 50 combined media, 106 feather tempering, 23 flame and smoke, 74 floral patterns, 44 gold leaf, 98 gravity and centrifugal force, 86 ink spills, 34 iron gall ink, 19 leaf textures, 82 lifting paint, 92 paper stretching, 12 quill pens, 23 rubber stamp, 78 salt textures, 64 thread and stitching, 68 throwing paint, 58 quill pens, 23 Refraction (Carne Griffiths), 121 rubber stamps advantages of, 25 design cutting, 79 design preparation, 78 design transfer, 79 materials, 78 testing, 80 usage techniques, 80 salt textures adding salt, 65 drying, 66 ink wash, 65 materials, 64

saltwater wash, 67 tea wash, 64 sourcing alcohol, 17 inks, 18 pigments, 21 tea, 16 Strength (Carne Griffiths), 122 stretching, 12 tea color selection, 17 sourcing, 16 thread and stitching adding color with thread, 71 color wash, 70 combined media, 73 embroidery, 70 materials, 68 pricking the paper, 69 thread preparation, 69 thread removal, 71 throwing paint abstract elements, 62 adding color, 60, 61 adding detail, 61 adding dynamism, 59 adding tea, 59 balance, 62 blooms of color, 61 blooms of light, 60 details, 61 flow, 62 lighting and composition, 58 masking fluid, 59 materials, 58 steering paint, 60 watercolor primers, 15 works Beautiful Decay (Carne Griffiths), 123 Eris, Goddess of Chaos (Carne Griffiths), 99, 104 The Mystery (Carne Griffiths), 120 Refraction (Carne Griffiths), 121 Strength (Carne Griffiths), 122

For Elliott … Miss you every day, mate. MTFBWY

© 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Photography © 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Text © 2019 Carne Griffiths Art © 2019 Carne Griffiths First Published in 2019 by Quarry Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 265-D, Beverly, MA 01915, USA. T (978) 282-9590 F (978) 283-2742 QuartoKnows.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book. Quarry Books titles are also available at discount for retail, wholesale, promotional, and bulk purchase. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager by email at [email protected] or by mail at The Quarto Group, Attn: Special Sales Manager, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 265-D, Beverly, MA 01915, USA. Digital edition: 978-1-63159609-4 Softcover edition: 978-1-63159608-7 Digital edition published in 2019 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Griffiths, Carne, 1973-author. Title: The organic artist : explore unusual materials and playful techniques to expand your creative practice : learn to paint with tea, coffee, embroidery, flame, and more / Carne Griffiths. Description: Beverly, MA : Quarry Books, 2019. Identifiers: LCCN 2018032889 | ISBN 9781631596087 (trade pbk.) Subjects: LCSH: Painting--Technique. | Artists’ materials. Classification: LCC ND1505 .G76 2019 | DDC 751.4--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018032889 Design and page layout: Anna Green at siulendesign.com Photography: Carne Griffiths