Friday, March 26, 2010

THE MISKIT MAY HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE?

Darkening the moss hanging down. I put miskit (Pebeo Drawing Gum) on in drizzles and drips before I began and when I removed it, well, it's very white under there...and I'm wondering how I'll get this to look like Spanish moss. Luckily I have some photos from vacations past and I even have some Spanish moss around (I tend to stuff my pockets with it and bring it back home when I vacation in the south).



I may not have thought this one through very well - I had an idea and went with it. And maybe that's okay. I'll give myself room to breathe on this one and figuring out how to make it work, welcoming the challenge as long as I can work with it :)

Whether it works or not in the end, it doesn't matter because the main thing is more painting time (as long as my back will let me stand and paint, that is). I'll let this one sit a while and see what I come up with to rescue it...

14 comments:

debwardart said...

Possible solution - drizzle some more color over it and hit it with a light spray and let the color run down to go over some of the white????
Glad your back is feeling better.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Deb. I think I can work with it - doesn't look as bad here as when I removed all that miskit, took a step back and said, "What was I thinking?!?" I have been getting a very juicy hake brush full of water and pigment and just squishing it at the top of the page and getting the drizzles - anything that doesn't come down far enough, I hit with a spritz so I know what you mean. Back is okay - still a bit of pain but I'm running out of pills so it had better straighten up soon.

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

You be careful doing all that standing. Admire the way you tackle of piece of work, just going for it to see what happens ... and you get some wonderful surprises. I know you will turn this round to your satisfaction - though lots of us would love that background just as it is.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Joan. I'm going slowly and resting a lot so it's taking twice as long - but this one does need to percolate right now, anyway.

Teresa Palomar Lois said...

Love your experiment! I think you're gonna be good, as soon as you knock the white down a bit it's going to work perfectly

Carol King said...

I agree, it doesn't matter as long as you are painting. I have to say though, that so far it's looking good.

Chris Beck said...

It's always a big shock to me when I pull masking fluid off -- it's usually been stained by the paint and, when I used Pebeo, the gray color of the masking added to the impression that it was going to be subtle. Not exactly!! Sounds like you're doing the right thing -- washing over it to tone it down. I have also used a smallish brush to paint the tracks left by the mask with something compatible with the background.

http://www.onpainting.wordpress.com said...

A beautiful design however you do it.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Teresa, Chris, Carol and Bill! I'm going to let this one percolate a few days - will get back to it later.

Christiane Kingsley said...

Hi Rhonda. My vacation is over, but one of the nice things about coming back home is that I can read and enjoy your posts and your latest artistic experiments.
I love drizzles and this already looks beautiful.

Melanie Statnick said...

just love this, i have wanted to draw my birds the way you do

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Christiane and Melanie. Hope your vacation was great, Christiane! Thanks, Melanie - if I can do it, you can do it!

Artoholic said...

Such luscious greens you've got going on - very tranquil.

The last time I painted that sort of moss on branches I ended up using a very dry brush and gouache mixed with watercolour. Darks down first and more opaque on top, with a "dab dab dab" type of motion.

Looking forward to seeing the finished piece.

Sending healing thoughts your way for your suffering back!

RH Carpenter said...

Cindy, excellent idea for painting moss - I'll try to remember that next time I try something with a mossy look.