My Favourite Bear...

I completed this yesterday - a painting of Grazer and her cubs, also known as bear 128 at Katmai National Park in Alaska.  Painted with Derwent Inktense pencils on watercolour paper.  This was a short interlude between commissions, much needed as I find working on other people's choices quite stifling creatively if done for too long.  I'm now refreshed and ready to tackle the next pet portrait!

Parrots, Pencils & Placemats...

 I completed this yesterday after a determined effort.  It has been painted using Derwent Inktense pencils and colour blocks.  Considering it was a spur of the moment choice of subject, not really thought out in any great detail, it has turned out well.  There are things I would have done differently if starting again, but I'm happy enough.

 I took part in the WHSmith Sketchoff last night - they give you a photo online and an hour in which to sketch it.  I thought it would be a doddle, seeing as I have drawn and painted tigers so often, but in actual fact it was very hard work.  Not because I couldn't draw it but because there just wasn't enough time!  I chose to use Derwent Coloursoft pencils, mainly because I was curled up on the sofa and too lazy to get paints out - it was a very satisfying exercise though.

I've knitted more fish.  I don't know what to do with them.  I had an idea that they could be used as placemats, but as I have used scraps of different coloured yarn, they don't really go together as a set.  Needs a bit more thought.  Anyone fancy the pattern for free?

Tutorial - Painting On Fabric With Inktense Colours

Today I am going to show you how I painted this cushion cover using Derwent Inktense colour blocks and pencils.
First, I made the cushion cover from unbleached calico - how I did that is another subject!  Before painting on any fabric, first wash it to remove any coating that may have been put on it during production.  This will help with the surface you are painting on, it removes any 'waxiness' that might prevent the paint sinking in to the fabric.

Here I have painted on calico, but I have previously painted on cotton, t-shirts and silk - each fabric is different in absorbency and it is wise to have a trial piece before you go in for your main project.  Calico is robust and like painting on canvas; t-shirts are slightly more absorbant and need drier paint mixes and silk is extremely absorbant and needs patience and caution!

Before you start, put a piece of card or paper underneath your surface to prevent any paint seeping through to the back of your item. If you are painting on something like a scarf which has only one layer, this is still a good idea to protect your drawing board.  If necessary, attach the fabric to your drawing board with bulldog clips or masking tape.  The last thing you need is your painting falling to the floor mid brushstroke!

Sketch out your design lightly using pencil - pencil washes out easily if necessary.  I believe there are pencils out there specifically designed for use on fabric but I have never had cause to use one.

Start by mixing up light washes of pigment and painting carefully within your lines.  Try not to overload your brush until you get the measure of the fabric's absorbancy. Make your first brushstroke well within the lines to make sure the paint does not bleed outwards, spoiling your design.

I have left the sparrow until later - it is a far more intricate piece, so needs different strategies.

While the fabric is still very slightly damp, add shading in a darker wash as you would with a watercolour painting.  The pigment should spread within the already painted area and hopefully not bleed over the edges - be careful with those edges!

Continue in this manner until you have the effect you want, making sure not to over-saturate the fabric - you may have to wait to allow it to dry occasionally.

Here I have added a darker green to the leaves as well, using the same technique.

Add detail using an Inktense pencil. As the fabric will still be holding a little moisture, this should help the colour flow easily on the fabric.  If you want extreme depth of colour, it is acceptable to dip the end of the pencil into your paint water carefully before drawing - be careful not to get the water on to wood of the pencil as this will soak in and affect your use of it.

For the bird I am using light washes to begin with, testing them on a spare piece of paper first to make sure I get the right colour and to make sure the brush is not dripping wet.  This requires a delicate touch!

To add the black feathers, I am using a small wet brush and getting the pigment directly off the end of the pencil.  Do not use too much water for this, just enough to get the colour you want.

You can also draw directly onto the fabric with a sharp pencil and get very good detail.

Carefully go over the drawn lines with a damp brush to 'set' the colour and make sure it does not run when you paint over it.  This also helps work the pigment into the fabric a bit better if necessary.

Here are my main black lines.

Time to fill in the browns of the plumage using light washes - keep your brush fairly dry to make sure the colour does not run too much. Continue to paint in this manner until you are happy with the result.

It's time now to put in the white highlights.

In order for the white to show up on the fabric, mix the paint as thickly as you can while still being able to paint with it. A thin wash will not show up.

You may have to put on several layers if you want the white to be very bright.

Here is the finished painting,  ready for the next stage.  We are going to iron the fabric with a steam iron on the correct setting for your fabric.

Before ironing, remove the card and insert a teatowel between the layers of your item - if it is a scarf, put a teatowel under it on top of the ironing board.  This prevents any bleed-through of the pigment - it's never happened to me but you can't be too careful!

Cover the top of your painting with muslin or another teatowel, just to prevent any mishaps. Occasionally my iron decides to spew out some brown water due to limescale - you do not want this spoiling all your hard work!

Iron thoroughly with the steam on full throughout.  The idea of this is to get moisture into every particle of pigment and set it into the fabric.  Take a few minutes to ensure that each part of your picture has been gone over several times.

Ta-Dah!!  Here is your finished cushion cover, which should be safe to wash as many times as you like with no loss of colour.  I would recommend the first wash be by hand to make sure nothing goes wrong, but I am very confident that the colours will not wash out.  For this reason, do NOT get your paints on your clothes or you will have a permanent reminder of the day you painted.  I tend to wipe my brush down the side of my trouser leg when deep in concentration - if this is you, put a towel or something over your legs to prevent ruining your best jeans!

Have fun - it's great to have your work of art on something different for a change!

Feathers & Frills

I recently had to work out a generic bird pattern for a customer, but rather than let her have all the fun, I wanted to make myself a scarf from it too.  This is the completed cockatoo scarf - it's quite short because I got bored because I thought it would be nice to have the feathers falling at the neckline a bit like a cravat.  The beak holds on to the scarf body with a nifty little aligator clip inside.

I'd like to make a green parrot in the same way, but first I really have to finish the other wips in my pile!

Like this one - a scarf knitted from novelty yarn that ruffles as you knit.  There are cute little sequins scattered about as well.  I'm tempted to keep this one when it's done - there is plenty of yarn left to make more!

And if I can get my act together, I am writing another mini tutorial on how to paint on fabric with Inktense.  It may take a couple of days as I have picked a complicated little picture because I want it as a cushion cover in my work room. 

Inktense Mini-Tutorial

So here it is, a brief guide to using Derwent Inktense pencils and blocks - hold on to your hats, here we go!

This is the set I use, combining pencils and blocks,  It doesn't matter if you have just pencils or just blocks, the principles are pretty much the same.

I use ordinary paintbrushes, usually with a good point and a springy feel to them.  It's also handy to have a brush with a water reservoir - when you are working on a large section of a painting, it saves constantly dipping your brush in the water pot and losing your flow - literally!

It is always a good idea to have a practice first and see just how each colour looks on paper and how it moves with water.  I do this for most paints/water soluble pencils as only then can you be certain of choosing the colour you need when working.

I carefully draw out a basic outline of my subject - some clematis in this case.  There is no need to go into too much detail or use alot of pencil or shading as this will show through your paints and spoil the clarity of the colours.  Make sure your drawing is precise though - it pays to spend time on this as a bad drawing can ruin a finished painting.

I have started the centre of the flowers using a sharpened pencil.

I intensify the colour by going over it with a wet paint brush, also making sure the lines are clean.  I then shade a light layer of yellow over the leaves, wet it and fill in the leaf shape.

For the petals I shade in a fuschia and yellow combination.  I know that when wetted they will make the colours I want to shine through when the flowers are finished.

I then wet them with the reservoir pen.

I continue using a combination of violet and fushia, making the pencil marks darker in shadows and folds.

When using the pen, you can move the pigment about like watercolour but also keep the depth of colour where you want it.

The blocks can be used like crayons for larger areas but my preferred method is to use them like watercolours.

It helps to have a small piece of watercolour paper to test your colours on first and also to use a bit like a palette.   

                                                                                                                                               

Here I have used the blocks as watercolours to lay down a first layer of colour for the red flowers, making the pigment darker where needed.

I'm using dark chocolate pencil to fill in the gaps between the flowers and add some depth.

I've used water to darken the brown and also added some indigo from the blocks.  Here I am building up the colours on the flower petals with a combination of yellow and red pencils.

It looks a bit scruffy until you add the water...

I'm using the reservoir brush again for continuity of colour.

Hre I have used red from a pigment block in order to deepen the hue - the previous colours and shading still show through.

And that's as far as I have got with this little painting.  The rest of it will be more of the same, building up colour with pencil and washes until I reach the depth I want.

Of course, this is just my style of painting - you could work in big bold strokes with vibrant combinations of colour, it's entirely up to preference.  The colours are worth persevering with, the results are lovely.

It is also possible to paint like this on fabric - I have done a couple of t-shirts and several silk ties.  But that's a tutorial for another day!