"Ninguna Condenacion" (Draft)

(draft only)

"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) This is a draft of Part I of "Ninguna Condenacion" (means "no condemnation" in Spanish). I am giving you a sneak preview of the first of two companion pieces for an upcoming Easter Exhibit at Hill Country Bible Church NW.

Process is so important and most people enjoy "peeking" into someone's else's process and thought patterns. So you can see (if you look closely) that I have not completed the second word of Roman Versals...condenacion. The process here involved writing the same phrase in Spanish and English in the background with a Speedball C-5 nib and White Bleedproof Gouache (Winsor Newton). As I have said before, this brand does not crystallize like Dr. Martin's brand so it has become my favorite and is available at Jerry's or Asel's Art Supply here in Austin.

You might remember that I did this same combination of lettering styles in a smaller posting earlier last week in preparation for this larger piece. So after the background expressive lettering was completed, I sprayed the surface with Spray Acrylic Coating (3x)....drying in between. I then left it overnight to dry. (This same process could have been done with line work, gestural marks, or drawings rather than lettering.) 

This morning I prepared the surface for lettering again with (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium and then practiced versals. I wrote the final letters on tracing paper with a black pen and laid it over the background lettering to make sure I was getting the optimal overlay. I then placed another sheet of tracing paper with a scribbled area of a 3B graphite pencil underneath the tracing paper with the letters and rewrote the monoline romans to transfer it to the surface. You could also use Saral Transfer Paper or Graphite Paper, but it leaves a heavy line and smudges that then have to be removed. My experience has been that it is far better to make your own transfer paper than use the commercial kind. You can also use white or any color of watercolor pencil to create a different color transfer. Using a very sharp pencil will also ensure a thinner line and less chance of smudges. 

The techniques I have just explained can help you create several layers of lettering or other types of imagery simply by spraying the surface (3x) and then preparing the surface to receive more line work. You are essentially creating a new surface with the previous layer completely protected. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.