"Common Denominators" (final)

(unavailable.....4" x 6"......mounted on masonite)

"Common denominators create patterns." Common denominators in art are the same thing as repetitive elements. In this case, it is repetitive lines and color.

Since yesterday, I drew some erratic lines over the watercolor with pencil. I used several different values of graphite. The piece was then sprayed with water on both sides and extra water dabbed off with a sponge.   It is important not to wipe the excess water off since the watercolor has not been fixed with an acrylic spray.

A light glaze of sepia was brushed on with a flat watercolor brush and then I wrote into the wet paper with an empty pointed pen. You can clearly see that effect in the tiles.  The piece was dried with a hair dryer. Diluted white gesso was then applied with a sponge brush and pushed around with a credit card.  

The piece was then dried with a hair dryer and then bleedproof white gouache was applied with sponge brush on damp paper. The beauty of bleedproof white is the ease at which it can be blotted and removed or pushed around with a credit card. The piece was dried again and some of the white gesso removed with a stiff brush dipped into alcohol. After that was dried, I added a bit more yellow and blue watercolor.

Another technique I used througout these last layers was blotting with a kleenex lightly. All of these techniques combined create an "aged" and mysterious looking surface with a lot of depth. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"The Spin Cycle" (sold)

(sold)

There are days when I cannot seem to put three words together to make a complete sentence. My thoughts seem to be in the spin cycle. If you can identify, this quote is dedicated to you.

There are some acrylics that come in transparent colors. Transparent Burnt Sienna is one of them. (Liquitex Brand) Mix it with a lot of water and a palette knife first. Apply this glaze over the entire piece to unify the color. Alternate "dilute" layers of white gesso with more of the burnt sienna and writing with pencil. A dilute solution of cobalt blue was also used.

All in all, the cool looking textures that can be achieved are worth all of the alternating and drying of glazes. The depth you can achieve is extraordinary. If you apply your glazes with a sponge brush, you can simply press down a bit in some areas to have a more pronounced bit of color. It's worth a try!