And here is the result!
The size is roughly 4x6 inches.
Below is the rather experimental process...
Here you see my workspace, which actually happens to be my coffee table in the living room.
I ended up using both acrylic and oil paint on the bearded ladies (which are drawn in waterproof ink on thick
Strathmore paper). I understand that acrylic is incompatible with beeswax, but I used very thin washes, leaving the paper mostly exposed.
After eyeing them a while, I decided they needed a bit more depth, and so I added some oil color as well. It was painfully tedious waiting the next day or so for them to dry...
Here you see them optimistically arranged in their places.
The support was a rectangle of wood, over which I sealed aged patterned paper.
I then built up my layers of wax. The smallest figure was closest to the background, then followed the medium girl, then the largest, with flowers placed at various depths.
As you can see, I departed from the most common technique of beeswax collage - this is much thicker. I wanted a dimensional appearance, so I carved out the wax around each figure, as well as around the flowers and leaves.
This left me with a lovely blister on my drawing finger...
After a couple evenings of carving, polishing, scraping and smoothing - complete!
I welcome your comments! It's definitely a departure from my regular style, but overall, I was pleased with the final work. Rather labor-intensive, so I may attempt a flatter piece next round.
Make your way to the Lakewood Art Walk on Saturday, May 17th between 2PM and 9PM!
These are the final ink drawings commissions I finished last week for a coworker as a birthday present for his wife. Each portrait includes little things that were personally significant to him and to her - tea, owls, roses, a cat, space, robot, swirls, snail-and-crossbones buttons....
But, nevertheness, this technique is something that I'd like to try more of soon: Two-dimensional ink or graphite or painted figures holding actual tiny paper cut-outs. Happily, I have smaller, sharper right-handed scissors at home that will be much more useful.
And here is the result!
Here you see my workspace, which actually happens to be my coffee table in the living room.
After eyeing them a while, I decided they needed a bit more depth, and so I added some oil color as well. It was painfully tedious waiting the next day or so for them to dry...
Here you see them optimistically arranged in their places.
The support was a rectangle of wood, over which I sealed aged patterned paper.
I then built up my layers of wax. The smallest figure was closest to the background, then followed the medium girl, then the largest, with flowers placed at various depths.
As you can see, I departed from the most common technique of beeswax collage - this is much thicker. I wanted a dimensional appearance, so I carved out the wax around each figure, as well as around the flowers and leaves.
This left me with a lovely blister on my drawing finger...
After a couple evenings of carving, polishing, scraping and smoothing - complete!
I welcome your comments! It's definitely a departure from my regular style, but overall, I was pleased with the final work. Rather labor-intensive, so I may attempt a flatter piece next round.
I like how he's just sort of lurking behind the curtain - shy and unsure of himself.
