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| 12/31/23 ArtGraf water-soluble graphite, graphite pencil in Hahnemuhle sketchbook |
The end of the year is often a time of reflection; for me,
it was a new year’s eve selfie. In a wet media mood, I was hoping Viarco ArtGraf water-soluble graphite would be less harsh and more forgiving than
most, and it was. Unlike watercolor, it’s easy to keep building it up without
having to wait for glazed layers to dry. It can also be lifted easily. (It’s
almost as good as layering and erasing dry graphite.) I thought I would do some
finishing work with a graphite pencil, but I ended up using it only on the eyes
and glasses (plus the initial block-in, which I tried to keep to a minimum).
To avoid the unflattering, head-on glower of most mirror selfies, I used the double-mirror trick that I learned from Mark Alan Anderson a few years ago. The hard part is propping up the mirrors on boxes to get them all at the right height, and then fussing with the angles to find a reflection of a reflection that will work. I like this one. I think I (unintentionally) lifted off a few years! 😉
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| The ol' double-mirror selfie trick! |
Great job on that old, really old, double-mirror trick, Tina. Smart choice of medium - the compassionate old, really old, graphite. Old school. Old. Is. Cool. - Ol’ Roy
ReplyDeleteYes, old is cool! ;-)
DeleteWhat a neat trick! But you didn't hold that smile while you sketched - lol. You actually look a bit sad to see 2023 on its way out. ;-)
ReplyDeleteNot sad -- just my "sketch face," which is always grim and determined. ;-)
DeleteI like the way the water-soluble graphite worked for your self-portrait. Nice job and good thinking for a selfie view.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I like it a lot better than head-on! ;-)
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