Friday 21 August 2009

GOLD (HOPEFULLY NOT THE FOOL'S KIND)



I'm working on a small mixed media piece at the moment, having just finished the Shap Abbey drawing. I wanted to try and stretch myself a bit again, and try something new. I'd already painted a small piece of acrylic pre-primed board with gold acrylic and acrylic ink and begun drawing on it with dip pen and Indian ink. Then I overpainted the shiny acrylic with acrylic gesso (the ink rubs off the shiny acrylic surface really easily, which is good for amending bad lines, but not good for permanence).



I like the contrast of shiny and matt between the glossy acrylic and the gesso, though I'm not sure how this type of layering will age. I've made a point (as always) of using only the best quality materials with best ratings for permanence and lightfastness, but there's always the element of the unknown with any experiment.


When the gesso was dry (it dries fairly quickly) I flicked gold liquid acrylic with a stiff brush, then began working again with pen and ink.


I'm pushing on with this piece, though I think it's a touch bitty and vague at the moment, there isn't much drama. But I do like the constrasting textures of shiny and matt, and it's making me think about how I can use this in future.

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