Like many artists I've been struggling to figure out "my voice" as well as the correct medium to express it in. One thing that I can safely say is that I really like drawing faces. I still struggle with drawing the full human figure but I that's something I'm working to improve.
One question I've been trying to figure out is what medium to work in? I dream of one day making large scale pictures but I haven't figured out the right material for the job. I have several large canvases just waiting to be painted but a fear of ruining them has kept me experimenting with smaller pieces. I've been dissatisfied with the work I've done on canvas so far. I haven't been able to master acrylics so I've been trying other materials.
This first picture was done on a piece of cardboard that is found at the end of a pad of paper. I just wanted to use a toned surface. Using water soluble pastels I quickly discovered this surface is far too porous and piles too easily to be of any practical use, however the use of a dark background was interesting.
Mixed Media paper gives interesting results. I used distressed inks and stamps in the background, then used water soluble oil pastels mixed with white acrylic to color the girl. These results were more satisfying but won't work on a canvas.
Still using water soluble pastels mixed with white acrylic I painted this on a small wood panel. I didn't prime or seal the wood first so the surface is a bit rough and it took a few layers to make it look less blotchy. This piece could still use a bit more work, I wanted to add more shadows and highlights but I haven't gotten back to it.
I found that using Masonite with the pastels gave the most interesting result. The pastels go on smoothly and hold the color well. It has the added bonus of being a toned background. I think I'll explore this material some more.
For this one I went back to using a wood panel. This time I used old book paper to collage the background and then sealed it with matt medium and gesso. I then used acrylics to under paint the whole thing in pink before adding the final paint over top. This system may work, I'll probably try it again.
Finally back to mixed media paper watercolors and markers. I think I'm most comfortable using these materials. Unfortunately I find they don't lend themselves to large scale works as markers are too pricey to use in a large way.
So that's some of the things I've been working on thus far. I think I'm almost ready to try something big!
What materials do you like using for you artwork?
