here's an update... I did the shirt with all vertical lines, which is how I lay the pencil down on Fisher 400, because of its weird tug it does on the pencils. I usually just keep adding layers vertically and then when I have enough pencil down, I blend them unless the layers did a good job of blending themselves. I don't know if I should blend or add layers to the shirt - I feel like it shouldn't be too hard-edged or maybe not as finished looking as the rest... I'll also let it sit to find tweaks here and there before I call it finished.
Of course my five year would say it is finished. She always does as soon as there is some pencil all over the paper.
That grey in the background is working hard! ;D
ReplyDeleteThis looks really wonderful Nicole - it's reminding me of some nineteenth century pre-raphaelite paintings.
When you blend on the Fisher what do you actually use to do the blending?
I agree with the Five year old Art Critic, it looks fine to me. Have you ever overworked a piece? How do you rescue it when that's happened?
ReplyDeleteThanks Katherine! I use my finger for blending, which isn't the best tool becaus e the oils from your hand can be a problem. It actually keeps me from over blending!
ReplyDeleteSure I've overworked a piece! If its burnished (the paper is completely spent and the pencil has formed a waxy or oily barrier) then there isn't much you can do. If you haven't maxed out the paper yet, you can lightly dab at it with a kneaded eraser or sticky tac to remove a bit of the last layer. To tell you the truth though, if a piece gets overworked, I'd rather do it over or do something new because it usually looks too strained and less natural. Like it actually shows that you were strugling with it.