I may very well have found my next project. It all started this evening with an ink doodle I made with an Italian glass dip pen I have recently fallen in love with: And I ended up with this: I was deeply engrossed in creative play with my new Italian glass dip pen well past midnight. This afternoon, I came back, this time with some leaf doodles. I'm enchanted by the lovely hairline strokes it can make, and how appropriate it is for ink sketches. A few weeks ago, a friend gave me a beautiful Italian glass penholder. It came with a nib that was a bit wobbly in the socket of the penholder and didn't seem to have much of a reservoir, but it actually had a nice flexibility and could deliver ink surprisingly well. I ended up trying a bit of Copperplate with it, which I haven't done in about 20 years or so (obvious, isn't it?). I'm aware that I'm in fact using the wrong type of nib for Copperplate but being the kind of calligrapher who's never had any formal training helps me come to terms more easily with breaking the rules. Tonight, there were no laws or restrictions, just pure fun. After about an hour I mustered up some courage to try a brief bit of Scipture: I was blessed with the opportunity to take a watercolor painting class this week while vacationing in Yosemite. Watercolor painting is something I do only rarely, and I almost never do plein air drawing or painting, so this was definitely outside of my comfort zone. Painting en plein air has its challenges: wind, shifting light and shadow, dirt and dust, bugs, the ephemerality of nature--but I find it so peaceful and meditative. The instructor, Linda, was wonderfully helpful and encouraging, and I got to meet some neat people besides. Linda got to demonstrate some watercolor techniques--much needed review for myself--and then I spent some time carefully considering which view I wanted to paint. If you have had experience with landscape drawing or painting, it is easy to get wrapped up and overwhelmed by the beauty of nature and with wanting to include everything one sees onto the blank page. On this particular day, we happened to have a breathtaking view of Half Dome, complete with river, rocks, sublime granite cliffs, and trees. I forced myself to focus on the smaller details that people tend to overlook, taking Half Dome out of my mental viewfinder and focusing on the trees and their gentle reflection in the water. After a bit of prayer before beginning to paint, and a bit of struggling with mixing paints to find the right hues and values for the trees, I produced something that quite surprised me. The Lord is gracious! So thankful that He guided my eye and hand in painting. There are a few things in this work that I wish I could improve, but that is all part of the growth and learning process of an artist.
My last project, Psalm 84, was a tremendous blessing to make, but also quite intense. I will be taking a class in landscape drawing/painting in the mountains this week, looking forward to this as a nice little break from calligraphy. While deciding what to pack, I took a quick inventory of my art supplies. I found a set of Staedtler watercolor crayons I'd bought years ago, still in pristine, brand-new condition, and decided to bring them along, thinking they'd be ideal for travel. Here is my first sketch with these delightful crayons: Yesterday was a day for little details. After painting the basic blue, red, and green, I used Dr. Martin's permanent bleedproof white to add dots in groups of three to areas of color: I used gold gouache to add gold flourishes: The time of real blessing for me comes when I begin writing the Word. Here the Whitevine F, accompanied by Scripture, takes on a clear and genuine meaning. And journey's end, the finished verses, Psalm 84:11-12. To God be the glory! The day for painting finally arrived! I began working at 10:00 this morning. Adding color is so exciting, and it makes the gold pop out brilliantly. Here was my palette for the entire piece: The first hints of red were applied, using a thin 000 brush most of the time for tiny areas and tight corners. I am very thankful for my new magnifier, which is actually what lacemakers use for their fine detailed work. 11:15 pm, and this is where I end up. All color has been filled in, and a light brown wash was used to add dimension and value to the vines. All vines were outlined with a mixture of lamp black and brown. Believe it or not, I still have a ways to go in terms of dotting and cleaning up the flourishes I sketched and traced in charcoal.
Tonight I added goldleaf for the initial "F" of Psalm 84. It's at this stage of the creative process when I feel the magic happens. The glimmer and shine of gold is such a standout when it's used in illuminated calligraphy, there's nothing like it. The collage below shows part of the gilding process: Counterclockwise from top left: 1) applying Duo adhesive so that the gold can stick to a tacky surface; 2) after the adhesive has dried comes tricky part, adding the goldleaf on top. The gold is as light as air and tears easily. 3) when the gold is sticking to the adhesive, I brush away the excess, revealing the letter underneath.
The goldleaf looks shiny enough but still has a rough finish, so I need to then polish it with a dogtooth burnisher: The final step is adding a layer of satin sealer over the polished gold to make it permanent. The sealer has to dry for a few hours. Tomorrow I begin painting the rest of the design with gouache and watercolor. I'm still deep in the process of completing the Psalm 84 project. So far, I have been able to transfer the Whitevine "F" onto two sheets of watercolor paper as well as ruling the lines for the verses, shown here: To finish off the evening, I took a mental break from Psalm 84 and practiced a bit of gothic lettering. It was harder than I remembered, but it was fun for me to become reacquainted with it. It's not my favorite style, but there's a strength and directness about it that I appreciate. It's also good for any calligrapher to have it in one's repertoire since I think it is the style many people conjure up in their minds of when they think of calligraphy. I have always wanted to put the words of my favorite hymn, "Be Thou My Vision," into a calligraphic piece. Something to tackle perhaps after finishing Psalm 84. |
The Scribbler's Blog features my latest projects, dabblings, and scribblings. This is where I keep track of all my creative, artistic explorations and wanderings as I meditate on God's Word. Archives
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