"Fertile Worlds".....45

Furthering the stippling, and showing in some measure the relation to the almost whole mural... note that the stippling is providing a measure of variation in the sky, not a uniform as some might expect, an indication of clouds of some degree as it were...

"Fertile Worlds".....44

After a week of 'gone camping', am back on rendering the sky of this, slowly filling in the space with the process cyan...

"Fertile Worlds".....43

Finally back on this, stippling in the sky with process cyan...

Re-theming a Work...

For one who constantly uses theming as the point in rendering, it is rare that I find myself involved in re-theming - that is, retitling a work...   after all, if one gave thought to the work in the beginning, the theme in it ought to be there crystal clear...   well, true enough - but there are times when there is more in theming than the first one shown, and another may, in the course of further thought on the rendering, especially while in progress, and seeing it develop into the finished work, show forth as a more apt one for the specific work involved - not that the first chosen was 'off' in any way, but that there was more crystallization done in the recesses of the mind that revealed a truer essence of the rendering...   there is, of course, nothing to apologize on this, and as long as it is gendered before the work is completed, the final title becomes the part of the work [but, of course, too, if it should come to pass a better title was thought of AFTER one had finished, and had the original one in use, then tough - it'll just have to be used on another work, perhaps a variation, or better, a further development of that 'new' theme/title]...

Using Colored Inks

Since I have been engaging in doing work with a fair amount of color, and others have, in their own manner, joined in with working with color, questions have been raised regarding what book can be found to aid in using these inks to their best in rendering a work in color...   to the best of my knowledge, the only ink book which in any way deals with colored inks, and only in a small manner, is Jos. Smith's The Pen & Ink Book, which came out in 1992, a rather distant time from now in that there has been so much more regarding color ink materials to explore and use...   for the time being, am referring only to using ink, not a mixing of acrylics or watercolors with ink [which, actually, would make it 'mixed media', not ink painting]...   

For myself, much of my understanding of the colored inks and how to apply them stem from my years of using acrylics, working from the tubes, and diluting with water, glazing these thinned washes over each other to create new colors and shadings from the overlays - much in the manner that Maxfield Parrish did with his oils in the early part of the 20th century...  as such, if it has helped, these WIP's given are my means of showing possibilities of color usage, as well as demos of how to work texture with the black ink itself...   perhaps some day there will be a book devoted to detailed examplings of how to make the most of combining and mixing colors, what can best achieve  whatever is desired, and so on...  but for now, it is largely each one to her/himself, and passing on the knowledge of discovery - hopefully in this Society's blog, but anywhere would be good, as long as it is passed so others can work with the ideas and add further...

[and indeed, 'Rendering in the Grand Manner' is a book sorts of in progress, with the idea of exploring using pen and ink in a fine art manner, especially with large renderings in mind - just as those in oils and acrylics, and yes in colored pencils, have done and do - and with the emphasis on theming and imaginating..]

"Fertile Worlds".....42

And thus, with the sap green layered over the base blue, this right side of the leaves is now also done...

And this, with the sky and touching ups yet to do on the isles, is the finished mural...

which, thanks to the unexpected loss in canvas, did not come to match the balanced idea of the guiding sketch - but which have tried to compensate and 'save' as well as could be... 

"Fertile Worlds".....41

Moving now to the rest of the leaves, have washed with the light green and emerald green inks, and when dry will sop the excess coloring, and begin layering in the sap green over the base blue, as per the earlier part - in addition to highlighting areas with stippling of lemon yellow...

as seen here post sopping, and lemon yellow highlighted...

"Fertile Worlds".....40

Further detailing - almost done with this section, just some of the middle area yet to work on...   then be on the next area to the right...