365/2013 - Day 243

paper the horns of the long horns guy

Tonight I put a layer of green (to be able to see what I have already covered) tissue paper on the upper half of the long horns guy.  It. takes. a. long. time.  Man!

As you can see in the photos, there are numerous wrinkles in the paper -- that is intentional.  I want this guy to dry with a hint of texture, but at the same time be fairly uniformly smooth for easier painting.

2012/365 - Day 322

papering the other half of the manikin

I finally got tired of looking at this guy in his half-papered state.   

(Oh man -- I am too frustrated with this stupid editor right now to try and figure out wtf is going wrong -- I can't seem to get the words to go past this point and take their place next to the photos.  I am leaving it like this...you can just see the pictures show the progression of the matte medium getting glopped on, and the torn up tissue paper being applied.)

Yeh...I still can't figure the editor out.  Oh well.  That's enough for tonight.

2012/365 - Day 310

dulling down all that color

Tonight I popped "Thick as a Brick" by Jethro Tull into my computer/iTunes and worked on this guy for one full play of the CD.  I did it because I wanted to hear the CD, but I also needed to limit my work time so that I don't overdo things with my right hand.

Holding a paint brush to apply the matte medium to the torn papers and smooth it on to the manikin's surface is less of a "tight/closed-hand" process than sewing is.  (I'm saving sewing for Wednesday at Joan's.)  (Epic sewing sessions seem to be what trigger the cramping in my hands.)

Okay -- so here are the photos from this work session that lasted 43:36 minutes.

This is the manikin with plaster cloth, tinted gesso, and four colors of alcohol ink dripped (instead of spritzed) onto it.  And NOT the colors I had in mind, either.

I tear up little pieces of the white areas of tissue paper (that I have in abundance, and is on its way to the recycle bin) and lay them onto areas of the manikin that I have applied a thick coat of matte medium to.  

I work in smallish areas at a time so that I can smooth out the paper as I go.

The matte medium tends to melt and smear the colors a little...but this is just the bottom layer. 

Also -- using a paint brush in stead of my fingers this time is letting me work "wetter" than usual...less tearing of the paper with the brush.
 


And because I want the paper to dry with a sort of texture, I am not upset with not being able to get all of the wrinkles out.  As I am working I go back and do more smoothing, but basically I am looking for the paper to give me a little bit of an appearance of fur or skin that will look just fine later on in the process.  If I had only used my fingers (no brush) I would have been able to get the paper smoother.

Only the left side of the manikin has paper on it.

The back of the head and shoulders area -- a bit more dry -- and you can start to see through the paper again.

Just a shot to show the difference with and without the paper.

2012/365 - Day 154

decompressing a bit

I have been so wound up the last couple of days.  Today I am just trying to decompress a bit by tackling the mountain of laundry, the sink FULL of dishes and working on this little guy some more.

Because the white tissue paper was very wet and transparent when I was working on this guy a few days ago, I didn't notice how much of the white paper I'd actually applied to the surface.   Waaaay too much it turned out.

Most of his colored spots were buried so deep you could hardly see them anymore.  I wanted to make them less noticeable, but not that much.

Today I am trying to give him back a few "random" color dots and also mark where his eyes will probably be.

Whoa -- I really lost a LOT of his dots!

This is just an idea of where his eyes will probably be, but they won't look like they do here.

This guy is starting to get some personality I think.

I will "bury" these dots, too...but not as deeply.

2012/365 - Day 104

toning down some color dots

I had a pretty full day of art related activities and I am finishing it off with toning down some color dots on this little bear guy.

I spent the day with my sister and her mother-in-law and we went to lunch, shopped at State of Mind Gallery and the Northville Art House store, and viewed the current show at the Art House.  Sue also picked up the painting she has been making installment payments on at the Art House -- she was SO excited! And then we went to Tuscan Cafe for coffee and dessert.
 

 The last time I worked on him was back on Day 54 part two

and Day 35.

Tonight I was looking for mindless repetitive busy work that I could do while the music as going...filling the well kind of stuff.

I am using white tissue paper to tone down the tissue paper dots of color.

I can only do so much at one time, though...I need to see how clear the matte medium dries over what I've done.

I'd say I am pretty happy with the progress so far.  And the process.