Tonal Variations on Rice Paper - 2

Tonal Variations on Rice Paper - Version 2 - The Other Side

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Graphite on rice paper, 7" x 9" .

In yesterday's experiment with graphite drawing on rice paper, I determined that the soft and velvety surface of the rice paper didn't allow the graphite to create a full range of tones. The opposite side of the paper has a smoother surface, still soft but a little shinier, too.

So, with the same yellow #2 pencil, I made another drawing using the same method, starting with a loose scribble drawing, and filling in the shapes with curlicue lines, going over and over on the same spot to make denser layers of graphite and create darker tones.

Once again, the fragile rice paper didn't hold the graphite as well as a more robust paper might have done, but I find that the delicacy of tonal variations is very pleasant to look at.

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Tonal Variations on Rice Paper

Tonal Variations on Rice Paper
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Graphite on rice paper, 7" x 9"
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One of the pleasures of drawing is trying out different materials. Different pencils, different inks and brushes, different markers, and today, a different paper. From a roll of rice paper, I cut several pieces of the tissue-thin stuff to experiment with drawing on it. I chose a regular yellow #2 pencil, because I wanted to see how this soft and slightly fuzzy rice paper works with ordinary graphite. I found that I had to use a surprising amount of pressure to achieve tonal gradations. I found that I could leave an initial mark on the paper by just touching the surface with the pencil lead, but to get a full range of tones, I had to draw over and over on a spot to darken it. And I found that the fibers on the surface of the paper have a tendency to clog with graphite and not allow more to be deposited. As for erasing... I didn't even go there! Overall, I found the rice paper to have a nice tooth and a velvety touch, but it is so soft and so feather-light that the action of making marks on it with graphite feels awkward to me. If I am going to use it again for graphite drawing, I am going to have to develop a "rice paper technique" to use.
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From a Page of Hands

From a Page of Hands

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Graphite on paper, 6" x 6"
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Drawing is a way of making a record of what you see, and it is also a way of sharpening your powers of observation. This drawing is one of a group of quick sketches I made of my left hand holding a pencil which my right hand is drawing. As I was progressing around the sheet of paper, I kept noticing details that I incorporated into the next drawing. I also found that the marks I made became more and more firm and confident as I got better acquainted with the form of my hand. Practice, practice, practice!
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Elizabeth's Walk - Climbing

Elizabeth's Walk - Climbing

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Graphite on paper, 3" x 5.5"
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I am working on a folio of linocuts depicting a springtime cross-country walking expedition by Innu elder Elizabeth Penashue , with members of her family and guests. I want to change the composition of the photograph I am working from, and this is one of a series of sketches to try out different arrangements of the scene. As I was drawing, I could see more and more possible solutions, and ways of adding visual elements or taking them away to come up with a sense of balance as well as a dynamic feeling of movement in the image. This may not be the final arrangement, but I'm getting close!
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Sitting At The Dock

Sitting at the Dock

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Graphite on paper, 7.5" x 11"
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This drawing shows a portion of a larger composition that I am getting ready to transfer to a canvas. The finished painting will show a family group relaxing on a summer afternoon, with the theme of renewal and continuity. Watch for more preparation drawings to come!
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Gradations and Textures

Gradations and Textures

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Graphite on paper, 11" x 15" .

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Today I sat with a quarter-sheet of watercolor paper and a regular yellow #2 pencil and started with a scribble drawing all over the page.

Marvellous things suggest themselves from scribble drawings, from observing castles in the clouds to perceiving methods of blending areas of tone.

In this drawing, I used two main ways of laying down graphite on the paper. One was sketching a sequence of curved lines, positioned close to each other, and roughly following the contour line of the "object" I was depicting. The other was moving the pencil lightly over the surface of the paper in a tight curlicue line, touching the same spot over and over to make it darker and darker. Each technique has its merits. I still don't know which one I like better.

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Sisters

Sisters

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Graphite on paper, 5" x 4"

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Graphite is such a versatile medium, it is so suggestive and so easy to use.

Beware! Danger lurks for the unwary... variable tonal ranges and inadvertant textures are the least of the pitfalls.

But when it works, graphite is so satisfying. Ah, graphite!

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