Creating art on a black surface brings POP, mystery, and the opportunity to use brilliant colors.
Struggle For Simplicity
9" x 12" Strathmore BLACK Mixed Media paper vellum surface
Various Sparkle Fluorescent Pens & Color Pencils & Japanese Uni-Ball Pens
I never should think of walking into a Michaels Art/Craft store and passing the register without a shopping basket so full that I can barely carry it. One day, I got a little bit distracted! There was a selection of sketchbooks on sale. I screeched to a halt and spent at least an hour attempting to narrow down my choices of sketchbooks. Working in various mediums, the challenge is to see how far to push the surface, and happy to see that the sketchbooks now accommodate the multimedia craze.
Close-up View: Struggle For Simplicity
Original Drawing: Struggle for Simplicity
Original Sketchbook drawing with felt tip pens & pencil crayons
I was pleasantly surprised by the exceptional quality of the Series 400 Black Mixed Media vellum surface. It maintained its surface integrity even after layering it with pencils and pens. The sturdy paper was a joy to work on. While the pencil crayons lost some of their color on the black, it provided an opportunity to layer, creating soft textural effects. The sparkle and uni-pens glided smoothly over the surface, adding a delightful touch to the artwork.
Stroll The Garden Gallery
9" x 12" Strathmore BLACK Mixed Media paper vellum surface
Various Sparkle Fluorescent Pens & Japanese Uni-Ball Pens
Staples Christmas Special offered a kit of sparkle & fluorescent mixed pens, which at first I was iffy about from the experience with pens forever getting plugged after one use. I have been pleasantly surprised after using them for a couple of years that the ballpoint inks are still flowing well. I have been impressed with how well the sparkle pens work on regular sketch paper and on Black Mixed Media paper, as I use a pointillistic method of thousands of layers of dotted colors to create shading effects and textures.
Close-up View Stroll Through The Garden Gallery
9" x 12" Strathmore BLACK Mixed Media paper vellum surface
Various Sparkle Fluorescent Pens & Japanese Uni-Ball Pens
The method of pointillism involves layering dots on the surface of the paper. It is very relaxing for me to do this method and feel the sculpting of an image coming forward. I do not have to hit the pen hard on the surface, but just lightly tap, and the ink flows out intentionally in blobs.
Original Drawing of Stroll Through the Garden Gallery
Original Sketchbook drawing with felt tip pens & pencil crayons
Birth Of A New World
9" x 12" Strathmore BLACK Mixed Media paper vellum surface
Various Sparkle Fluorescent Pens & Color Pencils & Japanese Uni-Ball Pens
Square Pear
9" x 12" Strathmore BLACK Mixed Media paper vellum surface
Various Sparkle Fluorescent Pens & Color Pencils & Japanese Uni-Ball Pens
Close-up of Square Pear
Observe the soft layers of pencil crayons in the close-up of Pear Square above. I only have a few pencil crayons that I literally found on a road while walking past the elementary school. One day, I might have to break down and purchase a variety of pencil crayons! In art, there is always a new way and a new medium to experiment with, and the joy of discovering these new media is genuinely inspiring.
Original Ink Drawing on White Bristol Paper: Square Pear
The 400 Series Strathmore Black Mixed Media Vellum Surface has proven its ability to accommodate a wide range of media. My next series of artworks features water media gouache on black mixed media paper, and so far, I'm impressed.
Take a new sketchbook out for a spin!
Art Inspired, Minaz Jantz
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