LFI2021 Week 17

This was my Week 17 Let's Face It 2021 lesson from Juna Biagioni. I didn't go to near the lengths she did in layering—her figure disappeared and re-emerged from the black and white about six times! But I think I got the idea.

I used my same muse I have been painting for the past four to do this assignment. I don't think she will become a part of the final series, for several reasons: She's larger than the rest, she's on smooth paper that didn't really stand up well to the various media, and she just doesn't fit.

Having decided all that, I still enjoyed playing around with this. It was multiple layers of India ink interspersed with white gesso, accented with some Elegant Writer to get a little bit of lavender and green going on in there, and delineated here and there with a Conté charcoal pencil (which is what ended up tearing the paper—I need to get some softer charcoal, I think). In this one, the model let her hair hang forward around her face and looked up from under her substantial brows, so it was a good one to play with in terms of stark blacks and whites because of the shadows.

I enjoyed doing it, and it makes me want to break out the acrylics on a real canvas sometime soon. I'll probably also redo this pose in watercolor to fit with the series—we'll see.

"Intensity"—pencil, Conté charcoal, India ink, white gesso, Elegant Writer, Signo white gel pen, on Fluid hot press (smooth) 140-lb. 100% cotton watercolor paper, about 7.5x9 inches.

Thwarted

She's not precisely angry, more mad or frustrated that she didn't get what she wanted, so I figured "thwarted" was the best way to put it. I'm having big fun doing this series, making sure that there are commonalities between each of them and that the same woman is depicted, but still keeping it fresh by using some different colors to express moods or just be wonky. Each expression is challenging in its own way. There are 12 photos in the series, but several are rather similar to one another; I think I can get at least eight out of it.

"Thwarted"—pencil, Daler Rowney inks, watercolors, Uniball pen, Uniball gold gel pen, on Fluid 140-lb. coldpress watercolor paper, approx. 6x9 inches.

Toothy

Same girl, different mug. Big grin, eyes clenched shut. This one was tough for a few reasons:

1. No eyes to steal the attention and direct the gaze;

2. The head tilt necessitated more extreme darks and lights;

3. TEETH. (and gums!)

Also, at this angle she should have had a bit more forehead. But...I think she is still a recognizable part of the series?

"Toothy"—pencil, Daler Rowney inks, watercolors, Uniball pen, gel pen, on Fluid 140-lb. coldpress watercolor paper, approximately 6x9 inches.

Wide-eyed surprise

Same girl, different expression. She's going for Betty Boop wide-eyed surprise. I decided to use her batch of photos as a series, but change them up in small ways (like the color of her skin).

"Betty"—pencil, Daler Rowney inks, watercolors, Uniball pen, gel pen, on Fluid 140-lb. coldpress watercolor paper, approx. 6x9 inches.