Comparison: Recent Drawings to Older Newsprint Ones

Newsprint meets Toned Papers:

(This is the continuation of some points explored in the previous three posts) 

The Conte crayon drawings I have done on 24 x 36″ sheets of Newsprint are some of the work of mine I like best. But over the last few years I have tried some alternate media to capture what I like about them on a better surface. Here are five current drawings, done with oil-based pencil on hand-coloured paper, beside comparable newsprint drawings. 

The new ones are a third to a quarter of the size of the newsprint drawings, but the balance of line/tone, and the even-ness and luminous quality of shading are in a similar ballpark - I believe these are the closest of everything tried so far. 

But these colour ones are on acid-free paper, which is sturdy enough to allow for post-session additions and amendments, and lasting enough to make that worth trying, so I’m optimistic about the future explorations they allow. 

6th Entry for August 16, 2009

These images aren't all from the 16th, but the middle two are. The topmost one dates from April, and the bottom image from the 13th of the August. All four were included in the "Go Figure" exhibition at Propeller Gallery. The images are in the 24" x 36" range, except for the bottom one, which is approx. 18' x 26. They were all done on sheets of Washi, or Japanese paper, and are all executed with conte crayon.

The show came down a couple of days ago, and the pictures are still available for sale, except for the upright back study.

The image of Z- sitting up I quite like, but it was one of two images that met with unexpected mishaps while framing. I spray fix drawings that I will be exhibiting, and for safety reasons I do that outside, in the alley behind my studio building. Usually I do it at night, when it is quiet. This time I was trying to do that on a gusty morning. One drawing was hit by a wind-tossed drop from an upstairs air-conditioner, which meant it had to be discarded, as the droplet left a wrinkled mar on the paper, filled with who-knows-what cemicals, etc.

While I was holding it, the back study - which was clipped to a board - was caught by an unexpected gust and snapped around like a sheet on a clothesline as I tried to ease it flat, which resulted in it becoming thoroughly rumpled before it could be tamed. It's a heartsick feeling when something you like gets damaged inadvertantly. After an attempt at ironing and a small application of spray glue to the back mat board, I was able to flatten it enough to show, but my interventions (while subtle) are likely very non-archival, so I did not not offer it for sale.

Some artists make good use of the aesthetics of rough and rumpled surfaces, but for me the smoothness of the paper was important to the look of the work. - sigh - It did look good in the exhibition, though.