I’ve been meaning to post some follow-up pictures to the small drawings I posted last week. Heeeere they are (with captions):

Left: a pile of graphite powder. Right: a puddle of polymer medium

General’s pure powdered graphite and Golden polymer medium.

Line drawing (this is just before it gets sprayed with workable fixative)

Application of graphite glazes over line drawing

The technique I use is something I’ve been experimenting with in the last 2 years.  I mix graphite powder with gel medium to create light translucent greys. The different mixtures I use are then painted over top a line drawing. Before this step, I spray the line drawing with a workable fixative so that the line work does not smudge away when my wet glazes are brushed over the paper.  I let each layer of glaze dry, adding more layers to darken some areas = Voilà a drawing that is kind of like a painting!

[PS: the show gets installed at the gallery tomorrow (eek!)  I really hope it will look good. I will try to take some pictures.  Also, my studio feels eerily empty without all my drawings hanging everywhere. I shall have to fix this next!]