Posted by on Jul 3, 2013 in Workshops | 1 comment

When I was younger, in my 20s, I liked to draw this way. The effect was always compelling and somewhat unpredictable.

I would begin by laying a piece of blank paper on a piece of Plexiglas that is covered in printing ink and draw on the paper with a pencil or the end of a paint brush. The pressure from the pencil would pick up the ink and create a fuzzy etching-like line on the other side of the paper. By adding light pressure from the palm of your hand or finger you can add and modulate areas of tone and shadow.

It is still one of my favorite ways to draw and the results are always a surprise. That little bit of distance between ink and paper is remarkable in terms of taking away the critical mind.
When color is added – to enhance the line or as a background to draw against – a whole new level is achieved. When scans and photo copy transfer is added it can get even more interesting.

Paul Klee was a practitioner of this technique. One of his best examples is a piece called “The twittering machine”, done in the 1920s.

 

>>> Drawings on Larry’s website “notice what you notice”

 

Workshop CALENDAR

 

 

chicken

chicken

.

big bug

big bug

.

daisy

daisy

.

cat whispers things a man should hear

cat whispers things a man should hear

.

man

man

.

man and dog

man and dog

.

pensive cat

pensive cat

.

building a house

building a house

 

for all images: copyright Larry Calkins