From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:18:51 -0400
Subject: [Puptcrit] Tip: Painting on a super porous surface


I share this because it might be a good tip for those who make their own 
posters advertising their shows.

I'm currently working, a few hours at a time, on a small painting of a 
Faerie, as a gift for my sister.
Yesterday I looked in my inventory for some support and format that would 
"speak to me" for such a subject.
I ended up choosing a small panel called an "Art Board", which is simply a 
hard panel, primed with a very smooth porous surface, and supported by a 
strong wooden frame in its back. Its edge is deep, so it looks good on its 
own, without the need for a frame.  The joint between the surface panel and 
the edge was visible, so I added the "Monster Bone" finish to the edges. It 
now looked seamless, and compatible with the main surface.
Once fully painted, I'll paint the edges in a contrasting color to the 
painting.

The commercial surface of the Art Board absorbs paint washes very well, but 
it takes much longer than that of the Monster Bone. So it can be moved 
around a bit before a mark is completely set.
Some classic watercolor techniques work well, such as wet on wet, dry on 
wet, and wet on dry.

Wondering where to start (it's been a very long while since I painted flat), 
I turned to my favorite artist Brian Froud, who apparently works with 
coloring pencils (or watercolor pencils) and paint washes.  So I started my 
painting with some gentle light coloring pencil outlines and shading. Then I 
added washes of similar colors, but in acrylic paints. I could have used 
watercolors, but I might have had too much color blending, as each layer 
would be re-wettable by nature. Once the washes were dry enough, I 
re-affirmed the pencil marks, emphasised the shadings, and adde dmore 
details. I then got back with more washes. The process could be repeated a 
few times, but in this case it's surprisingly close to completion, after 
only a second short session.
I'll be posting pics of the finished painting very soon.


The painting process is a dream on such a surface, it looks and feels much 
like heavy watercolor paper, but without the wrinkling or fragility of 
surface.  The result is perfectly matte, so photographing it is a breeze!
If small enough, it can be scanned as well.

The commercial surface of the Art Board is a bit too even and slow-drinking 
for my own tastes, so my next flat painting will be primed with my own 
Monster Bone. It's been proven again and again on my puppets, but I,m very 
happy to report it's just as pleasant on a flat surface.

NOTE: Monster Bone is the name I give to my own variation of a recipe called 
Monster Mud, a favorite among "Haunters" (people who create haunting houses 
with a passion". They do it with Joint compound and latex wall paint. I 
replace the wall paint with white glue and some pigments, for a tougher, 
more flexible result.
for more details on how I mix and use the Monster Bone, visit my lab blog 
and scroll down:
www.creaturistelab.blogspot.com




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