Definitely evolved, I would say. The drifty blue was cool but nothing like as teeth-jarringly cold as this.
I'm fascinated by the way the tree layer becomes veins on the hands and face, and folds in the coat. The wire fence is a master stroke. In my schooldays, we were always thrown outside for several hours a day, no matter how foul the weather. The fence reminds me of those bleak 'playtimes', when we used to huddle together like birds.
Technical questions: (I'm dreadful I know always trying to drag your secrets out of you - just tell me where to get off, I won't mind!) The marvellous network of red dots - it never fails to thrill me - is that red flash with most of the flash sandblasted off, to leave just the dots?
AND Are some of those snowflakes really set into complete cut-out circles, or is that just an illusion?
AND The shadowy stencilled-looking snowflakes. Are they on the reverse of the tree layer? I'd be interested to know how you achieve that airbrush/stencil effect.
(Just to let you know, my interest isn't just academic - I am actually trying your techniques out in small pieces and getting excited enough to have planned some larger things using them. And seriously desiring a sandblaster.)
Don’t worry about asking questions. Ask away. And I am really, really pleased you are trying some things—you’ll have to show me at some point!! I am really glad you like the new solution.
Red dots? I’m not sure what you mean, actually...perhaps I’m losing it...! Ok—I am guessing you mean on her blue coat. That is blue flash. They are engraved very deeply into the surface to basically carve a pearl (obviously I do this with the layer reversed so I am digging into the glass and when you flip it, it looks like a pearl). I painted them with that awful transparent glass hobby paint Vitrea. MEA CULPA MEA CULPA!!!! Don’t throw rotting tomatoes at me and scream fraud! Okay, go ahead....
The shadowy stenciled snowflakes: there are three layers of glass. The chain link fence...which is the very one from your school, no really... was done on the bottom layer which is opal/clear. The fence was a photo stencil...the motif was a pattern I made into a repeating tile in Photoshop which darn near killed me...repeating tiles are not easy! For me anyway. After the paint was fired, I went back into it and engrave highlights which make it look super snazzy...I am obsessed with this type of fence material also.
Fence and shadow of the figure are on the bottom op/cl Middle layer is reamy clear. About half of the shadowy stenciled are on that layer Top layer is also reamy clear and the top surface has the tree which is sandblasted, painted with a mix of black and red-for-flesh glass paint and then I rubbed transparent oil paint into it to make it red. Bring on those tomatoes! The other side of that layer has more snowflakes.
YES! I did cut circles into the glass...here’s to hoping they last! I just couldn’t deal with more lead lines....I used the core bit on my router/grinder.
FYI—the shadowy stenciled snowflakes got a bit of paint...and everything’s been refired. So it will be a bit different when it’s all said and done.
Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it lots and lots. Love, Judith
Desperate for a few tiny red/pink pearls in this mini test pong I'd made, I happened across an ancient bottle of carmine Vitrail (used once and hastily put away) and tried it out.
I found it looks really nice in tiny spots. It has good transparency, and is shiny. As long as the area is small enough not to need any brush strokes, that's when you start to see what a beast it is! The colours are bright and strong too, ideal for little jewels, and presumably formulated to last quite well in light.
Thanks for the rest of the info too. The more you tell about the way you work, the more mind-blowing I find it. (I hope you realise, Judith, when I actually get to see a piece of your art in real life, my head will probably explode.) The photo-stencilling and sandblasting process is a real dark art. I've been looking into sandblasters not to get sidetracked by costly new equipment for now. I can so easily spend so long exploring new techniques I never get any actual work done. So if I ever produce a piece I can show you, it will be a very proud day for me!
4 comments:
((imagine this is my heavy Bela Lugosi accent))
"HOME? I have no home, hunted, despised, living like an animal"
The rope is a nice touch, sort of like they were rolled up in a carpet and almost wiggled free.
Definitely evolved, I would say. The drifty blue was cool but nothing like as teeth-jarringly cold as this.
I'm fascinated by the way the tree layer becomes veins on the hands and face, and folds in the coat. The wire fence is a master stroke. In my schooldays, we were always thrown outside for several hours a day, no matter how foul the weather. The fence reminds me of those bleak 'playtimes', when we used to huddle together like birds.
Technical questions: (I'm dreadful I know always trying to drag your secrets out of you - just tell me where to get off, I won't mind!) The marvellous network of red dots - it never fails to thrill me - is that red flash with most of the flash sandblasted off, to leave just the dots?
AND Are some of those snowflakes really set into complete cut-out circles, or is that just an illusion?
AND The shadowy stencilled-looking snowflakes. Are they on the reverse of the tree layer? I'd be interested to know how you achieve that airbrush/stencil effect.
(Just to let you know, my interest isn't just academic - I am actually trying your techniques out in small pieces and getting excited enough to have planned some larger things using them. And seriously desiring a sandblaster.)
Don’t worry about asking questions. Ask away. And I am really, really pleased you are trying some things—you’ll have to show me at some point!!
I am really glad you like the new solution.
Red dots? I’m not sure what you mean, actually...perhaps I’m losing it...! Ok—I am guessing you mean on her blue coat. That is blue flash. They are engraved very deeply into the surface to basically carve a pearl (obviously I do this with the layer reversed so I am digging into the glass and when you flip it, it looks like a pearl). I painted them with that awful transparent glass hobby paint Vitrea. MEA CULPA MEA CULPA!!!! Don’t throw rotting tomatoes at me and scream fraud! Okay, go ahead....
The shadowy stenciled snowflakes: there are three layers of glass. The chain link fence...which is the very one from your school, no really... was done on the bottom layer which is opal/clear. The fence was a photo stencil...the motif was a pattern I made into a repeating tile in Photoshop which darn near killed me...repeating tiles are not easy! For me anyway. After the paint was fired, I went back into it and engrave highlights which make it look super snazzy...I am obsessed with this type of fence material also.
Fence and shadow of the figure are on the bottom op/cl
Middle layer is reamy clear. About half of the shadowy stenciled are on that layer
Top layer is also reamy clear and the top surface has the tree which is sandblasted, painted with a mix of black and red-for-flesh glass paint and then I rubbed transparent oil paint into it to make it red. Bring on those tomatoes! The other side of that layer has more snowflakes.
YES! I did cut circles into the glass...here’s to hoping they last! I just couldn’t deal with more lead lines....I used the core bit on my router/grinder.
FYI—the shadowy stenciled snowflakes got a bit of paint...and everything’s been refired. So it will be a bit different when it’s all said and done.
Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it lots and lots.
Love, Judith
Eek! Vitrail! Me too! We are so punk rock!
Desperate for a few tiny red/pink pearls in this mini test pong I'd made, I happened across an ancient bottle of carmine Vitrail (used once and hastily put away) and tried it out.
I found it looks really nice in tiny spots. It has good transparency, and is shiny. As long as the area is small enough not to need any brush strokes, that's when you start to see what a beast it is! The colours are bright and strong too, ideal for little jewels, and presumably formulated to last quite well in light.
Thanks for the rest of the info too. The more you tell about the way you work, the more mind-blowing I find it. (I hope you realise, Judith, when I actually get to see a piece of your art in real life, my head will probably explode.) The photo-stencilling and sandblasting process is a real dark art. I've been looking into sandblasters not to get sidetracked by costly new equipment for now. I can so easily spend so long exploring new techniques I never get any actual work done. So if I ever produce a piece I can show you, it will be a very proud day for me!
Post a Comment