The Journal of Rhiannon Black

Quote of the day: Harry picked up the flattened glass ball again. "Can this thing really detect Lethifolds?"

"According to the user's manual. Goblins and Ghouls are its primary detection mode, however."

"Goblins?" Harry querried. "What, in case they come into your kid's room in the middle of the night and ask them to open an account?" (Revolution, GreenGecko)

Have begun my experiments with silverpoint, and other metalpoints, for that matter. Mind you, this is all the very, very initial stages. I picked up some Strathmore watercolor paper, 140 lb. I seem to remember finding some site that said that a heavy enough paper did not need to be wetted and stretched (and then dried) before applying umpteen coats of gesso. I've put down two coats of gesso (the cheap kind at CFOP, Art Alternatives) on four sheets of paper. I intend to put two more coats on two of the sheets. I sanded one sheet (a little) with 400 wet/dry, probably should have started with coarser grit than that. Oh, well, no harm no foul.

Hmmmm, the page I'm looking at right now says a foam roller is good. I'll have to check that out. Sounds very promising.

I will also try Masonite as a backing material and who knows what. Maybe some bristol board. Who knows, maybe someday some vellum.

I'll also pick up some zinc white gouache. And at some point try pouncing paper with pumice. Maybe someday some bone white (chicken bones, I haven't paid attention to preparation).

Will be looking for models in my local barony. I'm planning to find folks with excellent (sort of) Renaissance era garb. Excellent lines (and really only from the waist up) are all that matter. The fabric can be all wrong, the color can suck, the fabric can have Smurfs, or Hello Kitty, or what have you, all over (diapered, I suppose). I won't be adding the Smurfs. As long as the lines are right, everything's copacetic.

I've played a bit with my 5 and 6H pencils (how did I never really realize that Faber Castell only makes up to 6H and skips 7H, 8H and 9H? Who knows. I'll have to see if CFOP carries Derwent, they make the full range of hard pencils. Anyway, the harder pencils are good practice for silverpoint.

I'm excited.

And, yeah, I'll even end up wetting, stretching (and drying) before gessoing some paper. Seems like from being thoroughly lazy, I've gone totally crazy.

Oy!

Quote of the day: “We're each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion trying to emerge into something solid, something real. We've got to forgive ourselves that. I must remember to forgive myself. Because there's an awful lot of gray to work with. No one can live in the light all the time.” (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray)

Grey day, might rain.

Hands, though washed several times, are stained with charcoal. Next thing on list to add to art kit--fingernail brush. So I'll look like a dweeb post class (don't I always though?), at least I won't look like I have the plague, or something.
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