For my final warm-up exercise, I used A2 size paper (by taping together 4 sheets of A4) and used each quarter to mark using different techniques. I started on the top left sheet by using pencils – in different weights, 2B, 4B and 6B. I really loved the way that I could create such different effects due to where on the pencil I held it, as well as the tiniest change in pressure. Also on this quarter I revisited using the charcoal pencils, so understand why I didn’t like using them. I found that the less pressure I had, the easier it was to use, and thought that they would possibly work better (for me!) on a smoother paper rather than the cartridge paper which has a rougher texture. I tried to make the marks smoother and more fluid, which again helped with the unpleasant sensation of setting my teeth on edge!
On the bottom left hand quarter, I used the toothbrush with the masking fluid to make marks, allowing it to dry before going over it with a black wax crayon. On the other two quarters, I used a cut potato on which I made marks before using it with the masking fluid again to make marks. When I removed the masking fluid, there was a very subtle negative mark on the paper which I really liked. I then went over the top right hand quarter with an ink wash (blue again) and the bottom right quarter I used a charcoal block to go over the masking fluid. Last time I ‘washed’ the paper with the ink or charcoal before using the masking fluid, but this time I did it the other way round.
This was NOT successful! I’m not sure whether the masking fluid reacted with the starch in the cut potato, or that I had let the fluid dry too much, but I couldn’t remove the masking fluid properly with the ink wash, although some of it did come off. The marks made were quite defined and regular. However, the masking fluid on the charcoal ‘wash’ just wouldn’t come off at all, and because of the nature of the charcoal, all I did was smudge the marks made by the potato. So I ended up leaving some smudged and some not.
Textile Journey 