On the 25th April an email had landed in my inbox from Phil Davies titled “how to paint with coffee granules & coffee swabs“. It was a posted on the blog page called artTUTOR and this post was made by Bob Davies (I believe Phil’s father) – This whole thing is part of the art isolation challenge which they’re doing.
So I will be doing one of my working out with coffee, after picking up some tips on this blog.
This exercise, asks that I conduct some simple studies using alternative drawing materials. I think everyone really does have their own method for this kind of thing. I tend to almost doodle with marks/ maybe small illustrations and random go with the flow.
And, I started this with Henderson Relish.
I’m from Sheffield, which is the proud home of Henderson Relish, in Key steps I had used the bottle as an illustration, I actually did wonder then if I should try painting with the relish.
I don’t believe I’m the first, pretty sure a few artists that are from Sheffield actually have used as a medium. But , this will be a first for me. I started with random testing, it wasn’t as strong as a pigment as I would have thought, I had planned to water down to create contrast like watecolour, but ended up being the other way and I needed to build it up.
Showing lightly though my page I could see the outline of the last portrait I did, so I used this as a base for me to test the relish, this ended up growing using the same image I used of Sheffield station in the exercise “blind contour”. I felt this was fitting as Henderson Relish is the “mascot” of Sheffield.
Within the images you should be able to spot the “testing” dabbing in different ways such as tissue, brushes, I watered down, build up, I used my brush in different ways and also a nip pen.
Mostly I liked using as a wash with a nice fat brush.
I also used coffee (I did however have limited grains)
This one I did same test kind of test, but I found coffee behaved more like watercolour and activated easily with water.
It also made an interesting textured with the grains was still in the water (even if a little sticky) most of all I liked the dabbing with the tissue technique, I liked this the result of this quite a lot.
Can see myself using coffee in cafes when I come to do the classic cafe life drawing!
Tea bags
I have painted with tea a few times, So this time I use the chance to experiment with different types of tea.
Jasmine, mint herbal and Yorkshires finest.
Jasmine was a very light wash, had a more yellow hue.
Mint herbal appeared strongest in value when wet, but dried much lighter the effects when dried was the far most interesting with the water stains.
Yorkshire tea, dried the strongest in colour once dried with a small orange shade to it. I started to get into experimenting more with the tea bag with this one and found it to create a great effect if dropped the teabag from a height on to the paper.
Make up.
Due to isolation I felt like I had limited things I could use that was “sensible”.
I really wanted to use wine and beetroot as this would be another “first”! but this one will have to wait a little (If anything it is just delayed) – So will add more later.
I wanted a colour, or at least a different shade as one thing so far is that everything has been light brown / orange yellow.
I could see this one being used within fashion illustrations, maybe not the whole but parts (key areas), such as using lipstick if a illustration about lipstick or advertisement.
(Above) I finished this by using ink for the out line like rapid draw/blind contour and I painted with Henserson Relish on watercolour paper.
I wanted to give this one I more finished result and see how it behaves on paper more suited. I could build up the colours more, however found had to be careful as after a while the more you used the stickier the surface.
Again I had fun, I do still want to experiment more, it may have to be one I revisit when the children are back at school or a project that involved them.
Like just writing this reflection I wonder if I could get the grass stains out of grass and use as a dye !
Along with wine, beetroot I am sure I can think of more to add to the list, just need the freedom to carry these out (due to Corona virus) – I’ve been limited to more sensible around the house options.
This will also be something I start thinking about more, can I use what is around me as well to actually create the art and would it bring something interesting to the mix!
Emclemmie OCA Sketchbooks 