Plush Painting

[argos]

And here is that painting from last night. (Click thumbnail for larger version.) Not a masterpiece, certainly, but I had fun playing with different brushes and colors. I haven't forgotten everything as I'd feared, and just need practice again even though it has been probably 35 years since I tried to do anything serious with watercolor.

As for the stretched paper, it stayed stretched as intended even under the onslaught of water. As it dried (and shrank a bit) overnight, it tried to pull the drafting tape off the board but didn't quite get any of it loose, so it remains quite flat. That much is ideal. Removing the tape was easy and left no residue but did roughen the paper around the boarders. That's probably a non-issue for anything that will be matted and framed.

I rate the first experiment a qualified success.

Comments

[mondhasen.livejournal.com]

Very good for someone who hasn't done this for so long a time. Nice balance, and who can resist plush subjects?

I wouldn't have thought drafting tape would adhere to damp paper. I may try it sometime when I've used up all my glue :o)

[argos]

Yep, I was pleased with most of the result. It was more an exploration of several new brushes and stressing the paper as much as I dared to see whether it would warp and pull the tape loose. The texture of the short Kohair plush on the pony is difficult but this almost works. I plan to try him again using the pencils, though. The dog is about as silly looking as the painting, just a ball of long fluff. I had to keep brushing the hair back out of his eyes in order to give him any features at all.

Looking through photos of our dogs and horses today for some references to do something a bit more serious.