Little Captain

Little Captain
Graphite on bristol, 6x9

I have drawn on many types of paper, but I keep returning to bristol in a vellum finish.  I don't like the smooth bristol at all - I simply will not use it for graphite, and I haven't found a medium I would use on it - yet.  The vellum texture grabs the graphite in a special, predictable way that I love.  My favorite pencils are 8B watersoluables.  I first draw in the shading and color as with normal pencils.  The paper stubs in various sizes are a "must have" for blending and giving the shading that life-like appearance.  Next, to the very darkest areas, I can pull a damp brush across - and the color gets darker.  This is the magic of the watersoluable graphites!  I apply this water very lightly, as this is not watercolor paper, and too much water will cause the paper to buckle in an unattractive way.  Once water has been added, the marks will no longer be easy to remove, if required.  So, be sure there will be no lifting before taking a brush to it.  I   My subject du jour is our youngest cat, Captain.  He gets a lot of extra attention, and is spoiled shamelessly by my daughter!  This little darling is my 695th artwork in 695 days.  It feels good to be in the graphites again :)