Testing the Waters

Posted on February 14, 2015 by foresterartist

I’m working on a project that required a new technique. If you followed my last several posts, you’ll know what technique I’m talking about. I did a mixed media illustration in which I completed the pen and ink portion, then soaked and stretched the illustrated paper.

Test sheet.

I didn’t do this without testing my inks first. I took nearly every ink pen that I had available for drawing and wrote with it on a piece of watercolor paper. This included some color inks too. The refillable inks used were Platinum Carbon Black in the Yuketake Brush Pen, and the Pentel brand ink in the Pentel Brush pen. I put down the brand and type/size as my test lines. Then I soaked and stretched the paper. I dabbed off the excess water and let the paper dry. All inks came through the stretching without running. You can see the process in https://theforesterartist.com/2015/01/25/steam-donkey-wip-update/

I selected three watercolor brushes to use for painting over the lines. First I applied Viridian with a 1/2″ flat brush, fairly gently. No problem with running here. Next I applied Cadmium Red with a #12 round. I swirled in the paint without incident. Finally, I applied Cadmium Yellow with a stipple brush. I scrubbed it in with the stiff bristles. I fully expected the ink lines to degrade. It didn’t happen. All the pens I tested proved acceptable.

You may wonder, why not just draw it out after the paper is stretched. It’s just my preference. I like drawing detailed pen and ink on a firm surface. I also like a drawing board I can handle wherever I choose. The stretched watercolor paper is fairly firm, but I like a firmer surface for drawing. I also like having all my pencil guide lines erased before soaking. Erasing can put more pressure on the paper and I don’t like doing it on a stretched surface. Also, soaked pencil lines are very difficult to erase after they’ve been soaked and dried. Once the ink drawing is done I erase the pencil. This is why I decided to try soaking and stretching after the pen and ink was complete.

Auction Results!

Posted on February 8, 2015 by foresterartist

steam donkey, pen and ink, drawing, art, watercolor, watercolour

A Ghost in the Forest, mixed media watercolor with pen and ink.

Prints of this painting are available here at Fine Art America.

Forestry Education, Forestry Education Auction, Sierra Cascade Logging Conference

A view from our table during the auction. The auctioneer is the guy in the back with the microphone.

The Forestry Education Auction at the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference was a huge success. They raised a total of $86,500 Friday night for their educational activities. My painting, A Ghost in the Forest, contributed $900 to the fund. It was a successful night.

steam donkey, Willamette steam donkey, steam yarder, pen and ink, pen, ink, drawing.

The Willamette Steam Donkey

I decided to make prints available of the pen and ink portion of the steam donkey painting. It’s available on Fine Art America.

Steam Donkey WIP …Update

Posted on January 25, 2015 by foresterartist

The inking is complete!

Steam Donkey

My progression since my last post is shown in the gallery below. I’ve included how I mount my paper for watercolor painting. Click on the images to enlarge.

The ink outline on the steam donkey was done with a Lamy All Star extra-fine point.

I did the black shading with the Yuretake No. 50 brush pen. Then started detailing with a Staedtler 0.05 pigment liner. It has a finer line than the Lamy extra-fine tip.

The donkey detail is mostly complete.

The inking is complete. Time to erase the pencil lines and mount the paper.

I soak the paper in the bath tub. The water was room temperature. Be sure to test your inks for running before you use this on an important piece.

Two minutes on the timer for soaking 90 lb paper. It came out a little too saturated. I should have used cold water. For 140 lb paper I soak for seven minutes in cool water.

stretching watercolor paper, Steam Donkey, pen and ink, pen & ink, pen, drawing, watercolor, WIP, logging

You need a very clean surface, because the sheet goes ink down. On go the stretcher boards.

Staple it to the boards. Snug it as you go, but not overly tight or the paper may rip when it dries.

stretch watercolor, Steam Donkey, pen and ink, pen & ink, pen, drawing, watercolor, WIP, logging

Use a paper towel to mop up excess water. Don’t push down or you’ll damage the paper. A feather light touch is required.

I elevate the mounted paper for good air circulation. Even drying makes for a nice tight stretch. Let it dry naturally. Using a heater or blow drier can cause ripples in your paper. It should thump like a drum when dry.

This old donkey wasn’t alone. Very nearby was a second steam donkey. It was another Willamette. These two machines worked together on the same logging site.

The second steam donkey. It’s had parts removed by collectors.

Mark, the photographer, commented on my last post:

“The historians on our Steam Donkey expedition had a schematic of this Donkey. The manufacturer (Portland Iron Works) listed the Capistan (an option used to guide the cables in and out) as weighing 2,200 lbs. This donkey and another smaller unit were used until the Depression when they were parked on the side of a hill. By the time the Depression was over, other methods to yard logs were discovered, so they sit in the same resting place today. The original steam donkey was invented by John Dolbeer in 1881 in Eureka, California.”

Look how steep the hill is. It appears, they stopped in the middle of moving this donkey. Things must have been bad for them to abandon this equipment in the woods.

Now it is time for me to start slinging a little paint. Stay tuned for the next installment.

Forestry Friday … Steam Donkey WIP

Posted on January 23, 2015 by foresterartist

This huge steam engine has waited silently for years. Seasons passed, leaves turned, and its only visitors were the wild creatures paying it no attention.

steam donkey, Willamette steam donkey,Willamette Iron Works, logging, logging history

The Willamette Steam Donkey. Photo courtesy of Mark Lathrop.

Steam donkeys were the cutting edge technology for powering logging operations a hundred years ago. Serving as yarders, they brought logs to the landing. They were the loaders, too. These huge machines provided any heavy lifting that needed to be done. Steam donkeys replaced horses and oxen for moving logs.

Steam Donkey, pen and ink, drawing, pen, pen & ink, watercolor, watercolour, logging

Steam Donkey work in progress.

I’m doing a mixed media watercolor painting of this steam donkey for a forestry education fund-raising auction. The auction will be held at the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference coming up in February. You can follow the progress on this piece in my future blog posts. I’m using a Canson Bright White 90 lb hot press cotton paper. I sketched out my pencil guide and am inking. I’m inking with a brand new Lamy All-Star extra fine point pen.

Mark at the historic site.

The pictures were taken by my friend, Mark, who has graciously given me permission to use them for this project. He had the awesome duty of leading a team of historians to the donkeys to record the site. Keep following for more on the story behind this steam donkey.

It’s Squirrel Appreciation Day!

Posted on January 21, 2015 by foresterartist

What! Didn’t you hear it’s Squirrel Appreciation Day, January 21st. Our blogger friend Linda Martin Anderson alerted me to this important day in her blog at A Writer’s Playground. Check it out. A kid friendly blog with every special day of the month to discover.

Gray sqirrel, pen, ink, pen and ink,pen & ink, drawing, wildlife

Giving the look!

While winding down a steep mountain road two hunting seasons ago, this little scamp was gathering nuts. I surprised him and he ran up a large black oak tree. Just a short way up the tree he turned and gave me “the look.” He was sure I was coveting his nuts! Then he berated me as best he could with an acorn in his mouth. So I shot him. Sorry, I meant to say, I shot his picture with my Nikon. You can see it here, Forestry Friday … It’s The Time Of The Season For Squirrels.

The print of this pen and ink is available at Fine Art America.

Otter In The Water

Posted on January 11, 2015 by foresterartist

otter, pen and ink, drawing, ink, wildlife

Otter in pen and ink.

I did this drawing at the same time as “Forestry Friday … Otter, Otter, Otter.” I’m just now getting around to posting it.

otter, bullfrog, wildlife, nature, photography

Our local otter enjoying a yummy frog breakfast!

Pen and ink prints available at Fine Art America.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/otter-in-the-water-timothy-livingston.html

Hunter Puppy

Posted on January 7, 2015 by foresterartist

A pen and ink of my old boy “Hunter.” He was the best hunting dog I ever had.

The photo I used for this drawing appeared in the post Forestry Friday … What A Difference A Decade Makes.

golden retriever, working dog, golden, retriever

Hunter’s motto was “It’s good to be Hunter!”

golden retriever puppy, golden puppy, puppy

It must have hurt to be that cute. He was always Hunter puppy to me, even when he was old. Makes me kind of misty.

Pen and ink prints available at Fine Art America.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/woods-dog-timothy-livingston.html

Test Driving My New Brush Pen

Posted on November 16, 2014 by foresterartist

brush pen, pen and ink, deer, drawing, black tail deer

This black tail deer was done as a bit of practice with a new brush pen. This drawing is not my usual style, but I wanted to use it by itself. I typically use the brush pen in concert with my other pens.

My birthday was this month and Mary got me a new pen. I picked out the Kuretake No. 50 brush pen. I went with this one because it has natural bristles and is refillable. I’ve been trying out a number of different single use pens and have really enjoyed them, but I wanted something better. This pen is a hot rod!

Kuretake No. 50 Fountain Hair Brush Pen - Sable Hair - Black Body + Gold Accents + Refill - KURETAKE DW141-50

The pen comes with in a nice wooden box with three ink cartridges. I haven’t tried these cartridges yet. Instead I purchased the Platinum Converter, a refillable cartridge, and a bottle of Platinum Carbon Ink. I pick this ink because it is very water-resistant and can be used with watercolor.

I’ve been enjoying this pen a lot, but I need to get more practice with it. I find using a brush pen is a lot different from a watercolor brush, very unforgiving. I suppose it’s made more difficult more by the ink and not the pen.

Black Tail Redo

Posted on October 18, 2014 by foresterartist

deer, black tail deer, buck, Columbia black tail deer

This is the tweaked version.

It was bugging me. Have you ever posted something and when you look at it later, it looks wrong? Something was missing. The deer looked a little chopped off at the feet so I added a bit more foreground.

As it appeared in last weeks post Black Tail In Velvet. What do you think, did it help?

I usually use one of the tricks to get a different view such as looking at it in the mirror, upside down, from across the room, or setting it aside for several days. I guess I have a new one…post it!

Black Tail In Velvet

Posted on October 14, 2014 by foresterartist

A Spring black tail buck with horns still in velvet in pen and ink.

This is always busy time of year around here, which is the reason I haven’t posted for awhile. When Fall comes, we disappear into the mountains. It’s our time to put some miles under our boots, over the mountains and through the woods. This is when we go out to procure some fresh organic protein to get us through the year.

I photographed this buck last Spring. He was feeding under a blue oak tree. His antlers were still growing and in velvet.