Metal Earth Model – Brooklyn Bridge

I’m developing some real affection for the architectural parts of the Metal Earth collection. As a group they’re considerably less challenging than some of the other sets.

This entry is a case in point. No loose connections. No round parts. Only two pieces so tiny I had to use tweezers to install them (and even then they didn’t require bending). Overall this was a calm, enjoyable build.

My only hesitation about recommending this one to beginners is that the instructions aren’t always crystal clear. For example, the duplicate parts aren’t color coded the way they are for most Metal Earth kits I’ve built in the past. If you’re used to these models, that shouldn’t throw you too far off. Even though 6 and 16 looked a lot alike, it was still immediately apparent that you couldn't install one where the other was supposed to go.

Plus it’s always fun to build a model of someplace I’ve actually been.

Leaf Ghost #46

The experiment this time around was to try creating the effect of Copic markers but using dip pen nibs. The Speedball C0 nib is around the same width as the Copic medium broad tip, so I was curious to see if they’d create a similar effect.

Nope. 

In fairness to the Speedball nib, I was using for a purpose other than the calligraphy strokes it was designed for. And the mix media paper I use for most of my ghosts isn’t as well suited as more absorbent paper is (as you can see from some of the test lines I drew in a different sketchbook).

That said, it proved exceptionally difficult to work with. It was less like drawing with a pen and more like trying to paint using a popsicle stick made of metal. I used the same inks as ghosts 41 and 43. Here I gave up on the C0 after I finished the background. I’ve used the narrower C2 for drop shadows many times already, so I used it to draw the red and orange parts of the foreground. Also not perfect, but better than its broader brother.

On the plus side, I’ve been doing a lot of digital work lately, taking online classes about Procreate. So the glitches here were a good opportunity for me to get back to appreciating non-digital media.

Leaf Ghost #45

Leaf Ghosts aren’t supposed to have stories. Indeed, part of the whole idea is kinda anti-story. I’m not officially tracking what kinds of leafs they are, where I saw them or when I photographed them. Color selections tend to be determined by what inks and paints I haven’t tried yet rather than by any kind of connection to the original subjects.

This ghost, on the other hand, has a story.

I photographed this leaf not far from Liberty Memorial. And a few minutes later I tripped and fell down some stairs. I escaped with some minor abrasions and contusions (an overly dramatic version of scrapes and bruises), and thank heaven my camera was undamaged. 

I’ve been learning to use Procreate, so I employed some of my new skills to document the damage to my right hand. The style combines the look and feel of World War One propaganda posters (suited to the location) and coroners’ report forms (suited to my overly dramatic version of the event).

Upon further examination, I decided the leaf was shaped a little like a scar. So I chose background colors – Copic marker YR61 Yellowish Skin Pink and RV10 Pale Pink – to approximate my skin hue and foreground colors – R27 Cadmium Red and R24 Prawn – to look like a cut. N8 Netural Gray 8 for the shadow, which runs counter to the perception of a slice into the skin rather than a leaf sitting above it.

Again I noted how quickly marker ghosts go. I finished this whole thing in less time than it took to paint the reds on #44 earlier in the morning.

Leaf Ghost #44

This was my first attempt at doing a leaf ghost entirely with masked airbrush watercolors. And my first really big fail in awhile. 

Everything was going quite well indeed until I set up to add the drop shadow. The brush clogged and made a minor mess in a small spot on the left edge. But when I tried to clear the clog, the brush blew water all over the place. Unfortunately that included the painting itself, which of course being watercolor meant that it was badly damaged.

I also learned that the masking tape I’ve been using with few incidents on mix media paper was no good at all with illustration board. It took big chunks of the surface off when I removed it. And at that I didn’t use enough, getting some serious overspray on the borders of the board.

My initial inclination was to abandon it unfinished. But after I gave myself a day to cool down, I opted to use plain old bristle brushes to add the red foreground. For the record, that’s Talens Art Creation Watercolors 504 Ultramarine, 535 Cerulean Blue, 326 Alizarin Crimson and 334 Scarlet. And a Badger Renegade Krome airbrush, which at the moment I’m pissed at (but will give a second chance to after I’ve downloaded and gone through its instruction book).

Leaf Ghost #43

As promised – or at least suggested – by the blog entry for #41, this time around I used the same inks but changed my approach. The two darker colors are crosshatched, while the lighter colors are simply hatched. This more closely resembles my approach to two-color schemes such as #37. It appears to work for four-color drawings as well.

Leaf Ghost #42

Three trips to two different Apple Stores, and I finally have the new iPad up and running. It’s a definite improvement over the old one, particularly the Paperlike screen protector that lives up to its brand name.

A trip to Wonder Fair yesterday (considerably more pleasant than dealing with Apple) brought several new Copic markers into the collection, including a range of Cool Grays. This is C1, C3, C5, C7 and C9.

Once again I note how much faster leaf ghosts go when done with markers, with no wait time or clean up between colors.

Leaf Ghost #41

I’m starting the new year with a new experiment: hatching four colors and not crosshatching any of them. The colors are Winsor & Newton Brilliant Green, Emerald, Deep Red, Orange and Ultramarine.

The lighter ink application produced more of a pastel look, and that drop shadow almost becomes overwhelming. The next time I try dip pens, I may use the same inks but try crosshatching them.