Leaf Ghost #131

These are the same Copic colors as last time, only this time I applied them with the markers directly rather than with the airbrush tool.

I also alternated colors from row to row (more or less) rather than doing all of one color at once. I’ve noticed in the past that some markers tend to dry up a little after a few minutes of constant use, so I thought I’d see if giving them a break between rows might help. Turned out it didn’t make much difference. BG78 Bronze in particular weakened as I went (compare the upper left to the lower right), while the other background color (BG57 Jade) fared better.

Both the blues I used for the leaf stayed strong for the whole time. This is the difference I’d expect for two nearly identical hues and shades: B28 Royal Blue and B29 Ultramarine. They were much farther apart in the airbrushed ghost.

Also Ultramarine was the first color I chose, in honor of it being W&N’s color story of the week. The rest just naturally fell into place after testing what markers did and didn’t work with the new tool.

Leaf Ghost #130

I got a Copic marker airbrush tool for Christmas, and this is my first time using it for a leaf ghost. Overall I’m pleased with the results (other than the C9 grey, which kinda made a mess).

It’s interesting which markers work with the airbrush tool and which ones don’t. Even some of the markers I recently refilled (and which draw just fine) didn’t produce much with the new tool. Must have something to do with the way the pigments are put together.

This is also my first time using hot press illustration board for a project that requires masking. It was exactly what I was after, so expect to see it for more airbrush paintings in the future.

Leaf Ghost #129

Turning 58 has brought me mindful of where I was 40 years ago. I’d like to think that 18-year-old me would have taken some comfort in the knowledge that four decades hence I’d spend the morning drawing while it snowed outside and a partially-blind, tailless cat napped nearby.

The drawing itself involved tech pens, a tool I’ve largely avoided because they’re a pain to clean. But I was using them for another project, so waste not want not on the ink.

When I finished the cross-hatching, I thought the blue leaf looked a little more like it was cut out of the field of green rather than floating above it. So as an experiment I drew the shadows accordingly. I won’t make this a regular thing, but it was a fun experiment that I’ve been meaning to try for awhile now.

Oh, and the other project I used the tech pens for was learning to draw with the lettering set we recently purchased from ScrapsKC.

Leaf Ghost #128

Background reds from #122. Foreground yellows from last time, but the lighter squares are alternating Sunshine and Canary lines.