With brush and pen I paint… er, make that brush and pencil. Liquid pencils that come in a jar.

On a quick trip to Bunny’s Artwork a couple weeks ago I found what looked like an ink and wash painting, which reminded me of Angus Stewart’s watercolors. I commented to Bunny, and she wrote back that she’d used Liquid Pencils, not inks.

Ahhh… I’d never heard of liquid pencils, but I was in discovery mode, plus I love Stewart’s work, and so started my search. I watched the quick drawing demo (scroll down the page to find it) and immediately ordered all the colors available. They aren’t colors, actually, only hints. (Before ordering, click on the Video button to watch another way to use this new medium also in an acrylic base.)

Last weekend at WetCanvas — a painting community online — I answered a challenge to paint any of several photos submitted by one of the members. I chose an antique rocking horse ready for auction. A perfect subject for testing my new toys — six little jars of wet graphite and a new pointy round brush.

And now I’m addicted… this wonderful medium in a water base is completely manageable on watercolor paper. You can rewet it and move it around. I used a rough paper which didn’t allow me to lift completely. But it did give me nice texture for the old wooden horse.

Hot press paper works very well too.

Here are both the photo and my drawn painting. I used the yellow pencil, and then glazed it in Painter X with a gel-layer of sepia.

Original photo, courtesy of Beth at Wet Canvas	Wooden Hobby Horse, 9×12, Liquid Pencil on rough watercolor paper

Next I will try spraying the drawing with fixative, and experiment with watercolor washes… Another day.

Have you heard of these? What have you done with them, or do you prefer to use ink? Link us to your drawings so we can see…

And have some coffee! Bunny’s pouring.

Barb

Tags: angus stewart, art medium, brush, coffee, drawing, ink, Liquid Pencils, pen, rocking horse, Watercolor