illustrating in layers
GUM AND INK heavy lines, as they will be hard to see by the end of the process.
WHAT IT IS…
A layering of gum Arabic and drawing ink. The unpredictable, accidental nature of the process leads to interesting surprises at the final reveal.
WHAT YOU NEED… • A sheet of stretched, hot-pressed
watercolour paper • A sheet of tracing paper or carbon copy paper • A selection of drawing inks • Gum Arabic • An airbrush • A wide, wash brush • A finer brush for detail • A reference image
HOW TO DO IT… • Start by tracing down your image onto the
watercolour paper. Don’t be afraid to use 58 Artists & Illustrators
• Apply a layer of ink using the wash brush – this acts as a ground to kill the whiteness of the paper. • Once dry use a fine-detail brush to apply your first spots of gum Arabic to the very lightest of the highlights in the image. Wait for this to dry. • Apply a layer of ink. It is necessary to use an airbrush for this, so as not to disturb the gum. Use the same colour or a variety of different colours depending on the effect you want, until the whole image has been covered. Allow to dry. • Repeat the previous two stages several times, blocking in successively darker tones with each layer of gum. • The next layer of ink will be applied as a wash. Have a good quantity of different coloured inks at the ready. Sit the picture up so that the ink can run down the surface. Starting at the top and working down, apply
the wash in single, confident, horizontal strokes, taking care never to go over the same area twice. Make sure the brush is well loaded and use a different colour with each stroke. Leave to dry. • Apply more gum. You may have to go over areas previously blocked in as the wash can wash the ink away in places. Leave it to dry completely. • This is the exciting part. Run a shower over the entire image to rinse away the gum. Use a soft wash brush to gently remove more stubborn areas. Ideally, you will have a successful final image. However, sometimes more ink washes off than intended. If this happens, touch up the painting with gouache in similar colours to the ink.
PERFECT FOR…
Conveying a strong sense of contrast, such as figures emerging from a dark surround or objects with strong, sharp highlights. Buildings and street scenes also work well.
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