Aikoi Sugoi

 

My greatest art wish is to paint on canvas. I often visualize seeing my art hanging on my walls (or maybe even someone else’s!). Unfortunately I don’t have the space to store canvas paintings (and I don’t have the talent to sell any, either) so I’ve had to settle for paper. It’s here I learned about mixed media paper. I love the versatility of it. I can use everything from acrylic, watercolor, and markers, allowing me to experiment with different mediums. And I don’t have to feel bad if I mess up. I can just grab another sheet of paper. Paper is also a lot cheaper and space friendly than canvas, so I can keep all my work if I want to.

Despite the advantages paper offers, there was one thing I worried most about not having canvas to practice on: size. Since my goal is to eventually paint on canvas, I knew I had to get comfortable drawing and painting on larger surfaces. Moving from a pocket sketchbook to a 7×10 sketchbook was hard enough. Going from that to something larger felt overwhelming. But it had to be done. I really want to make artwork I can hang in my own home someday and small, copy sized paintings were not going to do it for me.

So I purchased a 14×17 sized Canson mixed media sketchbook. It honestly took my breath away seeing it in person. It felt SO big! But, always up for a challenge, I wasted no time getting started on sketching a new piece. My first piece was a dud and I abandoned it after a few days, but my second piece was a keeper. And crazy enough, before I even finished it, I was completely comfortable with the new larger size. Now I can’t imagine drawing on anything smaller than 14×17. Of course, I still plan to do so with my pocket sketchbook, but my ideas already feel limited when I think about how much smaller it is compared to the 14×17.

This painting, titled “Trash Day” is the largest drawing I have ever done in my entire life. I was inspired  by the alley outside my workplace. One day I went to our office kitchen to take what I called a stand-up break.  While scanning the street below, I was suddenly inspired by the alley beneath me, with it’s double dumpsters and no parking sign. I started drawing that night, using my daughter as the reference for the doodle boy in the doorway. I had her pose in my bedroom door with the kitchen trash bag. She really enjoyed it!

What surprised me the most about this painting was how much it took out of me physically. Usually when I’m done with a drawing, I immediately get started on the next one. This time I felt I physically needed a break! And I took my time with the painting too, much more than I usually do. Each day I picked a small section to work on, gradually filling the paper with color and life.

It took me nearly two weeks to finish it.  It is definitely one of my favorite drawings to date. As usual, I learned a lot in creating this piece. First, I discovered I could benefit from a tabletop easel. My back was not too happy with me bending over and painting such a large drawing! Additionally, I don’t think I need to buy anymore white posca pens. I found that using regular white paint and a fine liner paintbrush did a far better job at correcting mistakes then the pen. The black posca pens, on the other hand, are indispensable, and I need to add a few more of the smallest (PC 1MR) to my arsenal.

And speaking of paintbrushes, I need a few more fine liners (or detailed brushes, I’m still learning the jargon) in my collection, along with a few other supplies. Research is currently underway.

To say I’m excited about these newest developments in my self-taught art journey is an understatement. I’m still having so much fun, and everyday I’m on the lookout for new inspirations and ideas to draw. Thinking about art is the best part of my day.

Obviously, creating larger drawings will take much more time than my previous work, which means I won’t be able to share work as frequently as I once did, but I think it will be worth it. I have to remind myself that I’m not doing this for an audience but for myself, so there’s no need to rush.

 

[Paint with me available on YouTube ]

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Materials Used

*Mechanical pencil

*Sakura Pigma Micron fineliner (black)

*Posca paint pens (PC-1MR)

*Craft Smart acrylic paint

*Canson Mixed Media Paper (14×17)