indigo experiments

indigo ink on Yupo synthetic paper, rhythms
Horizontal linkes indigo ink on Yupo synthetic paper
indigo ink on Yupo synthetic paper, rhythms

Last week I began testing an indigo ink.

I have made a series of drawings since March that are the result of repetive marks and the visual rhythmns derived from the depletion of ink in my dip pen. When I make these drawings my mind is empty and the result of the process is a complete surprise.

I had been making drawings this spring that were brown. They felt like twigs and stratified earth. First I made the drawings with walnut ink on paper. The results were somewhat etherial. Then I began drawing with acrylic ink on paper, then Yupo.

I have a show coming up in June and I have decided to make a very large drawing on drafting film for the show. The brown ink just didn't seem right for this context so I now have a choice of using black or indigo that would be a wonderful match for my other drawings in the show.

I have begun a series of small drawings as explorations and tests for using indigo ink on Yupo. It's informative to make these drawings. The patterns and rhythms are very different based on the ink color. The ink sits in the nib differently. These images are the result of a day in the studio.

One more day of drawing and I'll know just how I will approach my large drawing.