Working on these two new panels. Working dark earth. The image isn't the best.

Both drawings following the same rules as the twins before. Two 12 x 12 inch panels one drawing is made on a primed wood surface and the other on mounted watercolor paper. The panels have two tonal profiles. One is a wash the other a sold rich dense hue. The long lines have some very subtle moments due to my value choice. The shorts use a pearlescent ink which makes the texture directional.

These two pieces are hanging on the wall in my studio. Tomorrow I'll see what is next if anything.

The earth is so dark right now. Still moist from our most recent melted snow. Applying my dark earth color awakened the smell of the forest floor to me. Dark, covered with pine needles compressed by my boots.

This image shows the application of the dark earth.

One of the essential parts of making art is getting ready to make art. The rituals of opening new materials, sanding surfaces, applying sealers and grounds are all necessary to get in the art making state of mind.

I'm prepping two new panels for drawings. As with my previous drawings in this series one drawing will be made directly on the wood surface and the other will be made on watercolor paper mounted to the panel surface. To protect the paper from the wood surface it needs a gesso layer and a protective bonding agent.

The Egyptian waters series is one of the few situations where I am seated when I draw. They require an immaculately clean space to work in. The pens require enough ink to complete the drawing without any waste. It is drawing of an exacting posture and state of mind.

It takes a considerable amount of time to prepare the area where I will draw. The table is emptied of everything, every tool and scrap of paper. The table is wiped down three times and the tools are cleaned. Then the paper is laid and the simple grid is drawn in pencil.