Here’s a silly self portrait of me at our local noodle house Kinton Ramen.
It’s probably my favorite self-portrait so far. Even if it doesn’t look very much like me :) I think it looks a bit like my grandfather though.
During the pandemic I started cutting my own hair. My grandmother cut his once a month, with him sitting, leaning over the kitchen sink. Same sink for the cooking, the dishes, and the portable washing machine.
I’m starting to like my hair standing up like this. I think I look more Asian.
Here’s an interesting comparison. The watercolor portrait on 90lb Strathmore Aquarius (above), painted at home, taking my time – versus a sketchbook page (below). The type of paper makes a huge difference.
On the sized (water-resistant) sketchbook paper the brushstrokes are more ‘edgy’ with sharp transitions and distinct edges. Not as much natural ‘bleed’ through the paper fiber. The same sizing that helps your sketchbook pages take paint without buckling, prevents the watercolor from blending naturally.
Aquarius is a very smooth paper physically (even less tooth than a normal cold-press), but more importantly, it’s highly absorbent. The fibers soak up a lot of water, which allows the pigment to ‘creep’ inside the paper, giving you a more ‘blended’ look.
Sadly, that’s the end of my #OneWeek100People for 2022 – but you guys can take the weekend if you want to keep pushing for your 100! I’ll be on the Facebook group commenting on your posts. If you did a project this year that you’re proud of, please post and share!
Take care and see you soon.
~Marc
