Self-portrait

For awhile I've been interested in multi-color prints created from multiple screens or stencils to create a printed image with greater depth. Thanks again to Ed Roth's book Stencil 101 not for the stencils or stencil ideas in the book but for the materials lists including mylar and a stencil burner/cutter. I took the idea of mylar stencils to create my own multi-color prints. I chose a self-portrait based on a photograph. I played with the contrast, brightness, etc., of my photograph to create an image with four distinct values (translated as black, red, yellow and white). I used these color 'contours' to create my stencils in mylar. They were successively used to print images onto the black background. Opacity of the paint was critical in this process.

Self-portrait in four colors 1.  25cm x 19xm (image size). Acrylic on cold-press watercolor paper.

(Exposure digitally adjusted.)

Self-portrait in four colors 2.  25cm x 19xm (image size). Acrylic on cold-press watercolor paper.

(Exposure digitally adjusted.)

Lincoln, Part II

I've spent the last couple weeks working on my first Lincoln picture. I opted for a light background with a dark Lincoln in the foreground. I'll reverse this with my next Lincoln picture.

One more time. ~72" x ~44" (smaller dimensions shown). Mixed media. Feb 2012. Digital adjustment: increased exposure due to poor lighting at time of snapshot.

I had other plans for the Lincoln stencil but after application of the paint, I think I'm happier with this. I may change it later and I'll post an update if I do. Below is a detail to give a better idea of the texture of the painting itself, which, I think, is difficult to see in the image above.

Detail of One more time. Detail is of area between Lincoln's eyes (Lincoln's left eye visible).

Lincoln

I've been working the last few weeks (off and on) to develop an idea for a painting. One of the critical elements of which is Lincoln's head. I have Lincoln's head ready to go. In the next week I should get a background prepared as well as the other elements of the picture that I have planned.

One more time: occupy. Approximately 42" high and 32" wide. Spray paint, touched up with acrylic.

On Burlap 3, Part 5 + Smaller Work

A few more things to add.

In the picture below, I was testing my makeshift movable stencil using the wire and contact paper. This was the result. The contact paper began to be affected by the spray paint after about 12 feathers. I had curling of the finely cut areas and the feather was progressively distorted. The spray paint began to build up and drip as is evident. This pattern was sprayed onto constructed panel of pieced-together Bristol paper. The assemblage was about 4' x 7'.

Test print of peacock feather tail.

I decided to use this tail pattern after trying a few other patterns. However, I want the perpendicular feather, 90 degrees from the horizontal, to be one of the outermost feathers. Therefore I slightly rotated the fan in the final design. Below is the backside of the assembled sheets of bristol. I've drawn on my guides for printing and placement of feathers.

Paper ready for peacock feathers.

After I printed the feathers on the paper, I covered the paper with transparent contact paper (three overlapping strips, each about 18" wide). I proceeded to cut out the stencil with a tiny blade (similar to an x-acto knife). Three hours later I had removed the contact paper from all the feathers and my next step will be to transfer the stencil to the prepared background (see background with working title To Have)

Application of contact paper to printed fan of peacock feathers.

-------------------

I started a smaller scale project a few days ago. It's acrylic and ink on cold press watercolor paper. I've created stencils of the main areas of the painting in order to manipulate the image with greater exactness and line clarity.

Untitled work in progress. Acrylic and ink on cold press watercolor paper. ~18"x24".

On Burlap 3, Part 3

After some thought, I decided to not use a word stamp on the background. That said, I decided to tackle a past issue of paper buckling when sprayed with spray paint by coating the stencil with contact paper.

Coating the stencil with contact paper.

After contact paper was applied, it was time to cut the stencil.

The completed stencil. (Note: I added stencil supports to the image which will be removed during the touch-up phase.)

Next I needed to set the stencil on the background prior to spraying with paint. I've had a problem in the past with the propellant in the spray paint lifting the stencil. To prevent this, I flipped the stencil and applied poster putty (or ticky tack, or sticky tack, or whatever it's called...) to several points of the stencil. I centered the stencil on the background and applied masking tape to supply extra hold for the stencil and to mask the background. Time to apply spray paint (white, gloss enamel paint).

Halfway through the first of three layers of spray paint.

The spray paint dried for about one half hour before removal of tape and stencil. Removal of poster putty took a few minutes. I found that the poster putty did prevent some lifting of the stencil, but the tenacious spray paint did manage to diffuse through some areas still.

Poorly lit photo of spray-painted image after removal of stencil and poster putty. (Note: the stencil supports are visible.)

The last step in preparation of the image was touch up of the image using tube acrylics, both black and white. White acrylic paint was applied with a size 6 filbert brush to both touch up the spray paint and to block out the stencil supports. Black acrylic paint (applied with the same brush) was used to touch up around areas where spray paint had diffused beyond the desired limit in order to add greater definition to the image. I have not decided whether or not I will stretch this onto a gallery frame or leave it as a roll-able piece of burlap. The title of the piece has changed from Open up to Brighter in the open. (I'll replace this picture in the next few days after I can photograph it in better light.)

Brighter in the open. 48"x24". Aug 2011.

As an end note, this picture of my wife was taken during a Bright Eyes concert at The Gorge at George, Washington at the Sasquatch Music Festival 2011.

Update:

This is the picture taken in better light.

Brighter in the open. 48"x24". Aug 2011.