Bob Pennycook

Drawing and Painting on the Same Canvas

It used to be that when I wanted to draw with graphite or charcoal I worked on paper and framed the final image under glass. But lately, I've been working on stretched canvas, incorporating graphite and charcoal with acrylic then covering the completed image with a final coat of varnish. With no need to frame.

The process lets me work larger; gives me the opportunity to use graphite/charcoal which I love working with; and I can still add layers of color and texture which are so important to my work. The only downside to working like this is it sometimes becomes a step-by-step process where I create an interesting background to work with my concept, draw with graphite, then finish with acrylic. It can be difficult to work back into the background and around or over the graphite design - but hey, you just have to jump in and make the changes without fear if you think something's not working.

This piece "Don't Ignore the Whisper" is painted on a 24" x 18" gallery stretched canvas. I started with a color plan; worked the background with various layers of color and texture (texture meaning gel medium or visual texture created with the paint or a shop towel), then the canvas is covered with a thin layer of TriArt's dry media ground. When the ground dried, I created the pencil drawing.

The dry media ground is much coarser than most papers so it eats up graphite. It also can make harder grades of pencil appear like softer grades simply by grabbing more of the graphite. Try a sample piece first if the pencil grade is important to you.

When I felt the drawing complete, I topped the canvas with a layer of gloss gel medium, let it dry, then proceeded to paint, mostly with knives and cut stamps. Also note the dark scratches at the bottom of the painting. For these I took a razor blade and scratched into the gel medium then dusted some charcoal into the incisions. The painting gets another layer of gloss gel medium then topped with a layer or two of acrylic varnish (matte for me) and it's done.

Furniture Becomes Canvas

It pays to do a good cleanout once in a while. Deep in the rafters of my garage I found a few pieces of small, unpainted wood furniture I've picked up at various decorative painting shows across Canada and the U.S.

I like the unpainted furniture - I can jump right in with a ground and paint. No need to treat or repair an existing surface like most of the wood pieces I pick up at flea markets. And there's a bit of physicality in painting 3D pieces - sometimes you lie on the floor, sometimes you paint upside down, it's a change from painting on canvas at an easel.

This piece, a contemporary cabinet about 40 inches tall, was ready to go and just begged for a whimsical treatment. Working with acrylic paint, collage, graphite and charcoal, I aimed for a loose look of line and shape.

The background colors are layers of acrylic paint sandwiched between layers of gloss gel medium. I worked with liquid acrylics, mostly transparent and alternated those layers with some layers of gel medium and some of opaque colors (transparents mixed with white gesso). I find this layering process exciting - I never know what I'll end up with. And I stop only when I think I need to stop.

In the 90s I spent much of my time creating block prints and screen prints. I kept the rejects...just in case. And now I'm making use of them for collage. The flowers in this piece are torn sections from water-based screen prints. I did a rough pencil sketch first to determine shape placement then glued all the paper bits down with gloss gel medium. I also applied another layer of gloss gel on top of the glued-down pieces. I believe in over-kill.

Next step was to slather a thin layer of Tri-Art Dry Media Ground over the entire cabinet making the surface gritty and receptive to graphite and charcoal. I scooped up a bit of the ground, plopped it onto the surface, then spread the stuff thinly using an old credit card or hotel room key. It's important to keep the medium thin 'cause it leans towards opacity.

Once the medium dried, I went to work with graphite and charcoal. The dark bars at the top of the cabinet are graphite. I own many rolls of tape of varying widths and I use that tape to create random "fences". Using graphite on dry media ground isn't the same as using graphite on paper. The gritty ground chews up the graphite and, while you can get some variations of value, most of the graphite grades end up looking like similar values and intensities. I blend the graphite/charcoal using shop towels.

Now here's the important part. The surface needs to be sealed before varnishing or the graphite/charcoal will bleed. You can use a spray fixative, but, since I work in a small somewhat air-tight studio, I prefer to use gel medium as a sealer. Scoop the gloss gel medium onto the surface gently, then, with deliberate motions, spread out the gel with your palette knife. This step requires patience to avoid smudging the graphite but it works well.

Once the gel has dried, the piece is ready to be varnished. My standard varnish, the one I'm successful with,  is Liquitex Matte Acrylic Varnish. Can't vouch for any other type of varnish.

I'm calling this piece finished (but just don't look inside the drawers).

Adding a Little Depth

Just finished this 18 x 24 acrylic, graphite and charcoal painting. It's one of three paintings on this particular canvas. In fact, if you look closely, you'll see bits of all three paintings

Funny how sometimes you're just not OK with a completed image.If I stare at a painting for a few days and it leaves my empty, I simply start over. But I start over cautiously and judiciously. After all, there may be areas of the original painting worth keeping!

My most used painting mediums are white gesso and gloss gel. The gel I use to create some surface texture but, more importantly, to separate and protect areas. I'll cover a faulty painting with a layer of gel applied with a painting knife. With the gel in place and dry, I add liquid acrylic to some gesso, cover the surface, then wipe off the gesso I don't need using a damp shop towel. By repeating the gel/gesso steps I get some amazing depth, textures and color changes.

The gel, of course, gives me a soft, pastel look. If I want warmer, richer colors, I switch to gel medium and glazing medium and transparent liquids. Gel medium is applied and dried; glazing medium with a little color is brushed over the surface and dried. Gel medium, again, then paint etc until I'm happy with the color.

Once I'm happy, a layer of Tri-Art dry media ground gets squeegeed over the entire surface and I switch to graphite and charcoal for gesture and toning of the work.

A final top coat of gel medium then a layer of matte Liquitex acrylic varnish and we're good to go.