The Blot

Tutorials, Demonstrations and Workshops

THE IMAGINATIVE BLOT

This is a process I first learned from Patricia Moy when studying Miniature Painting in her classes. In her process fresh watercolour tube paint was used. However, when I was trying to come up with an imaginative drawing process for the Founders Award at last year’s National Awards Exhibition, I came across Derivan’s Liquid Pencil – and had a play.

Materials

Jar Derivan Liquid Pencil, any colour, MUST BE “Rewettable” (with white cap)

Watercolour paper (I use Arches 300 gm Hot Pressed, it must be smooth)

Water

2 Brushes (Large watercolour )

2 Water pots (1 large, 1 any size)

Cling wrap (you need large quantities, so either a cheap brand or something similar)

Something heavy such as a large book, or a brick or half brick.

Have everything around you and ready to access easily. Stir the liquid pencil until it becomes liquid in texture. (Fig. 1)
lay out a sheet of paper, you will need it to be a minimum of 15 cm square.
With one of the brushes transfer enough water from your CLEAN water pot to make a pool of water on your sheet of paper, size is up to you, remembering that the final product should remain within miniature guidelines. The water should stand proud from the paper in a rounded bubble, and this is where you can manipulate the shape to anything you desire. If the height of the water subsides with the manipulation, add more water. (Fig. 2)
Now, with the other brush, which has been dunked in the water, pick up a good blob of liquid pencil and gently introduce it into the blot of water. The liquid pencil should immediately start moving over the surface of the water. (Fig. 3)
Continue to add streaks, blots and dabs of liquid pencil until you are satisfied with the result. The paper should not be moved at all, and remember not to add too much liquid paper or the result will be more sculptural and images will be harder to find. Return the brush to the other large water jar and clean it. (Fig. 4)
Pull out about two to three metres of clingwrap, and crumple it up in your hands, the more wrinkles, the more shapes and images. (Fig. 5)
Carefully place the clingwrap onto the blot, press down, and immediately put whatever you have chosen as a weight down and press again. Leave the weight on the blot and walk away. (Or start on another blot – not every one has images you can use.) (Fig. 6)
Now we come to the hardest part. Don’t touch the blot for 24 hours. I have been told that 2 hours is long enough for watercolour, but once the clingwrap is moved, if the image is still damp, the sharp images merge and you lose your definition.
In 24 hours remove the weight and the clingwrap. You can keep the clingwrap for another time should you find this an interesting way to work. In the interests of keeping my miniature in “Drawing” mode, I worked with watercolour inks to fill in and round out the images I found, but I much prefer to work with watercolour and white (gouache), limiting the amount of white to allow as much of the image to show through as possible. (Fig. 7)
If you have put in too much liquid pencil and the blot is too embossed looking to work on, it is possible to scrape off unwanted liquid paper with a scalpel. The “rewettable” nature of the liquid pencil allows you to wash out areas of you wish (the paper remains somewhat stained however).

This is simply a process I have discovered, and it might be fun for you to try, it frees the mindset and allows you to stretch your imagination when everything feels just a little dull.

Eleanor Torr

Figure 1