I've been on a long journey of understanding how to develop these inks from the first phase, the marbling, to a finished painting.
The key is in revealing areas that are subtly suggested in the marbling to create form or a motif in the minds eye of the viewer while retaining the fluid and elusive qualities of the marbling. It almost feels like trying to maniest the unmanifest or give form to the formless.
Despite my strong interests in William Blake's work who has encouraged me to express these more angelic visions I'm seeing in the marbling, I've decided that an outline is not the best way to develop these pieces.
Using an outline states the form to clearly but most importantly takes something away from the marbling which is connected with all the other forms. Using very light washes to build up tonal diffences between one form and another is a better way to go about it than the outline. However this doesn't always work either and sometimes the suggestion of a line is better. The key is not to get too illustrative or defined with it, leave room for the viewers imagination. The figures don't have to be perfectly proportioned either they can be more suggestive. Less detail gives more room for the viewer to interpret the subject in their own way, creating more of an open conversation with the painting. Perhaps its the difference between a poem and a factual statement. I believe Fine Art should be poetic, that's what takes it to a higher realm than illustration.
That's all for now.
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