Michael Gage

Third stage: I cut away the sky, the window panes, and some of the pavement, and then printed the block in a mixture of red and cobalt blue.



Oops. Not sure I like the way that this is going. Some of the cutting of the details is clumsy. The windows are wobbly.

As compensation, here's something else in the same colours.

It's a rabbit.


In a flowerpot.

Second layer: I cut away what I want to remain pink, and then printed blue over the pink. I was worried that the blue printed over the pink in the sky area would turn lilac, but luckily the blue was opaque enough to hide the pink. It's a mixture of cobalt blue and white, both of which are relatively opaque.

A new print starts.

A nice twist to our usual life drawing poses: the model was dressed in trenchcoat and hat, giving a Forties' detective feel.






This is the same pose as the first drawing, drawn immediately after it, but the model seems to have slumped a bit -- or I got the angles wrong.




Another pose. Lots of linework with a hard pencil and a soft pencil; smudging to create tone; and then lifting out the lights with a putty rubber.

It makes an interesting change to draw a clothed model: there's a suggestion of a story; a reason why the model is there.

Each pencil on paper, approx A3.

It's been quiet around here later. Too busy working! Normal service has now been resumed.

One of my photographs has just appeared in the National Trust guide to White Horse Hill. Here's the cover (not my photo):


My photo's inside.


It's in the middle, near the bottom. Their caption is "Sheep on the ramparts" (of Uffington Castle). Here's the original:

Molly and Marlow in the garden. Not quite finished, because Marlow decided that the modelling fee that I offered wasn't enough.
Ink and watercolour on paper, 28 x 9 cm.

I'll be teaching a two day weekend course, exploring contemporary and traditional bookmaking methods at the South East School of Art in East Grinstead.

13 - 14 August 2011, 10.30 - 4.30pm

  

This weekend course introduces bookmaking techniques from traditional casebound books to more surprising structures. This is an ideal introduction to bookbinding for both creating books as beautiful and useful objects, and as a starting point for making your own artist’s books. All the techniques that you’ll learn can be easily reproduced at home with minimal equipment.

• Make a minibook from a single sheet of paper.
• Learn how to create books with just a few folds and cuts.
• Make your own sketchbooks in ten minutes.
• Create your own hardback casebound journals.
• Fill and decorate your books with simple printmaking techniques.
• Explore the mysteries of books that move and twist.

You’re welcome to bring any photos or drawings that you’d like to include in your books, and plain or decorated papers for covering the books.

Fee: £120 for two days tuition, including materials, refreshments, and light lunches.

To book a place, or find out more, please contact the South East School of Art.

  

Ink and watercolour on paper, 28 x 9 cm.

Duke Street, Brighton. 11 July 2011, 11.10am.
Ink and watercolour on paper, 28 x 9 cm.

I made a linocut of one of my drawings from one of our recent life-drawing sessions. Keeping it simple: just black and white.


Linocut, 18 x 18cm.