I've Been Painting

Hello,

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile.  I've been painting.

From inside the painting booth.  Steve Franklin, 2016.

Here is a view inside the spray booth that I made with PVC pipe and large 4mil plastic sheeting.  I ended up making a small bench with two lower shelves to fit in the booth.  I can place a small easel (that I built) onto the table.  There's not much space for much of anything else, but next to this is a taboret. By the time I had a couple of layers of varnish on the tabletop, it looked so good, I covered it with plastic sheeting to protect it. I've been making the panels using ripped 2X4 frame onto which I glue and nail an oversized sheet of hardboard. I used a jigsaw to cut the hardboard, so the cut is rough.  Once the glue is dry, I use a small trim router with a straight bearing bit, which rubs against the wooden frame to cut it flush with the edge of the frame.  Then I putty, sand and put three coats of gesso on the board, lightly sanding between coats. Onto the face, I then brush a coat of Golden Absorbent Ground.  This makes it receptive to ballpoint pen, pencil, watercolors, and High Flow acrylics.  Making the panels is pretty cheap, because I can get a 4 x 8 foot sheet of hardboard for a little more than eight dollars, It takes less than one 2x4 to make each panel.

Once I finish working in the pen work and staining (not unlike watercolor technique). I have to seal the image.  I use my airbrush for this. I mix Golden Airbrush Extender with Golden GAC 500 to use as the sealing layer to spray using airbrush.  This is when I close the booth and dawn a mask.  When I'm done, I turn on a box fan that I put in the window to blow out the foggy mist.  Once dry, I can brush a thin coat of gloss acrylic.  Finally, using a large pallet knife, I apply a thick coat of Golden Heavy Gel Medium.  At this point, the image is lost in the thick milky coat of gel which takes about three days to clear.

Since this blog is more about my sketchbook, I don't think I will put up photos of my paintings.  I'm waiting to accumulate enough new work for an art exhibit before I show them.  I'm working on a series, so I've been spending much of my free time building panels, sanding, puttying, priming, drawing, painting, spraying, etc.

I have been filling up another sketchbook.  I just need to take photos of the journal pages.

Anyway,

That's what I've been up to--working on a series of paintings.  I've only completed three paintings, the first of which I need to rework.  This is the fourth one.

Take care of yourself,

-Steve