Also what kind of paper/board are you using ?

Thanks !

The genesis of the technique was pretty simple, if long in coming. For years I'd been intrigued by Alan Lee's watercolor technique and had read that he first does detailed charcoal pencil drawings, then watercolors over those. I couold never figure out how he does it (and still can't!). When I tried to use watercolor over charcoal, the charcoal becomes liquified and smears. When I'd try to use spray fix or workable fix on top of the charcoal, the watercolors would tend to bead up. When I tried them on top of pencil-- a medium I'm more comfortable with than charcoal-- the beading efect was even worse, due to the lubricative nature of graphite.

One day I was thinking about the technique and realized that I had an old pack of Peerless Watercolors in my stash. Peerless colors are unusual in that they were developed for photographers for use in photo restoration and retouching. "A-HA!", thunk I. "They are made for slick surfaces! Maybe they'll adhere to the spray fix!" I tried a small drawing, sprayed it with workable fix, let the fix dry, then applied my Peerless watercolors. Worked like a charm! I've been using the technique ever since as my exclusive painting method.

Here's a run-down of the technique itself:
Paper: I use 3 or 4 ply bristol board-- Strathmore 500. Mine is rather "vintage" paper-- from the 70's or 80's. A few years ago I was able to score a few hundred sheets of the stuff from a nice lady in Florida who'd bought an art supply warehouse! However, I've occasionally used 2 ply bristol and don't experience any severe buckling or warpage of the paper. For some reason I've never found that to be a big problem. I've laso used Crescent illustrastion boards. I prefer bristol over illustration board, though, because you can use a lightbox with it. Some of my PCAD students are using Arches hot press watercolor block. I've been meaning to try that, because Arches hot press (as opposed to cold press) watercolor paper has a fairly slick surface, almost like smooth bristol board.

Pencil technique: There are a few half-tone drawings in my Grimjack, Illustration and Odin Galleries that are designated "graphite", "ink and graphite" or "blended graphite." Get a look at those and you'll pretty much see what's underneath the colors. Basically, these are fully-rendered pencil drawings. This way, I use the graphite tones to establish the majority of the shadow/highlight values in the painting rather than having to it via mixing paints. This way, all the shadows and details are there when I apply the colors. I use a variety of pencils for toning: F to 6B. I Occasionally I'll use Ebony pencils, and lately I've been trying Wolf "pure black" carbon pencils. I'm enjoying the Wolfs because they go down "matte black". Sometimes graphite pencils will give off a slight reflective sheen that my scanner will pick up.

I use a paper blending stump to blend the graphite tones. I use an eraser to pick out highlights and such. You keep the work clean by erasing little sections as you go. It's also good to work on single sections of the drawing at any given time, then apply a LIGHT coat of workable fix when you finish the section.

Workale fixes: After you're done with the pencils give thr drawing one last shot of workable fix.

CAREFUL: workable and permanant fixes can be cancer-causing! I spray the pieces outside whenever I can. During winter months, I'll turn on an overhead fan in my studio, hold my breath, shoot some fix, then leave the room for ten or fifteen minutes. Also important: Don't use the fixes in a cold room! If the temperature is less than 65 or so, the fix will become cloudy! Prefered brand: I use Krylon rather than Grumbacher. Grumbacher seems to resist watercolors more.

Paints: Peerless Watercolors can be purchased or ordered at photographers stores, or ordered online at www.Peerlesscolor.com (I think-- be sure to double check the web address via Google or suchlike). When you see them, you'll think they're pretty strange: unlike regular watercolors, which come in trays or tubes, Peerless colors are impregnated into postcard-sized sheets of paper! You just tear off a bit, pop the sliver into a watercolor blending tray (or jar-lid, or whatever!), add a little water, and away you go.

For finishing touches, I also use designer's gouache. Gouache is an opaque watercolor. With the gouche I'll bop up certain details, make shadows darker, etc. I've found that it's sometimes best NOT to use black for shadows. I'll use dark blues, dark purples, and dark greens, depending on the root color of the painting. It's a trick I learned talking to Tim Hildebrant. Tim and his brother seldom use black in their paintings-- they use a dark purple. Try it. When you're done, the shadows will look black, but have a bit or warmth to them.

When I'm done with the painitng, I scan it. Aftger scanning I do digital touch-ups with a great photo editing program called ACDSee 7.0. I'll add little highlights, glints, fix smears, stuff like that.

That's about it! Hope all this makes sense!
That's about it!

I really want to get away from just coloring art in photoshop. I think people would like to have art that they can actually own, plus I just like working on something real at the end of the day.

So your technique seems perfect yet when I tried it with regular W&N watercolors it didn't work. Thanks a million ! For whatever reason 2 ply bristol always warps to hell on me, and even 300 lb. arches warps too. So I tend to use Stratmore illustration board.

Well i hope you come to NYC sometime, the last time I saw you was in 93' I think or 95'. I got you to sign my Grimjacks. And now I have some new ones to be signed ! I really noticed how your draftsmanship has taken a huge leap in the new stuff.
Why do you think that is ?

Your question might be best answered via the interview links that were just posted at the "Cynostation Timbo" section. Check them out, and let me know if there are any other questions that come to mind.

Thanks for writing! Off to to the board now, to paint my first Conan cover! Yeehaw!

But I first found your stuff in Return To Brookmere i think it was the third TSR Endless quest book. In between the Elmore cover and your art, I was poisoned for life on S&S. Thanks !

Thanks for the "Return to Brookmere"! You know, I've always been surprised at how mnany times that particular title has been mentioned to me over the years! Fun job-- completed during my pre-comics days when I was still on staff at TSR with Larry Elmore, Jeff Easley, and one of my best buddies on the planet, Keith Parkinson. What a great bunch of guys. It was like going to graduate school, being in the midst of such great illustrators.

I tested it out using watered down acrylics and I liked how it worked out. The only problem is that the matte medium shows the brush strokes. But I'm going to try using a paint roller. I think that should do the trick.

I couldn't find the paints though so I'm going to order them from the website.

Thanks again !

Sometimes you can work brush strokes to your advantage, using the textures to give the work a little extra flair. This is an especially cool technique to try with gesso-- gessoing the board forst before painting.

Careful with the rollers-- they might drop lint or other such particles into the matte medium. If the roller doesn't work, have you seen those wide, flat styrofoam brushes that they sell at paint stores? I've laso seem them at A.C Moore arts and craft stores. Maybe try one of those?

I'm just surprised that no one else has asked you about this.

One thing to consider: given the benzine content in most oil paints and thinners, it's way safer, healthwise. Just don't inhale any fixative!

I was intrigued by your combination of the graphite
work and watercolors (peerless). I do a lot of ink and
watercolor or I have some of the old Dr Martin's dyes
that are pretty good, if not overly intense. Anyway, I
hate it when I lose that fresh, "movement" or whatever
you choose to call it that you get from the drawings,
when they're inked they just seem to lose all their life.

I was curious as to the difference of the Peerless brand
of water colors compared to W&N, Yarka or etc. Besides
the obvious, that they were created for Photo retouching.

Thanks
Jeff

Another cool thing about them: they come in little packets, not tubes or blocks. The colors are actually embedded onto sheets of paper. You tear off a little hunk and drop it into your paint tray, add some water, and go. Real handy. I just love them. Nothing else gives me the same look as the Peerless colors.
-TT

Last Edited Timbo on 21-Mar-2006 5:42 AM

Thanks again.

BTW, I just saw one of the covers you did on one
of the new Conan books coming out....
absolutely BEAUTIFUL Work & great design!!!