In the photo above is a closer view of this small quick layer. In the original photograph the background light is so bright that the distant cliff looks washed out by light. I liked the little carved rays in the cliffside so I decided to try something I had not done yet, I did a little mini rainbow roll of sun glow in just those two spots. This is a shear mix of extender, white, and a touch of yellow ochre. I liked it, so decided to go for it knowing that I would have to re-apply each time that area got printed over.

     This is one of those layers that throws you back, so bright! Yikes! But that is a big factor in reduction printmaking, brace yourself and stay true to the plan and your knowledge of how color works, it can make or break a composition. Here I used process red with process yellow, heavier on the yellow toward the cliff edge and pure red with extender in the more shaded areas.

     Wanted less intense colors in the interior of the canyon, so I toned it down with a layer of burnt sienna mixed with yellow ochre, and of course extender as I still want some of the underlying color to glow through. You can also see where I applied another layer of sun glow in those two spots.

     Here's another yikes moment, persons of a certain age might remember neon posters of the 60's and early 70's, yep, definitely has that neon poster vibe, but I knew, stick to the plan it will look right in the end.

     Looks like I forgot to take a picture of the darker purple layer, you can see it in the middle right, that may effect my layer count, oh well no biggie. This layer is burnt sienna and extender, it really shifts the color when it mixes with the underlying purple and begins to deepen the cool canyon shade.

     That does it for this week, hope you found this interesting.

1. Here is the first layer below, I used my 12” soft rubber roller with 99.9% extender and just a touch of process blue at the top, and yellow ochre at the horizon in a rainbow roll, then extended the section with the same color mix and a smaller roller, because my 12” roller wasn’t quite wide enough to reach down where I needed it to be, just needed a layer of color base.  At this point I have not yet carved any of the block as there are no pure white areas to preserve in this composition.

 
 2. Above is layer #2, it represents the distant cliff on the other side of the main canyon. I used an opaque cream white color to make a more solid feeling feature, there will not be much detail here, just indication of the same rock type at a distance.

3. Here are layers #3 and #4.  #3 is a saturated yellow /white for the brilliant highlights on the cliff, and a layer of white to cover over the blue in the sky, I have carved out all the sky and all but some small areas for a sandstone color for the distant cliff. #4 is a correction, I decided to make the yellow softer, lighter and peachier, it is a mix of process yellow, process red, and mostly opaque white. If you can zoom in on the picture on the right you can see the subtle terracotta color in the distant cliff. I had debated whether or not to indicate that distant cliff, unsure if it would read correctly, ultimately decided to go for it as the added rolling of the sky might have shown up and could have looked confusing, as it is I think it worked, and that all got carved away so, no going back, although I could have carved another block to print on a wash over that area to make it more obvious.

4. This is the 5th layer, now the image is beginning to take shape, I’m glad that I lightened that yellow, and included the distant cliff. Very pleased with the colors so far. This is just a light orange, and a more ochre color in the lower portion of the print, there is also some sunburst rays along the sides of the cliff next to the trees that I added just because I felt like it. Some of the underlying blue still shows but I am not concerned because that whole side will be mainly in shadow.

     Hope this was interesting and maybe answered some questions you may have had, please comment, feedback is very much welcomed. Next Friday’s post will show show big changes, some anyone who has done reduction prints can relate to where one can get shocked into a questioning of confidence.

     Welcome to my blog, I consider this a shared journal that can function as a way to interact with anyone who has questions or advice, and a resource that I can use to look back on how I got things done and learn from mistakes.

     This first post will document the beginning, the why, where and how. With each added post I will show the photograph of that layer and explain the color choices, and issues faced with that layer, how I decide on planning what to do next, whether or not to change the plan if the benefit is worth the risk.

     In the spring of 2019 we went on a month long camping exploration of Utah with my in-laws, it was early spring so the weather included a wide variety of conditions with lots of snow, thunderstorms, fierce wind and sparkling sunshine. Picture Bryce Canyon with it's red cliffs dusted with white, and purple/ grey clouds across the sky, casting dramatic shadows between the glowing sunlight on the land.

     There are so many fabulous pictures in my stash I could be kept busy and content for years, it is difficult to choose, so there is a system to help decide. Some images just grab me, when I scroll through the files they catch my eye and put me right there again, it might be the colors, the scale, the patterns, the emotions, and any combination of these. When I'm working on a piece I keep my mind on the aspect that made me choose this composition, why this one, don't loose the focus, distill it down to the most important thing about it,  reinforce that with each layer.

     The reasons I was so drawn to this image specifically are many, here is a rundown. When I really think about it all of the reasons that this image is so compelling to me all contribute to the most important tribute, the feeling, they all built up the feeling. The gradient of light from brilliant warm outside to the cool violets and greens in the canyon, I felt sheltered there. The scale of the immense rock face up to the top, again, shelter and strength. Those colors, wow! Again warm to cool, the cool could save your life and that is a very emotional reaction.

     Above from left to right is the original photograph, the painting done specifically as a pattern for this print, and the completed print. It is interesting to look at all three side by side, there seems to be a bit of a metamorphosis from the process. As self critique I can see that the shadows are not as dark as the work progresses, the gap in the canyon is wider, the furthest tree is taller, and the colors are more saturated. I had better not look at this too long or I will be tempted to carve another block and add another layer.

     We have established the why this image, now the how, what is the plan. When I first chose this picture I thought it would be easy, a series of rainbow rolls each with the gradient from light to dark, vivid to muted, and warm to cool, of course it wasn't that simple. I plan to post an image and explanation each Friday till I've gone through all the layers. Looking forward to hearing from anyone who follows along and hope that you enjoy this as I am.