Thank you, Joan, Margo, Debby, Rain, for your comments.
Here is a thread where I posted
a few experiments on graphite powder.
This morning, I did a few quick tests again on Stillman & Birn Alpha 9x12 inch.
This one has four quadrants. I used General's Charcoal Powder and Daniel Smith watercolor.
Top left - powder applied with pan pastel knife with sponge tip. Then plain watercolor with very little water. This is by far the cleanest way to apply graphite powder on paper because the sponge tool pack the powder in and there's very little dust flying around.
http://www.sofftart.com/products.html
Lower left - powder applied with a stiff paint brush which will scatter the dust. Then you have to salvage it by using a paper towel to smudge it and clean it up. A bit messy. Then added plain watercolor with very little water.
Top right - powder mixed with watercolor and water and paint like paint.
Lower right - powder applied with paper towel, then sprayed workable fixative. When dried, add diluted watercolor.
This one is using up the residue paint from top right. For smooth strokes like these, Alpha is not the ideal paper. Chinese rice paper or heavy Arches paper is better where absorption is immediate and it wouldn't pool.
On a small Stillman Alpha hardbound sketchbook, I continued the experiment.
Powder applied with sponge tool
Added Ritmo Charcoal pencil details
Highligts lifted with kneaded eraser
Spray workable fixative
When dried, put a layer of Daniel Smith watercolor and make patterns here and there with the one inch brush. With fixative, I don't have to worry about graphite color running.
Put it into photoshop for fun.
Linear Mode
