Tag: Hokusai

Inktober 2019 Days 1-5

I’m doing Inktober again in my small sketchbook Canson art book universal (14×21 cm / 4×6 in), in which I used half pages every day (except the first day).

Day 1: “Ring”

Grey and white ink drawing of the silhouette of a boxer in a ring. The open artbook is on a wooden table next to a red 'frixion' red ballpoint pen, a white ink brushphen, a bottle of black ink and two brushes resting on black water in a plastic cup.

Black ink applied with brushes and more or less water, white ink.

Day 2: “Mindless”

Black ink drawing with thin parallel lines representing the Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai

I don’t do too well with abstract concepts. And it had been a while since I had riffed the Hokusai” great wave off Kanagawa.

Day 3: “Bait”

Black and grey ink drawing of the earth as bait attached to a fishing bob floating in the water.

Planet Earth used a fishing bait. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake. Apparently it liked the paper of my art book very much. So much that it seeped through!

Day 4: “Freeze”

The character Freeze wearing goggles and a glass helmet around his head is throwing a ball. The ball and his hand are bigger because of perspective. I used purple ink for the outline and the background, which I applied with a flat brush in a way that the texture of the brush is visible. I applied some white ink to correct mistakes. The ink bottle, brush and white ink brushpen are on the wooden table next to the open artbook.

There’s a Comics character called Freeze. Done with the purple ink and brush I received in a recent sketchbox.

Day 5: “Build”

Black and grey drawing of geometric shapes and volumes forming some building.

Abstract prompt again, but an opportunity to stray not too far from the concept and try some architecture. I used the light grey ink BrushWriter from Kuretake for the lighter tones, and a felt tip marker for the darker areas.

Reproduction of Hokusai’s ‘Sparrow & Magnolia’

On the second board I had, I set to reproduce Hokusai’s ‘Sparrow & Magnolia’.

I sketched it rather precisely, a somewhat tedious endeavour given the texture of the layer of white paint:
Side by side are the open book with reference image and the white board on which I drew a precise pencil outline. My pencil and rubber are visible above the book on the table.

Then I started to paint with gouache. Here, the sky and the wood of the magnolia branch:
Board on a wooden table next to a gouache paint tube and brush, an open book. I painted with gouache the sky and the wood of the magnolia branch.

Then, the sparrow in shades of orange and light milky orange:
Wet paint on the sparrow in shades of orange and light milky orange

Purple and red for the dark petals of the magnolia blossoms:
Purple and red gouache paint for the dark petals of the magnolia blossoms. Next to the board is the palette with the paint and the brush I'm using is resting on it.

I added white to my burgundy mix and enhanced the magnolia blossoms. Then used dark and light green for the leaves:
I added white to my burgundy mix to enhanced the magnolia blossoms. Then used dark and light green for the leaves. Paint tubes are visible on the table next to the wooden board I'm painting on.

Then I focused on the sparrow, using blue and white, and black:
The sparrow is now almost fully painted using blue and white, and black

With a Pentel black brushpen, I outlined everything and creating details on the tail of the sparrow, the branch and leaves.
Detail of the painting showing the bird and flowers around it. With a Pentel black brushpen, I outlined everything and created details on the tail of the sparrow, the branch and leaves.

Here is the resulting 20×50 cm framed painting:
Final piece signed and framed

Reproduction of Hokusai’s ‘Cuckoo & Azalea’

Having put a coat of white paint on a couple of tall and narrow wooden boards that were framed and used to represent some ugly and soulless floral arrangements, I set to reproduce Hokusai’s ‘Cuckoo & Azalea’, which I had drawn and colored before (notably using watercolor during Drawvember 2016).

I sketched it rather precisely. We see the texture of the layer of white paint on the wood, as I used a foam paint roller:
Large white wooden board on a table next to gouache paint tubes, a brush and tiny plastic palette. A book is open at the illustration that I use as reference. A precise pencil sketch is visible on the board.

Black gouache for the strong strokes on the cuckoo, shades of blue and white gouache for the sky:
Photo of the part of the board that shows the cuckoo flying downwards which I painted black, and the sky painted in shades of blue over white clouds

Then I painted the bush of azaleas, and used some grey for the shadows on the feathers:
Board with both bird and azalea bush painted. Paint tubes are visible on the wooden table.

Finally, I used a Pentel black brushpen for the bush outline and the details of leaves and flowers:
Azalea bush now finished with outlines in black. Paint tubes are visible on the table.

Resulting 20×50 cm framed painting:
Finished piece framed.