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Permanence

One strange property of India and Sumi ink is that once they hit the paper, they stay there. This allows an artist to put down a layer of ink, let it dry, and then lay in water color without harming the ink below. This pigeon is a great example of that technique in action.

I will say it was nice to be a little more loose with the colors. With the ink serving as my mid-tones and shadows, I was able to put down more pure color. I find that my paintings sometimes get a bit muddy as I obsess over light and shadow.

While I am pleased with the results of this technique (I will be doing this again on Thursday), I do not want to use it as a crutch. I would still like to learn more about mixing my own greys and darkening colors with their complements. I also want to get better with the brush.

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