Sketchbook Pages: New Journal

It seems like all I've been blogging is sketchbook pages, but I'm really excited about these latest ones. I'm trying to use up some of my supply stash along with my new stuff, and the layers are just too good.

This page is the first one in my new journal (which I picked up at Curry's last Thursday). I chose a landscape size to add a new feel to my pages. I like the long space it gives me to work with.

As I mentioned in my last sketchbook post, I continued playing with the mountain theme, though this time my hills are more subtle to go along with the softer colour palette. There are a lot of layers going on here. I took pictures along most of my process - whenever I stopped to wait for paint to dry - so here's how the page progressed:

First, I started with a quick collage of torn book pages. I covered this with a gesso wash to push it into the background.

Next, going along with my theme, I used a palette knife to add in a blue sky. I also added a few pieces of patterned paper for the hills.

Speaking of hills - I added the outline in black India ink, along with a few drips, next. I also used my palette knife to add some titan buff paint to soften the edges of the page and collage elements.

I wasn't too sure where I wanted to go, so I pulled out my stamps and went a little crazy. I stuck mostly to greens, yellow and orange in vertical stripes to fill in my mountain range. I also used my fingers to paint in a bit of the mountains (in sap green, darkened a bit with the still-damp India ink), then broke out the palette knife once again to add some sap green and India yellow hue to the edges of the page.

I went quite a few steps here without pictures, so bear with me. I knew I wanted to add a quote next, and found the perfect one. After writing that in, something was still missing. So I mixed a bit of sap green and titan buff, and finger-painted in a bit more of my mountain. I also used my palette knife to add a bit of titan buff to the sky, green to the other edges and then a bit of iridescent copper hue all over the hills. It still felt unfinished, so I splattered a bit more black India ink. I felt a few circles would work, so I used a toilet paper roll for that... and went a little overboard. I tried to cover it a bit with more splotches, but it wasn't working. Blech.

A simple gesso wash saved the day. The sky was a bit blank after that, so I added a few drops of ink and called it finished. I think I'll add one or two more circles to the sky though, now that I look at it again. Still, I'm very pleased with how the page turned out - and the quote just feels so right for me right now!