Process Question!

Jeanne.M.Bowman

So a common lament I hear from artists, including myself, is how their sketches are more lively and energetic than their finished work. The way I work is this: I draw characters and backgrounds separately on different pieces of paper in soft pencil which I really like the look of, but when I go to transfer it I tend to use a very small mechanical pencil. Lately I have been wanting to incorporate my linework into the final piece, but since I am using watercolor to paint it I don't want to use a waxy lead pencil or the pencil I normally use because it tends to run a little once I have submerged my paper for stretching. I have heard that some artists, like Wylie Beckert http://www.wyliebeckert.com/process.php?show=process-masks will draw her work separately and then transfer it to the watercolor paper via the printer. SO HERE IS THE QUESTION:

Does anyone else do this?
The ink from my printer runs when I go to paint over the lines. Is there something I need to seal the lines with? Or is there a different sort of printer/ink I need to use? I have a HP ENVY right now and it is just a basic office printer. Nothing fancy.

Thanks!

TessaW

I believe Wylie Beckert gets a giclee print at a print shop for this process. I'm pretty sure giclee is waterproof.

ambiirae

@JeaneBean could you use micron ink pens and do the line art by hand? The ink in the pens is waterproof and the come in super fine tip. They are amazing pens and I believe I be seen videos online of people using them with water color before

DOTTYP

I had this problem also, the ink in the printer does run when you add watercolour,but less so with Arches coldpress paper.I just recently bought a Huion A3 light box ,you just trace your original sketch straight onto the watercolour paper with a very light pencil or waterproof ink .It only cost £50 on Amazon I am really pleased with it.Micron pigma, faber castell brush pen and pentel brush pen are all waterproof.Hope this helps.

Jon Anderson

Aaron Blaise did a video that might help or at least give you an idea. Hope you find what you're looking for!

https://youtu.be/Wuna3e8uHyQ