Experimenting with Powdered Graphite

This is one of the first times I actually finished a piece with Powdered Graphite as one of the mediums, and while I like the results of the PG, it was one of the most labor intensive mediums I've used. I ran into all kinds of problems trying to make the medium work for me and in the end I had to make more changes in my drawing than I was comfortable with. So, it was obvious to me that I needed to come to terms with PG, and learn more about how to use it.

I put out the question to other graphite artists asking how they used PG in their work - methods of application, types of surface, pitfalls, what worked best for them. I discovered that there are so many approaches to this powdery monster, I wasn't prepared for the variety of answers. However, the best advice I received was to experiment with it on my own and see what works for me. While this was a great idea, it tended to poke at my left brain which always expects "if a then b" and not "if a maybe b unless c gets in the act, which results in.."

So - this is going to be an ongoing thing and I want to share with you some of the results so you can try them out too. The photos are lousy because I have to battle the cat just to get my work done. I keep my drawing table at a low angle when working with powders and/or liquids and she knows this is the best time to harass me for cat treats. By the way, cat paws don't make good blending tools. I keep page protectors handy for moments like this!

One of the artists that shared some of her methods was Patricia Lucas-Morris; she definitely has developed a remarkable working relationship with PG and I recommend that you check her website http://plmdrawings.com/ to see some very fine drawings. She recommended using acrylic matte medium on the paper before applying the graphite - so my first experiments started there. I made a few discoveries and ran into more questions but it produced some interesting results.

First of all, I wasn't sure if Patricia meant that I should mix the graphite with the matte medium or use the matte like a liquid mask on the drawing - so I tried both. I ended up accidentally making a graphite tar that produced a great flat black, slow to dry, but can be gently manipulated with an eraser, or accepts more graphite if you erase too much. I worked on sketch book paper, Bristol vellum, and Stonehenge drawing papers. Check out the photos and captions on the Powdered Graphite page (right menu) for the tests. I have a way to go, but I will post my results as I go along in future posts.