Adding the Dots

The way I apply the dots has sort of evolved into using the materials pictured below. I am not brand conscious except for the paint. Golden was chemist, so I am confident that his paints will be alright. I switched from another brand I can no longer find locally. Oh, I suggest seeing how often you make use of a color before buying a large tube of Golden acrylic paints.

The throw away palettes are convenient when working with acrylic. I prefer the ones that are solid. Having that traditional palette thumb-hole doesn’t work well for folding the palette over on itself to keep the paint wet – the waxy surface is a big help.

When I first started painting with dots, I used some old Q-Tips with wooden dowels. But then I ran out. I tried the ones with cardboard dowels. Those just became soggy in water. Eventually I located small wooden dowels at a Michael’s up in Memphis – while I was evacuated there. Rolling cotton on one end of a dowel works fine.

Anyway the technique for making the dots has just sort of developed from my experimenting. The amount of cotton on the dowel will determine the size of the dots. Figuring out how to paint with the cotton is just a matter of “trial and error.”


Painting Materials: 1 roll of paper towels, 1 bag of wooden dowels, 2 disposable palettes, 1 bag of cotton balls, 5 tubes of Golden acrylic, party cups of water

Here is the same dowel with a regular and large amounts of cotton on one end. It's a matter of how large you want your dots to be.


Regular amount of cotton on a wooden dowel


Large amount of cotton on a wooden dowel

"a" Series Is Ready for Dots!

Here are the next twenty-six canvases with a second coat of paint. All I need to do now is add the dots. Scroll down to see the previous stages of my process.

The Underpainting

Right now I am in the middle of underpainting my canvases. At this stage I’m getting a first coat of color on them. When I do the second coat, I may change the color(s) I use. This is to see what happens with color combinations before I begin the dots. The colors may influence the final version of the design I use. I don’t always stay too locked in to an image. A lot depends on whether I see the piece working.


20 - 5" x 5" s, acrylic on canvas

The Grid

The grids, I use in these paintings, are generated by drawing lines from opposite corners of the canvas. I then draw perpendicular lines based on the intersection of those two lines. This trick came from an instructional video for creating a grid to transfer an image.


6 - 5" x 5" s, acrylic on canvas

The Thumbnail

From my list of ideas, I generate simple thumbnail ink drawings on Post-it Notes. Sometimes I do several drawings for one idea. Much depends on whether I’m satisfied with the first drawing. Many of these were the first drawings.

Red, yellow and blue are a little limiting for colors, but I make more decisions during the underpainting stage.

Of course the final piece sometimes changes from my drawing. This is not a commitment in stone.


Design Materials: 1 Sharpie Fine Point, 1 Sharpie Ultra Fine Point, 3 Post-It Note Square Pads


26 - 2 7/8" x 2 7/8", ink on Post-It Notes

The List

When I created the “o” series from Memphis, I painted off the top of my head for the first eight paintings. The first and eighth paintings were more specific than the others in terms of a specific place or specific experience. After that I decided to make a list of ideas for the other paintings. I eventually zeroed in on designs based on my list of ideas.

When I did the second batch, I had my list first, designs next and went on to flesh out the paintings. In the middle of doing that bunch I began creating a new list for another batch. So, at this point I have a more structured approach to my process. Of course all of this is subject to my whim.

Next to each idea I'll jot down some colors for the background. This just a beginning and is subject to change.

A couple of weeks back I misplaced my list and had to generate another one from memory. Then this week I found the original list. I compared the two and had only two ideas that disagreed. So, I made a third list that is now the game plan. Well that’s where I am now at least. Oh, and a list for the batch after this one is almost finished. The process only gets faster – at least for this stage.


List Materials: 1 - 5" x 8" Office Depot Perforated Writing Pad Canary, 1 PaperMate Sharp Writer Mechanical Pencil, 1 PaperMate Write Bros. Medim Ball Point Pen Black, and 1 Pilot VBall Rolling VBall Fine Black Ink


2 Sheets 5" x 8", 1 Office Dept Perfroated Writing Pad Canary, ink on paper

These are materials I like to use.

Grid Process

My whole process for making dot art started as an explanation of "value" to some elementary students. In each triangle of a grid I used line and dots to generate areas of various lights and darks. Going a step further I played with color pencil using the same grid format. From there I decided to paint with acrylics on canvas again working with a triangle grid. However, I was bored with the result. It was then I decided I to add dots to give my painting some life.


ink on paper, 8.5" x 11"


colored pencil on paper, 5.5" x 8.5"


watercolor on paper, 8.5" x 11"


ink on post it, 3" x 3"


acrylic on canvas, 22" x 28"

"o" Series from New Orleans Completed!

Yesterday I finished painting the last four paintings from the “o” series from New Orleans. That makes twenty-six altogether. Again they are based on sites and experiences since my return to the New Orleans area.

I’ve already started on the next batch that will be part of the “a” series as well as a list for another batch after that for the other half of that series.

Completing this series has given me ideas for more works. I’ve already sold fourteen of the first “o” series from Memphis.

ow

acrylic on canvas, 5" x 5"

ox

acrylic on canvas, 5" x 5"

oy

acrylic on canvas, 5" x 5"

oz

acrylic on canvas, 5" x 5"

ot

acrylic on canvas, 5" x 5"

ou

acrylic on canvas, 5" x 5"