Ink and pigment notes.
A chronological log of materials, methods, and quiet observations from the drawing board and easel. Unfiltered reflections on the physical act of creation.
The weight of paper
Selecting the right cotton substrate is as vital as the pigment itself. A heavy three-hundred-gram paper holds the ink differently, allowing the water to pool and dry with distinct, deckled edges that digital screens can never replicate.
This week in the studio is dedicated entirely to testing cold-press textures against raw carbon black ink. The results are unpredictable, textured, and entirely permanent.
Recent studio updates
Curing raw oil paint
The geometry of grids
In praise of carbon
Unlike modern acrylics, oil paint demands patience. The slow oxidation process means a canvas remains alive for months, shifting subtly in tone and texture as it cures.
Structure does not restrict freedom; it anchors it. Designing the layout of a book follows the same spatial laws as balancing a large-scale abstract canvas.
Carbon black remains the most honest pigment. It absorbs light completely, offering a deep, velvety void that serves as the perfect counterweight to soft pastel washes.
We write to make sense of the landscape, and we paint when the words finally run out. Every medium is just another way of looking.
McLeod Lewis