A question for Jason Ross and anyone else

[andymania]

A check for a thousand dollars will be sent to anyone who can figure this out.
lol, just kidding.

Anyway, I have this problem with using turpenoid and colored pencils. This also happens when just plain layering without turp. I noticed these blotches and specks show up (they are extremely evident when layering dark over light colors)

When drawing on Stonehenge, Arches Hotpress paper, or any friggin paper with fine tooth, I apply several layers of pencils then blend it with a tortillion dipped in turpenoid.

Now, I noticed than when blending with turp and a stump, it causes the paper fibers to rise and the surface becomes hairy. Once the turp evaporates and you apply more layers, you see these specks, which are really ugly and really standout.

These attached swatches were done on Arches 300 gsm paper with prismacolors, turpenoid and tortillion stumps.

I tried everything:

Sharp pencil tips

brushing away wax crumbs every 2 seconds, you name it.

Any solutions to this?? I saw work that was done this way that was so awesome and perfect with no blotches and I finally give up trying to find a solution. Maybe you guys can figure this out.

-Andy

[Hyskoa]

Did you try waiting for the turp to dry up before applying pencil stuff?

[andymania]

yes i did. no go.

[Jason Ross]

It's been some time since my days in the paper and board department at Pearl Paint but I believe that the arches 300 lb water color paper is 100% rag. Which means it's cotton basically. Some water color paper really doesn't hold up too well when you really scrub at it. It will start to loosen the "sizing" of the paper and you'll get those "hairs" that you're talking about and it'll be like trying to paint on toilet paper. I would recommend trying a Cold press Illustration board like Crescent #310 or similiar. I usually use this technique of turpenoid and prismacolors only on very fine details towards the end like eyes and soft highlights so I'm concerned that you might be expecting too much from your colored pencils. By the way, I really like the blending on the lower left of you swatch there.

[andymania]

You are absolutely right Jason. I am trying to break the natural laws of the colored pencil. My teacher probaby misinformed me since he did mention he mixes oils with colored pencils on top. I tried that today. I took some Turp and a rag and some oil colors, wiped the diluted oils into Stonehenge paper and applied colored pencils on top. Friggin amazing. Then sprayed it with workable fixative and for some odd reason I was able to work on top of it.

-Andy

[Tommy Allison]

Actually, I'll take that $1000.00 check.

When people draw, their hand touches the paper. What do hands do? They sweat. Your sweat gets into the paper, and oddly enough is a magnet for dirt, and or anything else mineral.

It also like many other things is fairly resilient to turpenoid, as the fat that comes from sweat, acts to protect the paper from the solvent oddly enough.

The best way to eliminate these little dots, and blotches, is to wear nitrile gloves.

Make that check payable to Tommy Allison.

Thanks.