One of my favorite ways to work is taking a graphite or ink drawing and digitally enhancing it. There is something special about working in traditional media, holding a pencil, pressing it into the paper, smearing and erasing, the grit and the grim. That experience can’t be replaced by digital media. And yet, the magic that can be performed digitally is so mind blowing. Digital media enhances my skills so much. What would take me years to perfect what the computer assists me in doing in seconds?
Life and Death is a piece completed using the deletion technique. For this piece, the entire paper was covered with graphite creating an even, mid tone. Then lighter values are created by erasing or “deleting.” Darker values are added with a pencil. While this piece can stand on its own, I decided to go further by scanning it into the image editor PhotoShop. I added color and gave it a faux watercolor look without ruining the original graphite drawing. Here is the end result.
This is another piece done with the same technique.
Drawing freehand I was able to create a wide range of values and textures. However, it wasn’t until the color was added digitally that a really strong mood achieved.
Both of these pieces were shown at the California State Fair in 2013.
Debra A. Collins 