“Homecoming Hopeful”

Gouache, oil pastel, watercolor, colored pencil, graphite on vintage book page 4 x 5 inches

“Hopeful’s Sister”

Gouache, oil pastel, watercolor, colored pencil, graphite on vintage book page 4 x 5 inches

“Barb was always right…”

Gouache, oil pastel, colored pencil, watercolor, graphite on vintage book page  4 x 5 inches

First of all let me say thank you to Lynne Hoppe http://lynnehoppe.blogspot.com/ for her generous tutorial on her techniques for the amazing faces she produces.  I tried it and found that I loved working with her technique.  I never know what little face and expression is going to happen until it appears (like magic) on the page.  I used very small pages, but this would work with larger paper too, not necessarily pages from old books. its just that old books sometimes have very nice paper for oil pastel and graphite.  I used a falling apart volume of “Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – there is a gift inscription in the front that says Christmas 1898.  If the pages hadn’t been falling out, and the spine only partially there I wouldn’t have had the bravado to use the pages – its difficult to get past those early childhood warnings about never coloring,  marking, or tearing a book!  But these were very nice little paper! just right for drawing on.  I also found it interesting where certain words on the page fell into the drawing.  On Home Coming the word ‘smith’ suggest teeth or orthodontia.  On “Barb” the words ‘are to’ on on her upper lip – which would have been even more perfect if it were ‘are too’ which would reinforce her argumentative nature – but you see what I mean!

“Sugar”