Clayboard and Airbrush

This is the first board I got to try out my new airbrush on. The three photos below should all be the same color, but were taken under different lighting conditions. The last one is the closest to the true color.

I started with an 18"x24" Ampersand Claybord, and cut it in half lengthwise using a fine hacksaw blade. Then I sanded down the rough edges, and I had two 9"x24" boards ready to go.

Since I wasn't sure how well ink would stick to an already-airbrushed area, I blocked in the elk with sepia ink first. Then I airbrushed the background. In the first photo, you can see an unsightly fingerprint. I rubbed it off with sandpaper, then re-airbrushed the area. This taught me that airbrushing on Claybord is sensitive to fingerprints.

For the second photo, I used black ink on a paintbrush to darken the elks' necks and shadow areas, and to add the plants. I used the fiberglass brush to lighted their rumps and to add highlights to the water.

The final step is where the majority of the scratching took place. I scratched and re-inked and re-scratched the elk to get to this point. I am happy with the result, though I might add another diluted coat of ink to their bodies to darken them up a tad.

The final result is "Morning Mist."