Staining Experiments

I've been experimenting with creating stains from loose tea. I've struggled to control india inks in the past. I tend to have issues with over-saturation and control, leading to a murky mess. I decided to explore teas and coffee instead. This week I took 5-10 containers at a time and attempted to create stains with varied amounts of loose tea and water. I experimented with different brands and varieties of teas as well. Here are a few images of the more successful dyes I've created. Brush control became my next issue. I learned that I prefer to use a foam brush, although the marks can appear 'manufactured' if you aren't careful. I am really enjoying the subtly of the less saturated hues and the color variation in the others. I am also interested in the way that the moisture is interacting with the charcoal where the lines become heavier. This may be something worth taking further outside of life drawing.



*The last image was an attempt at wet on wet staining and drawing. I think it turned out a bit cheap-hotel-watercolor looking.