Smooth, Dark, and Fast

I wrote previously about the end of the original Blackwing pencils and how disappointed I was when Eberhard Faber stopped making them. At the time I didn’t know that I was far from alone in my admiration for this particular pencil, and it seems to be a particular obsession here in LA.

My pencil supply has been dwindling, so knowing that other than the name, and a reputation and quality to live up to, and that the Palomino Blackwing and the Pearl have no connection to the original, I went ahead and ordered and have tried out both.

From top to bottom: the original Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602, Ebony,
Palomino HB, Palomino Blackwing, and Palomino Pearl

After working with them, I’m starting to lean towards liking the Pearl the most. It seems a little smoother and blacker. They both live up to the slogan, are smooth on the paper, dark, hold a point a bit longer than most, and they smudge and erase well. For now I’m happy to have the familiar shape (not round, so they don’t roll away) and the removable, replaceable (and customizable) eraser. These are made by the Palomino Company, the same company whose pencils I turned to when I first ran out of the original Eberhard Faber Blackwings. The tagline printed on the original and new pencil is “Half the pressure, twice the speed” – clearly the choice for anyone with a light touch.

Another plus in my estimation is hearing back from Customer Service at Pencils.com that "No animal tallow is used in the manufacture of our pencils. Some lead suppliers used to dip their graphite leads in the fat from whales, but this practice ceased a long time ago. Pencil leads are now dipped in a petroleum-based liquid."

Will it live up to its predecessor? Seems promising. I guess we'll see.

What Are You Reading This Summer?

My summer reading list includes wit, humor, and drama and some conversational topics to last well into the rest of the year.

  Michael Findlay entertains while looking at the value of art through three defining categories; investment value, social leverage, and aesthetic pleasure. Well illustrated with art and ancedote, he explains how all three contribute to how art is marketed, bought and sold, displayed, and lived with.

   

 In a series of essays written with eloquence, insight, and humor, Peter Clothier shows us the process of gently dismantling our outer edifice to allow in fresh awareness and genuine inspiration.

   

 This is for anyone who has an interest in environmental, animal rights, and wilderness issues - assuming that your definition of the wilderness includes the animals that inhabit and to some extent sustain it. Aren't all three interconnected? This book also appeals as a well written drama that brings to light problems with how terrorism has been currently defined and the impact that has on all of us and the resulting limits to our freedom and expression.

Let me know what you're reading.

Preparing Plein Air Panels

While considering what to bring on a painting trip I looked at buying plein air panels to paint on. They tend to be light and small - great for carrying and it seems a good idea keep luggage weight as low as possible while traveling. And since  there are slots to carry thin panels built into my painting box, I might as well use them. My other criteria were that they be quality material, archival, and cruelty free. In other words I wanted oil primed linen mounted on a board - not on a paper or foam product. Inexpensive would be nice also!

I finally found what seemed like the perfect product, oil primed linen, mounted on a board. I ordered a half dozen. They arrived and as I was about to tear into the plastic wrapping, I noticed that the label stated "primed with rabbit skin glue". Fortunately the supplier agreed to take them back. I never did find the product with the exact specifications I wanted, but I did find Art Boards Plein Air - Archival Mounting Panels. These are a thin maple board coated with a heat activated reversible archival adhesive. I have plenty of small pieces of oil primed linen - trims left over from stretching larger surfaces, so using these I've tried them out and I'm happy to say they are quite easy to use. The boards need to be briefly heated: two minutes at 250 degrees - an oven works great - then press the linen (or canvas, or paper, or whatever you are using) to the adhesive surface while it cools. Once it has cooled to about 150 degrees or so, the bond is made. I also tried the reversal to see if it really worked - and it does. All you need to do is reheat the panel and while it is still warm the linen lifts right off.

I used mini clips to press the edges of the linen to the adhesive surface.

I'll also bring along some pieces of unstretched linen to tape or clip to a board as I work that I can stretch back in the studio.

Synthetic Paint Brushes

Passing Through work in progress  ©2011 Katherine Kean

24 x 36" oil on linen on panel

Since removing animal products from my diet, I've learned more about all the ways that animals are used and abused to make not only food, but cosmetics, clothing, shoes, furniture, and even art supplies, As I wrote about here, I started to research new products to replace the non-vegan supplies I've come to rely on all these years. I'd been taught that the best brush for an artists must be a natural bristle brush, preferably a sable. No longer willing to buy and use a brush derived from killing animals, not to mention abhoring the cruel trapping and farming practices, I started looking for a synthetic substitute.

The first brushes I tried out were okay, far better then the ones made years ago, but just not quite as responsive as the natural bristles I've become used to. I've wondered if I would have to learn to make do and adjust my painting style accordingly. Whenever I'm in an art store I look at what they are offering in the synthetic bristle category and recently while browsing in a Utrecht store, I picked up a synthetic mongoose brush made by the Princeton Art & Brush Company. I didn't have high expectations and didn't even try it out for some time. It just sat there on the easel shelf, all clean and new.

Then the other day when I was about to begin painting the numerous twisty branches in the painting started above I decided to try it out and what do you know - it was fantastic! It did everything I would expect from a natural bristle brush. It carried a good load of paint, so I could start out on a long, broad stroke, follow through all the twists and turns and end with a fine point.

This one was a number 6 round. What a joy to paint with. The next time I'm buying brushes I plan on getting some more.

Vegan Art Supplies

Marsh - Boat graphite on paper 4 x 6"

©2011 Katherine Kean

This drawing is being worked into a painting. I may have decided to change the direction of the boat, perhaps because it's the start of a new year, it feels like it should be sailing out instead of in.

One of the changes that I've decided to make in 2011 is to seek out and use vegan Art Supplies. At first glance this doesn't seem to be too much of a challenge, but a closer look reveals animal products used in a variety of products that I would not have thought of. Brushes made from animal fur and paint named "bone black" are obvious. Bone black is a component of Gamblin's Van Dyke Brown, Ivory Black, Asphaltum, Portland Greys, and Payn's Grey. Gamblin's website lists the ingredients used in their paints. That the sizing used in my favorite Arches watercolor papers includes gelatin derived from animals is sad news. I had been using their watercolor paper for both drawing and watercolor and  I'm still looking for something to replace it with. I've heard that both Strathmore and Yupo use no animal products when they manufacture their papers. For drawing I might consider using Arches cover stock, which has no sizing.

The good news is that these days good synthetic brushes are available, so there's really no need for animals to be captured or killed to make a brush. I was also concerned that the oil primed linen that I like might be sized with rabbit skin glue. However it is not. Signature Canvas, who supplies my favorite painting surfaces considers rabbit skin glue as too unstable in humidity changes to use on linen, so they size instead with a synthetic glue. The gesso that they use for acrylic priming is also a kind that does not include any animal products. UPDATE: Signature Canvas is no longer in business. Most of the oil primed linen surface manufacturers I have contacted while sourcing substitutes have told me that they no longer use animal hide glues. Claessens pre-primed oil primed linen uses no animal products.

Updates: I've used Aquabee Super Deluxe Sketchbooks for about as far back as I can remember and I'm happy to report that the sizing used is cornstarch based, not gelatin or animal based.
Daler-Rowney Canford Drawing Papers are vegan.
Claessen's oil primed linen is vegan. 
Recent correspondence with Golden about their gesso discloses that there is no rabbit skin glue in their acrylic gesso, or in any of their acrylic products. Here is a link concerning vegan use of their products: http://www.goldenpaints.com/animalingredientsanimaltesting.
If in doubt contact the manufacturer to ask. I have found all of them responsive and helpful with the exception of Arches.

I will continue to update this post as I find more materials. Feel free to share this post if you find it useful.