Csanky Art - The Blog: Ink

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Ripple Mandala [Colored pencil and AP Micron ink on Ampersand Clayboard]

I have been on a mandala kick for a couple of months now. See this blog post if you are interested in a bit of background.

I have only scratched the surface so far in terms understanding the art form and meaning behind these representations of the universe. But every time I design a mandala, something new is learned about the process. It is a meditative experience to create one.

My most recent drawing "Ripple Mandala" (pictured below) was made using a compass, a ruler, Blick colored pencils, and AP Micron pens in black.

My mandalas thus far always start with two straight diagonal lines which come from each corner. This simple "x" yields a center point, from which the essential and initial circle can be created with a compass.

The rest of the design spans out from there based on impulse. Usually the form comes together through experimentation and through using points that create themselves within the drawing, always with symmetry in mind.

Finished version of "Ripple Mandala"

Clean version of mandala without any line work

Though my works are far from perfect, the precision involved can be tedious; it takes a lot of patience which I am learning is an important part of the process.

I adore working big, free, and messy when I paint. Drawing is something totally different from painting for me. Drawing is more intellectual and mind based, whereas painting is more impulse and heart based.

I love both mediums and look forward to exploring each more frequently in the coming months.

I have exciting news on the horizon to share with you all soon...in the beginning of February!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Drawing on Paper [Tattered]

Tattered Hand Drawing

During my time studying drawing, I focused a lot on the hand: a very difficult subject for me to draw. What you see before you is a painstakingly detailed drawing on paper, with fine swirling and obsessive elements of line work. I spent weeks working on it, making sure that the finger prints had similarities to the human hand. It was quite an involved process, and when it was done, I was proud.

It was a windy and wet day in Salt Lake when the finished product was tucked away into my folder. On my way back to my car, a gust of wind knocked it out of my hands, and it blew the drawing into the street, only to be run over by a Hummer. I was heart broken when it happened, and I could not believe that all my work had been in vain. But several days later, when I came back to the drawing, I realized that it actually looked interesting in its frail condition. It had character and scars and resembled an old artifact. It was incredibly aged and somewhat eerie. I decided to keep the drawing as part of my portfolio, and I learned the lesson that projects are best kept indoors (not loose in folders).