Sunday, November 29, 2015

How Doug Tests Aniline Dyes

Doug's worked in oils, pastels, watercolor, etc. over the years, but all of his full-page color Playboy cartoons - since the September 1964 issue - have been rendered using Dr. Ph. Martin's aniline dyes.  They give depth and translucency to his work but, as he cautions, they're "unforgiving" so he constantly tests his color combinations before going to final art.  

Initially, he mixes a few drops, from bottles of dyes, in divided fondue or deviled egg plates, adding a few drops of water to the dyes to adjust the intensity.  Then he tests colors on remnants of Arches of France cold press art board, naturally allowing time for the colors to dry.  From there, he can judge how he wants to proceed with the final art.




(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

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