I’m sharing a new mixed-media piece today that leans heavily into texture and expressive mark-making. This study focuses on bitter sneezeweed, but rather than a traditional botanical illustration, I wanted to capture the chaotic, tangled energy of the wild undergrowth.
To build that density, I used a variety of expressive techniques, alternating between thick, heavy dragging lines of graphite and much finer, sharper pencil strokes. Splashes of white acrylic ink were brought in to add a sense of raw movement to the composition. Above it all, thick, heavy drags of blue acrylic simulate the sky and push the foreground forward.
The focal point—the flowers themselves—are left almost untouched. By letting the stark white of the cold press paper do the work, they pop in high contrast against the dark, aggressive graphite.
To finish the piece, I framed the entire composition with indicated tape marks, embossed with bits of yellow acrylic paint. I wanted to retain that tactile, “straight off the desk” feeling, blurring the line between the artwork and the process of creating it.
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