Let's Hoard: A Graphite Transfer Process

This was one of my first watercolor projects. The idea behind this project was to practice using watercolors, as well as drawing from still-life.

The first step for this project was to experiment drawing realistic still-life drawings using an assortment of objects. I did around 3-4 reps of this using a variety of objects each time. The key to this process was using a thin, newspaper-quality sheet of paper to make the graphite transfer easier.

I then proceeded to cut around the outline of the drawings, and then arranged the objects on a larger sheet of watercolor paper, playing around with the composition and objects that I wanted to use.

These were my sketches that didn't make the cut. I decided not to use these objects in the final composition.

Finally, to transfer the drawing, using a process known as a "graphite transfer." I used a graphite block and colored in the back of the drawings, then proceeding to place the drawing right-side up on the watercolor paper, and carefully traced my drawing using a pencil once again.

The result was a loose sketch of the entire drawing, with all of the objects where I wanted them to be. This was a very interesting process because although it was quite time-consuming and tedious, I could easily experiment with where I wanted my objects to be arranged in the final picture.

Finally, I used watercolors to color in the drawing and added some details and highlights using colored pencils and a white gel pen.