This is a self portrait I made directly into my sketchbook the way I had been making the sketches in my last post. As you can see, the page is again crinkly, which as I said, I like, but I have a tendency to overwork my sketches and risk making holes in the paper. So I got an idea...

I wondered what would happen if I "rubber cemented" pieces of Duralene® into my sketchbook. Duralene is a nonporous velum that can be used for drafting as well as sketching. I love working on it because it is easy to erase and because you can "push" wet media around on it. Several of my figure studies were done on this substrate. So, I sliced several pieces and glued them to the pages of my pad. First, I tried another self portrait.

By the way, I am painting with a fine point water pen. Mine is made by Sakura. The paints are the Windsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Sketcher's Pocket Box. I use the ten color set. And here's a tip I learned from a guy at Dick Blick Art Supplies: If you run out of a color, buy a tube of Cotman watercolor and squeeze it into the little pan. Then let it dry for a day or two. It is the same paint. There is more paint in the tube, and the price is lower than buying a new half pan. I tried it, and it worked perfectly.