Pencil shadow man test pencil on Letraset bleed proof marker pad.

Wasn’t sure what else to call this. Using the new Letraset bleed proof marker pad, I decided to try out pencil on it. Another Victorian gentleman.

I have to run it through a couple of filters because it didn’t photograph so well this time. But, using HB pencil on the smooth surface of the marker pad was a great success.

I’m used to a bit more tooth and texture on my papers, so I wasn’t sure how well such a smooth surface would respond. Actually I really liked it. Basically on rougher surfaces like cartridge paper it can get dark pretty quickly, the pits in the paper texture scrape off graphite and once they are full, a bit like a file getting full of sawdust becomes useless, you can’t go darker. Also when you rub out it can leave a smear.

This marker pad, though, resists scraping off too much graphite, which means you have to be quite deliberate in shading, which leaves a lot more room for cross hatching and the like.

Here’s a few more done tonight.