Blue sketchbook sheet 17
Datum
Richscribble
Blaues Skizzenbuch Blatt 17, 2008, ca DIN A4 , Aquarell auf Papier
What are Richscribbles?
Richscribble watercolors from johann franki's blue sketchbook follow the label 'Make big what you like'. All original sheets from the sketchbook were denied the contrasting "wash", the final overpainting that introduces the shadows to create depth and highlight the light areas, in order to avoid a restrictive color and design definition. This process is only carried out with editors on the PC during digital processing and thus preserves freedom of interpretation, which only receives its final definition in a separate print file.
Process
A high-resolution scan is made of the rich scribble and the digital result is interpreted and processed.
Now the most beautiful part of the work begins, because coherent, harmonious and exciting details are sought, which have a strong character as cut-outs, details are refined and finally scaled to the size of the DIN A1 format.
Sheet 17 from the blue sketchbook from 2007 contains a variety of interesting arrangements and figurative artifacts.
A richscribble is an often overdrawn sketch from which I cut out appealing areas and process them further.
This Richscribble series in particular is kept very delicate and pale in order to be able to enhance the finest nuances afterwards and retain the greatest possible freedom of design. Each brushstroke during watercolor painting defines the picture a little more, it can no longer be removed. Before I start, I usually only have a color concept of three to six different colors prepared in small pots, which will provide good contrasts, even if they are applied lightly and delicately. After the first wash has dried, the composition should still be open to interpretation in many different directions.
Light, delicate scribbles are ideal for digital processing. I mainly use two automatic tools from the free, open-source image editing program Gimp. In the three thumbs below, I show the original drawing as it corresponds to the page from the sketchbook as the first image, the original after an automated white balance as the second and with an automated contrast spread as the third and save them in individual layers.
Orginalbild, Orginal mit zusätzlichem Weißabgleich und Orginal mit Kontrastspreizung
Now I can cut out areas of a layer so that the layer below becomes visible in the section.
A particular challenge is the scaling of a sometimes tiny selected area to a much larger image file. The sharpness must not be lost in the process. In the beginning, however, there are only the two automatic functions already mentioned, which can either emphasize contours or lighten or darken areas.
With these 3 basic interpretations, original, white balance and contrast spread, I set out in search of independent compositions. Here I show you three notched areas that I was able to bring to a size of approx. 80 cm x 55 cm, DIN A1.
Blaues Skizzenbuch Blatt 17, 2024, Ausschnittinterpretation Nr. 3, vorgesehen für Print in DIN A1
Blaues Skizzenbuch Blatt 17, 2024, Ausschnittinterpretation Nr. 2, vorgesehen für Print in DIN A1
Blaues Skizzenbuch Blatt 17, 2024, Ausschnittinterpretation Nr. 1, vorgesehen für Print in DIN A1I have framed the three places in red from which I will have the DIN A1-sized cut-outs printed.
Here are two further interpreted excerpts from sheet 17. Find for yourself the passages used in Richscribble sheet 17.
Blaues Skizzenbuch Blatt 17, Interpretation Ausschnitt Nr. 4, Zülpich 2024
Blaues Skizzenbuch Blatt 17, Interpretation Ausschnitt Nr. 6, Zülpich 2024
I was not able to preserve the fiber structure of the leaf in detail no. 6, as I did in detail no. 3. Each detail that is to be enlarged requires its own treatment. Even the order of the processing steps can influence the result. Nevertheless, I will have No. 3 printed and publish the result here.
