The Artist_s Magazine 2016-03__

road test

March 2016 65

Inspire800 projector to transpose the

essence of my complicated sketch onto

a full sheet of watercolor paper. By

projecting the image I was able to retain

the proportion, placement and delicate

balance of the shapes I had created in

my original drawing. I wanted to keep as

much of the spirit of the sketch as I could

so I chose to keep the drawing simple to

allow for spontaneity during the painting

process. The projected image was razor

sharp, and I could have captured much

more specifi c detail if I'd needed to.

4. Inspire800 in action, adding

fi gure to drawing

Once I completed the initial sketch, I

added the fi gure for scale and to build a

center of interest. I was careful to keep

the eyes of the fi gure on the horizon line

of the composition as I moved the pro-

jector forward or backward to establish

scale until I found the perfect spot. I

drew the fi gure with more attention to

specifi c details—mainly the folds and

shadows in the clothing. After all, the

subject is the star of the show.

5. Village Study #2 (completed

painting)

I think the fi nished painting, Village

Study #2 (watercolor on Arches 140-lb.

cold-pressed paper, 22½x28) is true

to the mood and spirit of the original

sketches. I used the projector to achieve

a credible translation of my drawings

rather than as a drawing shortcut, and

I’m happy with the results. In this case,

the Artograph Inspire800 was the

perfect tool for the job.

as a time saver in enlarging draw-

ings and as a shortcut in recording

very specii c details that need to be

accurate. h e Inspire800 could also

be useful in developing the composi-

tion of a painting. It of ers several

projected grids which could help

with layout. It can also be helpful

in the placement of images from

diverse sources. (See Developing a

Composition, below).

In Summary

he combination of the Inspire800

projector’s ease of use as a drawing

tool, the "slide show" option for public

presentations and the small portable

size make the Artograph Inspire800 a

great addition to any studio. ■

JOHN SALMINEN’s Crossing Broadway won

the Daniel Smith award at the Shenzhen

International Watercolour Biennial 2015. Visit

his website at johnsalminen.com.

BELOW: Village

Study #2,

(watercolor on

paper, 22½x28)

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