“My Name is Red”

This is a book done for homework after the first Primitive to Modern class. The marks were the product of a session of play with my new Lumis pens (the newer, straight cut ones that look a bit like automatic pens), especially the 1" and the 2", both of which I loved.

I wanted to make marks that had elements of the various components of the traditional and modernized letters, as a background for more traditional letterforms. After I had a bunch of pages with marks, made while thinking about my text, I went back and added the words. The marks are done with Moon Palace Sumi, which has a sheen to it when dry.

For extra contrast, I used Winsor Newton ivory black gouache for the text, so that when viewed up close, the matte finish on the gouache is visible, even where I wrote on top of the black Sumi.

The text is an excerpt from one of my favorite books, My Name is Red, by Orhan Pamuk. The speaker is the color red, hence the red paint, (a mix of cadmium red gouache and alizarin crimson watercolor). The white lettering on the first page is Dr. Ph. Martin's bleed proof white. The paper is Hahnemühle Schiller, page size about 9" x 12". As always, knowing Reggie would be back in a few weeks was a great impetus to work. Thanks, Reggie! You bring out the best in all of us