Bee Variations - continued

It's fun to continue exploring color options with multiple bee prints.  The Derwent Inktense pencils are not intense enough on this paper.   A mixed media paper may tolerate more layers of Inktense product and water to build intensity.  Next is FW acrylic ink: also possible to layer but it works differently than the pencils.  When the FW inks dry, they seem to partially absorb into the paper weave, but a portion also sits on the top of the paper.  With each added layer, there is less absorption into the paper fibers and more layering on top of the previous layers. 

Bee trial - Relief print using Daniel Smith relief ink, Inktense Pencils activated with water, and FW acrylic inks.

I decided to mix Inktense Pencils and FW inks for the next printing and see if this combination would work or if ther would be too much intensity contrast.  I do like the color of the flower AND the subtle shading of the background.  I think both work to create depth and dimension.  Because there is so much red in this orange, I think part of the depth is also created because the flower and background colors are complimentary.   I still find the show-through gelly printing pattern on the wings the most appealing of all of the runs thusfar.

Bee trial - Relief print using Daniel Smith relief ink, Inktense pencils activated with water, and FW acrylic inks.

I decided to make the background color a little darker, but add some color to the wings to create more depth.  The grayish-blue cast of on the wings works better than the plain wings, but still not as well as the gelly-print wings.  This is a time when I think it would highly advantageous to have multiple plates specifically designed to add different colors and be sure that the alignment is "right on!"