Grey wash: healed vs. fresh

Fresh vs. Healed

Blackwork + grey wash

Many of my pieces are black ink only, but if we need a softer gradient or a finer line, I will bring in grey wash (black ink diluted with water). Grey washes look darker, sometimes even black, when the piece is fresh, but lighten up throughout the healing process, resulting in a gradient that resembles graphite.

This piece is a perfect example of how grey wash heals.

The darkest bits are black ink, but note the difference in value fresh vs. healed among the lighter areas (the ribbon is a very easy place to see the difference). A few different concentrations of grey wash were used here, so some greys are darker than others. Results will vary depending on the client’s individual skin and the dilution of the wash, but if your artist mentions grey wash, you can expect to see the area lighten up during healing as this piece illustrates.

Thanks, T, for the great healed photo! Piece based on Nicholas Robert’s Anemones from Sketchbook A, c. 1650