Art21 "Exclusive" on Eli Sudbrack: Process and Materials

         I recently watched an ART21 "Exclusive" video about the work of Eli Sudbrack, a member of the artist collective, "assume vivid astro focus". The video can be seen here:

Art21 "Exclusive" on Eli Sudbrack

         What I found most interesting about Sudbrack's art was his process for making it. It's worth noting that the artist only started painting a year prior to this video. As a result, Sudbrack is "still learning" and uses a very structred process to layout each piece of artwork. Because he works so large and uses expensive paints, Sudbrack first draws out his potential design on a small piece of paper and uses clear plastic overlays of color over the drawing to make choices on color and composition before he commits to the actual canvas. The overlays, which are colored using the actual paints he will use for the final piece, can be layered and swapped out seemlessly over the initial drawing. I find this method of figuring out the composition not only intuitive, but also cost-effective. Quality paint of any sort is expensive, so deliberately reducing our use of it by knowing what color we want for the final composition before we even start the painting can be incredibly beneficial.

Speaking of paints, Eli Sudbrack's choice of paint is also quite interesting. He chooses to use Krink K-60 paints, commonly used by graffiti taggers. This is opaque, pigmented, permanent ink of the highest quality, made in New York. The paint comes in a 60 ml bottle and has a marker tip. However, Sudbrack removes the tip and dips a small brush in the bottle to apply paint to his surface. What I enjoy about this paint is its vibrant and saturated quality, as I am particularly attracted to bold and beautiful color. I can see why this paint is used by graffiti taggers, and the idea of using alternative paints on canvas has me thinking more outside the box on what I can use for my own paintings to achieve the color I want.

          That being said, I intend to take what I've learned from this unique artist's process and apply it to my own processes as an artist. I will try implementing Sudbrack's use of color overlays to test out my own compositional ideas before bringing them to canvas. Patience and careful planning are things I lack when designing my own pieces, as I usually jump into my paintings more spontaneously and figure it out as I go. This can be a good trait as well as a negative one. I want to add more structure to my design process so that I can continue to mature as an artist. Additionally, I am interested in trying Krink paint markers in my own work and applying them the same way Sudbrack does. I checked into the actual cost of Krink K-60 markers, and for one 60ml bottle of one color it is 15 dollars. Clearly this artist had the excess money to spend on as many Krink markers he wanted, but I most certainly do not. On the website Jerry's ArtoRama, numerous Krink paints are offered for slightly lower prices. The K-60 sells for 13 dollars here instead of 15 dollars on the official website. Another alternative is the Krink 42 paint marker, which sells for $7.69 each and can be found here:

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/k-42-opaque-paint-markers

          I might buy one Krink marker in a color I use for highlights, just to see how I like it. These individual markers are still a little too costly for me when I'm on a budget, however. The same website offers LIquitex brand paint markers in sets, another possible alternative If I want more quality colors for less. Instead of paying over 90 dollars for 6 Krink markers, I could be paying 30-40 dollars instead for another professional brand. This option can be found here:

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/liquitex-marker-sets-and-accessories

          I will continue to experiment and broaden my horizons as an artist. There is always something new to try and something new to learn.