To begin, partially and randomly cover the paper with modelling paste and gesso.

I will stretch several sheets of paper prior and use them as “wiping cloths“ to clean my brushes and spatulas from other projects. This ensures that the texture has no predetermined shape.

The paste is slightly water resistant so the ink tends to sit on top of it, whereas the gesso and the paper absorb it to different degrees.

After carefully composing the picture, I transfer it onto the paper with a 2B pencil and immediately ink in the whole painting.

Because the texture underneath doesn’t correspond with the drawing, a fight breaks out between me and the painting. I am faced with two choices. Either religiously stick to the lines or simply let the inks run along the grooves and into puddles.

To give this still life some spontaneity and energy, I went with the latter.

Here's where you say goodbye to everything you've done so far!

This next phase will see the painting recede and disappear altogether, which is the opposite of most methods.

Using cheap white poster paint the thickness of double cream, I start to mask out the areas that I want to retain as colour. The areas of paint showing through will hold the waterproof Indian ink.

This is the part of the process where I lose the most control and hope that the unplanned mistakes will somehow improve things. I am heavily influenced by the wabi sabi concept and in particular the Japanese calligraphy where the imperfect is celebrated. This, I feel, is different to the happy accident and acknowledges that we can never achieve perfection.

At this stage I spend more time adding poster paint where necessary and even adding a new layer if I am determined to keep an area free of black.

When the poster paint is completely dry, cover the whole surface with the waterproof Indian ink.

Thin the ink to a more watery consistency, then fully load a broad, flat, soft filament brush with the ink and lightly cover the paper. The aim is to cover the paper in as few a strokes as possible, never going over the same area more than once.

The ink immediately disturbs the poster paint so avoid the temptation to go over any missed spots. These unintended missed spots often add to the mystery. 

If there is an area that I definitely want to be black, I wait for it to dry again before applying more black ink.

The penultimate phase entails dropping the fully dried picture into a sink of clean water.

Leave the painting for 10-15 minutes to soak up the water.

The water will seep into the poster paint from above and below. As the watersoluble paint starts to separate, jerk the paper from side to side a couple of times to reveal the coloured inks once again.

After gently lifting the paper out of the water, it's time to decide how to finish it off. It can be rinsed under the tap or attacked with the jet of a garden water diffuser.

This is also the time to consider the final desired tones.

After leaving the picture to dry fully once again, start to consider any minor adjustments.

Large scale reworking can be disastrous at this point because you are painting over poster paint. Not only does this “grey” the colours, but you run the risk of smudging and bleeding as well.

So the final details need to be added cautiously. In this case, a little bit of white here and there and the lettering on the mustard can.

Nick lives in Hiroshima, Japan and exhibits regularly in Hiroshima and Tokyo. Find out more on his website, nkpaintings.com.

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