Sad Yak Ink Stippling Piece

Stippling is an art form that is easy to understand in a representational context when different proximities are interpreted as different areas or gradients of depth. I based my work off of nature photography, finding an image of a yak well suited to the style. The piece was made with dots from a pencil eraser stamped from an inkpad. The entire process is time intensive simply due to the slow rate at which the piece progresses one dot at a time. Additionally, different techniques had to be used to achieve the variety between different values; applying different pressures was a delicate process to achieve a deeper or lighter value. At the same time, the amount of ink on the stamper also factored into the quality of the tone.

The very image of a yak contained a lot of interesting lines and patterns. By design, the intricate curved horns bring emphasis directly to the yak’s face. Furthermore, the background was more abstract and unfocused compared to the sharper details of the foreground. The concept of contrast is crucial to stippling. In the end, the repetition of design created something familiar out of a simple basis.