Secret Sauce?

Jeremiah White · 11-04-2002, 01:38 AM

What is "sauce"? I've seen it used in conjunction with charcoal but have no clue as to what it is. What's it made of? What does it look like? What is it used for? Basically the whole run down.

Thanks.

Steven Sweeney · 11-04-2002, 03:16 AM

Pending a visit from the Queen of Sauce, Peggy Baumgaertner, visit this Forum topic for an introduction and references to her article and to samples on her website.

Jeremiah White · 11-04-2002, 03:24 AM

Thanks for that. In fact, that's the first place I heard of sauce was from Peggy's website.

Do you know of any technical references to it or possibly a demonstration on how to use it? Too bad I don't have that magazine.

Peggy Baumgaertner · 11-04-2002, 10:06 AM

Jeremiah,

Thanks for your interest!

Sauce is a cross between charcoal and ink, but not really either. I first discovered sauce portraits, and the word sauce, in a book of portraits painted by the Russian artist Ivan Kramskoi 150 years ago.

His sauce "drawings" were magnificent. It took me six years to find sauce, they still make it in Russia, and another five years to figure out how to use it, but I think I have most of the bugs out. (I haven't seen any artist using sauce the way Kramskoi did before or since the 1850's with the exception of his student, Ilya Repin).

...And now you can get sauce through Richeson and Co., it is a Yarka product.

Sauce is a claylike substance, which is pressed into a stick. Because of its potency, it must be crushed into a powder to be used. As a powder, it can be used like charcoal, and has much of the qualities of charcoal, but it is much smoother, less grainy. The "magic" occurs when water is added to the sauce; it devolves completely and can be used as an ink wash. It has a full nine-value range, unlike charcoal with a six value range. You can also get some incredible effects with the combination of powdered sauce and the wet sauce.

It is, however, not for the faint of heart. I suggest working with charcoal until one is familiar with the process, then moving into sauce. I know others on this site have used sauce; it might be interesting to hear their stories. (One grain of sauce on the counter will spread with water to cover the entire surface. It is extremely potent...).

The article I wrote was in the April 2002 issue of International Artist Magazine. I am currently editing a sauce video I filmed in August. (I've been about and abroad for two months....), and that should be ready in 4 to 6 weeks. I am also working with another magazine to publish in the states.

I'll post the sauce portrait I completed for the video soon.

I have reluctantly (I do love charcoal) abandoned charcoal in the life studies I do as reference for my commissioned portraits, and am now working exclusively in sauce. I figure mastery comes with use, and I have been doing around 15 charcoal life studies a year.

Peggy

Chantal Sulkow · 12-16-2002, 12:08 PM

Peggy, your sauce portraits are just beautiful - I especially love Denise!

I was so struck by the rich quality you've achieved with this medium that I immediately ordered the sauce sticks from Dick Blick.

For several years I watched a number of street portrait artists that work in Central Park here in New York, and there is one in particular who always got extraordinary results: he appeared to be using a cross between charcoal and an ink wash, and now I think I know his secret. I recall at the finish of a portrait sketch, he would use a pen knife to "slice" off the highlights in the eyes and on the tip of the nose, getting back to the pure white of the paper. It was a very striking effect.

I've been reading the threads on sauce here on the Forum but one thing I haven't found (unless I overlooked something!?) is what surface you're using. What kind of paper are you working on? I'm assuming a heavier weight, smooth surface or bristol board...I'm excited to start experimenting, and I would love to know!

Peggy Baumgaertner · 12-16-2002, 05:15 PM

Chantal,

I use Stonehenge Warm White, a print making paper. It is very heavy, very tough, and very forgiving.

I would guess that your artist in Central Park was Russian, the only other place I've seen what you discribed was on the streets in Leningrad.

Good luck with the sauce! You might try, as I said in an earlier post, to work out the bugs in charcoal.

Peggy