Sketching an idea for INTJ

Yesterday I updated my website, and reminded myself about 'Through a glass darkly' 1 & 4 which are up there on show. They started as an exploration of what happens colour and other things when the light is low. But in the context of my overarching theme, it describes how in travers are seen - as if through a distorting fog. 

This led me to thinking about how an INTJ might look decisive and definite ( perhaps back and white stripes going vertically?) but looking more closely one can see the cogs turning. But the detail of their actions are hidden from us mostly, by their complexity, and by the inwardness of this process. 

I started trying to draw this idea today, using sharpies for the cogs - bright colours and complexly different sizes and connections. They would have to have some more broad pattern in the final thing. 

Then I thought I would try putting layers of suitably blacked up tracing paper over to simulate the outer layer. This didn't work quite so well as triple or quadruple layers of tracing paper make it whiter, not blacker. 

I coloured some of the tracing paper with oil pastel, which gave a good impression of the table grain, but not very black, decisive etc. 

I tried lamp black artists watercolour on it, which was too dark to show anything, so diluted it serially till there was a range of black/greys in vertical stripes.

This was better, but still too grey. 

So the problem I have for next time is how to make the outer layer black and white striped and still see the cogs between, without the cogs being too visible in the white stripes and not enough in the black ones. 

I also think that for this one the fineness of texture is important. Smooth. So weaving in the usual sense is out. 

I'm thinking that the inside will be a scaffolding structure for the cogs, with a resonance with ribs and spine, perhaps, and entirely non-wearable. 

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