watercolour and coloured pencils




This week one of my gifted students, Jenny, brought in a superb book by Shirley Trevena (you can see some of the work in it on her website) - an artist I really admire. One of the techniques she uses is rubbing watercolour pencils with sandpaper, over damp watercolour washes, giving a speckled effect - and it looks wonderful.
http://www.shirleytrevena.com/ take a look at her gorgeous work :)


Jenny lent me her pencils to have a go - so this is a very quick demo for the class - a play on cartridge paper with watercolour, watercolour pencils and sandpaper :) and ordinary coloured pencils (my own). We went on to discuss drawing with the 'wrong' end of the brush through damp paint to get those veins in the leaves and putting soft patches of normal coloured pencils in areas to enhance and push colours. They've all been used in this demo piece.


I'm sold! I have to get some water soluble coloured pencils :) I think graphitints would be good for this as they are supposed to dry waterproof - which would mean all those lovely little speckles would be safe from further washes of watercolour.


I've nearly finished 5 long thin seascapes (over 4ft tall and around 12in wide) but don't think I can photograph them yet as some of the paint is wet.


My husband has been busy and there are 3 more canvasses ready to go - these are even thinner - about 8in by 4ft 6in. When grouped it looks better with some of the longer thinner ones interspersed. There are some more waiting to be made too :) so I can get on with this series.


The waterways project is still ongoing but on hold at the moment - I've got these canvasses to finish for a show and want to get some more flowers done while it's the ideal season. There are so many glorious flowers about.


Bad Cat seems to have caught the mouse :) He had one in the hall - unless it was another one he'd brought in! anyway he raced outside with it before it could be taken away from him, so hopefull it's gone.


It's really nice out but very windy so using my nice shiny new macro lenses isn't possible at the moment :(

Comments

Lindsay said…
Forgot to say you can get a similar effect using terps, a very stiff short bristled brush and oil pastels. Dip the brush in terps and shake off some of the escess, using short stacatto flicks, flick the brush over the end of the oil pastel. You can get a similar spray but probably not as much control as this technique.
2:57 pm
vivien said…
mmmmm that sounds good :)


I often flick oil paint and watercolour using a bristle brush and a palette knife to flick it with - but with oil pastels ... that's something new to try :D
4:54 pm
jafabrit said…
I really love the effect, it is just exquisite.
7:58 pm
vivien said…
I loved it too!

I now have to buy some water soluble pencils :)
7:04 pm
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Eye, Urban/Rural exhibition

Image
Vivien Blackburn's work in the Urban/Rural show We've just hung a group show at the The Eye Project, Urban/Rural show.  If you want to come and see it it's on for a month - well worth seeing, 11 lovely artists and some fabulous work. Those large canvasses are 40 inches square. There are rural landscapes, flowerscapes, intriguing textile work including a large knitted building, abstracts .... something for everyone. It's in the gallery below the cafe in the Adult Education Centre at the top of Wellington street, Leicester, opposite Fenwicks.  Meet the Arttists day is Saturday 1st April 10-2.  Come and have a chat with us?
Read more

Hedges silhouetted agains the snow, winter light: watercolour and Derwent tinted charcoal pencils in Stillmand and Birn Beta Hardback sketchbook

Image
 Detail  I have always liked the calligraphic tangle of the hedges when they are sihouetted against the sky.   Recent snowfall meant even more opportunities with amazing light and the landscape simplified and hidden by the snow, throwing hedges into relief. Above is a detail of a double page sketch in the lovely Stillman and Birn Beta A4 hardback sketchbook.  This paper is so forgiving and the watercolour works beautifully with it.  It allowed me to work through wet washes with charcoal pencil - something that tears many papers, leaving holes.  Some of the hedge is paint, some tinted charcoal. First snow, more on the way, winter light: silhouetted hedges in watercolour and Derwent tinted charcoal in a Stillman and Birn A4 beta hardback sketchbook The earlier warm golden glow of the low sun is covered by clouds, threatening more snow to come.   The spiky calligraphic marks of the hedge and the underlying form of the bank, with some of the taller dried grasses showing
Read more

paint or sketch trees: challenge

Image
Close up of tree bark, Marqueyssac, France. photo: Vivien Blackburn Another challenge Rather than another update on the seascapes I've decided to run another challenge in response to feedback from the trees post. Feedback from people said they got a lot out of the skies challenge and I'm sure you will out of this one :>) click the image on the left to link to the original post on trees and you can check all posts with the tag 'trees' here The challenge is to produce sketches of trees done from life. These can be: close ups, extreme close ups, whole tree, part of tree, distant views - whatever you want. Style: anything goes - photorealism to impressionism but with underlying observation Medium: your choice, anything goes :>) oil paints, acrylics, watercolours, mixed media, charcoal, graphite, coloured pencils, pen, oil pastels, pastels, pastel pencils ....... etc etc etc Timescale: we'll finish at the end of July and I'll post links to your blogs t
Read more