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
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