drawing, across the beach, late afternoon, cool day, charcoal and coloured pencil



Across the beach, late afternoon, cool day, charcoal and coloured pencil, 18 ins sq.
Vivien Blackburn

Another experiment with the charcoal and coloured pencil combination on grey paper - this time I did something I rarely do and included figures and a dog - it helps give the scale of those cliffs and rocks - the figures should actually be slightly smaller but the pencils wouldn't cooperate any smaller than this :>)

Done using willow charcoal, polychromos and Lyra coloured pencils and a battery operated eraser on grey rough paper (which eats the pencils).

The curve in the horizon is the paper not lying flat - not me tipping the sea up!

detail enlarged - on the drawing this is less than half an inch high

the figures are just very loosely suggested, with their dog playing in the water.


detail from dark reflection

- there are lots of hazy subtle colour changes in these that don't show up well onscreen :>(

I ended up working all day and evening yesterday, covering for another art teacher who is off ill - and have a lot of boring routine stuff to get on with today so painting isn't likely :>(

next installment in the teaching series will be at the weekend for anyone interested

.


Comments

Robyn Sinclair said…
I particularly like the fluffy storm clouds in this one, Vivien.

The decision to include figures in a landscape is an interesting one. I never did until I took some watercolour classes here. My Italian teacher always puts a figure in his pictures. It made me wonder why I thought figures would spoil the effect, then I started worrying that perhaps I'm a misanthrope! So now I try to include one or two.

I think people and a dog, particularly, create a happy scene.
8:22 am
vivien said…
thanks Robyn

I generally like my beaches empty 'cos that's what I like, to have the beach to myself :)

but I thought I'd do at least one with figures as people who don't know the area were imagining the cliffs to be much lower and the scale wasn't so apparent.

misanthrope indeed!!!! I don't think so :)
6:19 pm
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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, w...
Read more

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

looking at non traditional composition and quiet vs busy areas in paintings

Image
Paul Klee I thought I'd look at non-traditional composition - where the rule of thirds isn't the key but the painting relies on different compositional methods. in response to an excellent series of posts on the various ways of looking at composition by Katherine (link at end). These alternative considerations or breaking of rules - but making it work - appeal to me more than too heavy a reliance on the rule of thirds. The painting above, by Paul Klee is a 'field' painting' - the composition is overall, the eye travels around enjoying the glowing colour that he creates by juxtaposing complementary colours, subtle greyed greens enhancing the oranges/reds/pinks. Most of the image is composed of the various greens, greeny browns and khakis, with accents of the warm colours. When working this way it's important that the balance is unequal and that the accent colours are placed carefully to keep the eye moving in the way the artist wants. A couple of the brighter...
Read more