sketching everyday things part 2

Feathers. Sketches in pastel, pencil, brush pen and coloured pencils. Vivien Blackburn


I'm back at work and feeling distinctly convalescent! not up to tackling a large canvas - but twitching to do something.





so I sketched thisfeather, which was a present from this little tiger - who has eyes for the pigeons but isn't capable of catching one - so she brings any feathers she finds into the house to play with. Hence its rather raggedy state.



I simply had a play with various materials, looking at the feather again and again in pastel pencil, 2B pencil, Pitt brush pen and coloured pencil.

With the brush pens and coloured pencil I just decided on an equivalent tonal value of pen for the various greys and blacks of the original and substituted a warm amber/honey for the lightest parts and deeper umbers for the blacks with no attempt to use the original colours.

I really like the texture of feathers to draw :>)


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Comments

caseytoussaint said…
Wow - those are so impressive. The texture is incredibly realistic. I'm so glad you're feeling a bit better, Vivien.
10:58 am
Shirley Anne Sherris said…
How do you do it - they look so real!! I see a project growing here.
Pleased to hear you are so much better.
Cheers
11:19 am
vivien said…
thank you both - yes I thought I'd keep on doing these as a series Shirley every time I find an interesting feather :)


Thanks Casey - I may do some for the FPP - I'll see if they fit in.
11:23 am
Katiejane said…
This looks like something I might could tackle. Yours look so real. I think this would be good practice for me. Thanks, Viv
8:38 pm
vivien said…
great :>) - leave a link here when you do?
3:48 pm
Billie Crain said…
great feathers, Vivien! they lend themselves well to mixed media.

i should get out my feather collection and see what looks interesting. i used to be the crazy lady that stopped the car and collected dead birds along the roadside so i could harvest the feathers.
8:10 pm
vivien said…
thanks Billie - it would be interesting to see you draw them :>)


There was a man on TV recently who was showing his freezer full of road kill - rabbits. badgers, pheasants, pigeons ..... you name it! I don't think he ever bought meat!
7:43 am
Robyn Sinclair said…
At first I thought, Where does Vivien find such beautiful coloured feathers and then realised from her wonderful imagination.

Yes, what a treasure these would be in the FPP.
9:10 am
vivien said…
:>)

start looking for feathers Robyn!
1:23 pm
E-J said…
Lovely textures! What kind of sketchbook are you using?
10:22 pm
vivien said…
hi ej = love the banner on your blog :>)

the sketchbook is one that belongs to the education department! so I'm afraid I don't know where they could be bought. They have lovely heavy cartridge paper and are a rich cream colour - I really like cream paper to work on
10:35 pm
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