Frog Island Factories and Canal, Pitt pen and coloured pencil on brown wrapping paper, Vivien Blackburn (crop 1)I wanted to have another play with that brown wrapping paper sketchbook, so I worked from an old sketch that I'd done plein air.
I'd decided to limit the colours to browns - using the lovely Lyra skintones selection, along with a brown Pitt pen. At the last minute I decided to add a little icy blue in the sky, canal and reflecting slightly on the corrugated roofs - the coldness works well against the warmer colours I feel.
This is an area that is full of higgledy piggledy old factories and little overgrown branches off the canal to their old wharves - one is off under that cast iron bridge. Sadly it's ripe for development and further along there are new flats in place of the old mills. I don't suppose this quirky building has a long future.
I'd decided to limit the colours to browns - using the lovely Lyra skintones selection, along with a brown Pitt pen. At the last minute I decided to add a little icy blue in the sky, canal and reflecting slightly on the corrugated roofs - the coldness works well against the warmer colours I feel.
This is an area that is full of higgledy piggledy old factories and little overgrown branches off the canal to their old wharves - one is off under that cast iron bridge. Sadly it's ripe for development and further along there are new flats in place of the old mills. I don't suppose this quirky building has a long future.
Frog Island Factories and Canal, Vivien Blackburn (crop 2)which crop works best do you think?
13 comments:
Vivien, I really like this drawing and the brown paper works well, providing additional atmosphere.
I have a similar sketchbook Earthbound by Daler-Rowney and love drawing on the brown paper.
I like the first image best, it seems to draw me in more.
thanks Jeanette - aah I wonder if this is the same book? it was sent to me so I don't know
I'm tending to like the first crop as well as it places more emphasis on the buildings
This is another lovely drawing, Vivien. I agree, crop 1 - with the road on the bottom edge it somehow encourages the viewer in. The other crop I feel like I'm passing in a bus and I can't venture in.
Viven, I do love the limited seia palette on this. It has a nice aged feel to it. The subtle blues help to break it up a little and add interest.
I actually prefer the second crop. I like the sense of space in the foreground, giving it more depth. Feels a little less cluttered, not that the first one is particularly busy, but I'm sure you'll know what I mean!
Better "balance" in the top, Vivien.
Rose and Julie - great, considered, reasons for the preferences in crops :>)and good points made
Dinah thanks :>)
I like the top crop best. More balanced and has an intimate appeal to it.
I've seen several people work in these brown paper sketch books. I like them. I think I'm going to have to look for one.
I like the second crop the best for much the same reason as Julie. In the second crop, I feel like going down the road approaching the scene. There's a little more space and curve in the road to draw me in. The first crop feel a little more crowded to me.
Hi Sydney and Lisa
well opinion is equally divided on the crop at the moment! neck and neck :>)
This will be no help . . . I like the little bit more "air" over the rooftop in 2 and the little bit less road in 1. Taken whole, I think I prefer 1, without being able to articulate why. The color is more vivid -- warmer and deeper -- on my screen for 1, so that may be influencing my preference.
It's such a shame that these wonderful old buildings are being taken down. I can empathize with wanting to modernize, but still, not everything old is tumbledown. With enough time and bottomless pots of cash . . .
bottomless pots of cash sounds perfect! I'd like one of those :>)
Vivien - this drawing reminds me of Van Gogh (in the best possible way) - beautiful. I prefer the first crop.
I think it's maybe the buildings? nice person to be compared to! I love his drawings
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