Old church graveyard, drawing in charcoal and pastel

Old Church Graveyard, charcoal and pastel, approx 16 ins square, Vivien Blackburn

An old churchyard in Norfolk - again done in charcoal (willow and compressed) on pale grey paper, with touches of pastel for a little colour. I think it's a subject that works with this limited colour scheme. I do love charcoal.

The textures and marks on the stones and the lovely light interested me - and the pigeon obligingly posed :>)

details:



just done because it interested me - I don't suppose many would want a graveyard on their wall???

Comments

Sjamesportraiture said…
Great lighting, love all the colours in the grey. No probably not one for the wall, I'm thinking of drawing a vulture soon, again probably not one for the wall!
3:50 pm
vivien said…
thanks Sarah - a vulture mmm interesting :>)
5:46 pm
dinahmow said…
Some people might. Slightly strange people, like me! I once had a framed photo of a dew dropped cobweb on an old headstone.
7:56 pm
Donald Diddams said…
I love this graveyard scene -- and the thistle in the previous post, too! The combination of the the pastels with the charcoal really "livens up" the scene. The angles of the gravestones and slightly warped perspective adds to the graveyard feel. I'm not so sure no one would want it on their wall... and besides, that's not something to worry about anyway!
Don
http://diddamsdigitalart.wordpress,com
9:18 pm
annie said…
Yes, I can understand how that lighting drew you in. That and the way the pastel works with the charcoal keeps me studying the whole scene.
annie
2:55 am
Pat said…
I love this painting, a real study in tone. If we only painted for others we probably would not be painting.
3:13 am
Robyn Sinclair said…
Lovely shapes and values, Vivien. Your pigeon seems to have a beautiful inner light.
9:43 am
vivien said…
Thanks Dinah, Don, Annie, Pat and Robyn :>)

that photo sounds lovely

an illuminated pigeon ;>D - they do have beautiful subtle colours in their greys when you really look don't they?
11:44 am
Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said…
a great graveyard scene...it really has ots of atmoshere...can I say eerie, which would mean you achieved that look only a graveyard has!
ronell
3:03 pm
caseytoussaint said…
From the thumbnail, I thought that was a photo because the values are so good - but it's much better than a photo!
6:13 pm
vivien said…
thank you both :>)

would love to see your drawings of churchyards/graveyards ..... hint hint!
7:06 pm
Anonymous said…
We have a wonderful old cemetery here in town, so your drawing resonates with me. I would gladly put it on the wall...there is so much depth and texture.
4:57 am
vivien said…
thanks Cath :>)
11:45 pm
Ujwala Prabhu said…
the composition and tones are beautiful. i believe there's an extra special quality which is visible that creeps in when we do things that interest us which would disappear if we did only what others expected of us and soon like puff the magic dragon we would abandon the very thing we love as it ceases to draw us. does it show that i'm doing my 12 wks of journaling? :P
3:55 am
vivien said…
:>D thank you - beautifully put and I totally agree


I need to work on things for their own sake, because they interest me. I always find my own angle on something that's an assignment or I produce work without that spark.
9:47 am
Lindsay said…
Vivien, I've really enjoyed catching up here. Your charcoal and pastel work stunning and very powerful. I also love the stil, gray day painting of water. So many lovely things to see here that it's cheered me up.
I've been looking at work by Adrian Berg and he has a very unusual way of handling space in his paintings. He's worked with an interesting blend of tame and wild landscapes. Will so a post on him soon.
2:30 am
vivien said…
thanks Lindsay :>)

I haven't heard of him - I'll be interested to read that
11:25 am
Anonymous said…
...wow...!
6:47 am
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