Home › Forums › Explore Media › Colored Pencil › Restaurant Row – King Street, Toronto
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May 16, 2018 at 6:33 pm #456169
I thought I would share my most recent project.
I am still on the architectural kick that I started with Massey Hall.
I think this is my fourth building project.
And I think I will put away my construction tools after this project.Paper Strathmore Bristol Vellum 22 x 17
Image Size 16 x 13
PrismacolorOnce again I am working from several reference photographs.
I have based my outline on one photo, and attach my photo that I will use as a color reference.I would like to push the value and color beyond the photo reference to represent late at night.
I think this will give me a chance to up the ante and work with high contrast and saturated color. The signage and all the lettering will be a challenge.
We have been to Kit Kat several times and have always enjoyed the experience.
My goal is to try Hey Lucy and N’Awlins this year … just for fun.
These restaurants are across the street from the TIFF theater.Thanks for looking
RichardFacebook Page brownblackandwhite
artincanada.comMay 20, 2018 at 9:31 pm #623534Looks like a fun project! It comes alone pretty well
May 21, 2018 at 6:39 am #623545Going to look spectacular. Nice reference pic.
VenaMay 22, 2018 at 9:15 am #623537Your ability to focus on detail is mind boggling. This is looking fantastic!
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InstagramSaveMay 22, 2018 at 1:03 pm #623506Excellent!
After you have done the outline, do you start over and make a grey scale?Ladysue
May 24, 2018 at 6:28 pm #623507Thank you Huanghehe and Vena and Elaine.
We shall see how this goes and whether I can remain patient enough to finish.
There is a huge amount of detail and that is the challenge.
Based on past experience I will probably stall out at some point … I will get tired of looking at this image … and my postings will become more sporadic.
But I always finish what I start.
I don’t give up.
Which might be a good trait for working with color pencil.LadySue, I tend to jump in with color rather then lay down a foundation or underpainting of gray for value scale. I hope i understand correctly that is the basis of your question.
The gray that you see is French Gray and I am using it for the third building … I am using various percentage of French Gray from light to dark to represent the building face falling into shadow as it recedes from light sources.
I lay down the French Gray and then I lay down some Orange or Permanent Red for the signage bloom.And that is one of the other challenges with this drawing.
I have multiple light sources beyond the ambient lighting.
I have to imagine how the signage or source of lighting would affect the reflection off the building.
There are several signs and several light sources.
I am not just replicating the reference photo … I am improvising based on what I think the lighting might do.
So it is a bit of a puzzle.
But also forces me to think more.
Which is a good thing.Thanks for looking
RichardFacebook Page brownblackandwhite
artincanada.comMay 31, 2018 at 7:40 pm #623508This is another update and I thought I might share my goals.
I want certain parts of the image to be saturated color … the night sky and the windows and the signage for example. I don’t want to see the tooth of the paper.
In terms of the building face … I can live with some paper texture showing because the brick has texture and the tooth of the paper can work to my advantage.
This has always been a challenge for me … seems that I get the layering that I want … but for some reason unknown to me … the prismacolor flakes off over time. Looks good now … not so good later. I have been fighting this since day one of my color pencil apprenticeship.
However, I am experimenting with a blender that shows some promise. I shall share my experience later.
I also feel that I must push the contrast.
My darks need to be darker … and I will layer more bold darks on what I have done to this point.Thanks for looking
RichardFacebook Page brownblackandwhite
artincanada.comMay 31, 2018 at 9:21 pm #623531I was born in Toronto, my great grandfather had a photo studio on King Street back in the 1920’s. I find this so appealing!
Excellent shading, that brick work is so good. I’m liking how you’re tackling the lighting. Can’t wait to see more.
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Find me on FacebookMay 31, 2018 at 9:44 pm #623529Richard this is looking great so far, good luck with the deep saturation on the Bristol. Strathmore surfaces always seem to fight me when trying to get full coverage and color depth (unless I use some kind of solvent). I am enjoying looking through the WIP shots, thanks for sharing!
- Delo DelofashtJune 7, 2018 at 5:09 pm #623509Hi Virginia. Nice to hear of your connection with Toronto. It has changed so much in my lifetime, and I don’t know when you left this fine part of the world, but you may find it quite jarring to return … particularly the Yonge and Dundas development. But this section of King Street retains the character of your grandfather’s time … with some neon additions.
Hi Delo … thanks for the encouragement and your advice re Strathmore paper. I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned solvents … I think that is the key to blending and saturation in this case.
I thought I would share some articles written in The Artists Magazine April 2017 issue. I bought this magazine over a year ago and just read it this past week. And I am glad I did.
I bought the magazine because there was an article on Jesse Lane … who is an amazing color pencil artist. Tanja Grant is also featured in this same article and she is equally talented.
There is another article written by Armin Mersmann … I have always admired his skill and technique … and patience.
But the real reason I mention this magazine is an article written by Lynn Ferris called Light up the Night. Lynn speaks of how she gravitated to creating watercolor images based on night scenes.
She mentions that she has become an astute observer of not only the dark, but of light as well. She notes that night scenes almost always incorporate multiple sources of light. She says think of yourself as a designing with light and dark to direct the viewers eye around the composition.
In other words, play with it and don’t try and force a literal depiction of the scene.
Which is my aim with this project. Play with color and value and have some fun.
Thanks for looking
RichardFacebook Page brownblackandwhite
artincanada.comJune 13, 2018 at 6:24 pm #623510i remain focussed on the building face, and until I am satisfied, I will ignore the props … the neon signage and cows and piano will have to wait.
I think I still need to heighten the contrast and eliminate the tooth of the paper.
But that is the nature of color pencil … patience will be rewarded.
Thanks for looking
RichardFacebook Page brownblackandwhite
artincanada.comJune 15, 2018 at 1:37 pm #623550June 24, 2018 at 6:28 pm #623511Thanks a lot Anthony … I keep plugging away.
I think at this point I am satisfied with the building face, with the exception of the balustrade at the top of Kit Kat and Nawlins. But that won’t take much time and then on to the fun part which will be the signage and props.
Thanks for looking
RichardFacebook Page brownblackandwhite
artincanada.comJune 24, 2018 at 10:59 pm #623551Very nice.
You really made the brickwork in the lower left stand out nicely.
I think what you say about multiple light sources and NOT painting a literal depiction of the scene ( at least as far as the light is concerned ) is key here.
Wonderful !
June 25, 2018 at 6:42 am #623546Looking truly amazing! I went up the CN tower again last week. It was a perfect day weather wise. This is really a beautiful city with lots of interest and lots going on.
Vena -
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