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  • #468170

    Image Size 18″ x 18″
    Prismacolor
    Stonehenge (I’m a Stonehenge virgin)

    Well enough practice with leaves … time to dive in with the real subject.

    One of the first decisions I had to make was how I wanted the lighting to affect the subject.
    And since this is a top view of the flower, I could rotate my reference pic to my choosing.
    I decided that I wanted the light at top RHS and that the shadows would fall on the lower LHS of the flower and the leaves.
    I just thought that it was a more natural or balanced composition.

    I have attached my line drawing for the flower.
    As you can see I leave very little room for improvisation … the more detail the better at this point.

    I am using blush pink across the entire flower and adjusting hand pressure to indicate shadows. I let the tooth of the paper show for light values and increase pressure for dark values.

    My thinking is that the flower will have more uniformity if I lay down a foundation color, and I will create more depth later by adding other color layers.

    Some people fragment the drawing and take various elements or segments to completion before they move on to other elements.
    I can’t do that.
    I don’t see it in those terms.
    I need to complete the entire body of the image so that I can compare relative values and make adjustments.
    As someone once said … I sneak up on the completion.
    I am constantly moving on with portions of the drawing incomplete … which is probably frustrating for the viewer … but I don’t know any other way.
    I guess we all have our own approach and at the end of the day, It’s what works best for you.

    As noted this is my first experience with Stonehenge.
    I generally use Strathmore bristol vellum.
    And my first observation is that this Stonehenge paper eats pencils.
    But on a positive note, I find that I can sweep pencil debris off the surface much more effectively … and so it is much easier to keep clean.

    Thanks for looking
    Richard

    Facebook Page brownblackandwhite
    artincanada.com

    #770336
    kerri_oz
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        Wow, this is gorgeous. So delicate and soft.

        I'm here to grow and learn as an artist, so C&C always welcome :D

        #770340
        Triduana
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            Wow, this looks beautiful. :)

            Kay D - Edinburgh, Scotland

            So long, and thanks ...

            #770323
            Wassie
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                This is so pretty. But, tell me, when you draw each little section, don’t you get mixed up with where you are in the final drawing. I find that if I draw too much detail, I get confused when I am rendering the color.

                #770337
                kerri_oz
                Default

                    This is so pretty. But, tell me, when you draw each little section, don’t you get mixed up with where you are in the final drawing. I find that if I draw too much detail, I get confused when I am rendering the color.

                    Good question! I get lost in detail, too. Also, at what point do you erase your lines so they don’t show through the delicate, light colours?

                    I'm here to grow and learn as an artist, so C&C always welcome :D

                    #770309

                    Thanks Kay and Kerri and Wassie.

                    I certainly know what you mean Wassie.
                    I can get dizzy sometimes trying to follow my outline.
                    But I do believe in establishing detail from the start and I do believe that it in the long run it does save time.

                    Here are some things that I do that keep me on track.
                    I have attached my reference photo.
                    And what i do is look for markers that help me to see where I am with the outline.
                    If you look at the reference you will see the flower stamens in a couple of locations … I have included them in my outline.
                    They are an anomaly from the petals and are a good marker.
                    So one way to start is to go to the stamen on the outline and work outwards from there.

                    The other markers that I look for are the darkest darks in the reference picture and then draw them in my working surface … there might be 5 or 6 of these and they give you a starting point to navigate around them.
                    I tend to focus on these dark areas … and then I go to the next darkest areas … and so on.
                    The lightest areas by default will be those areas that you haven’t touched on your working surface.

                    And finally, this may seem juvenile, but I put my index finger on the reference photo in the exact spot that I am working from as I draw.
                    This really helps me to stay on point and avoid searching the photo all the time to pick up my location.
                    That constant searching of the photo can be very tiring.
                    It helps to go back immediately to the same spot every time.

                    Keri, I erase the outline with a kneadable eraser before I apply color pencil.
                    But I leave enough graphite behind so that I can see what remains.
                    I think this is more important for the lighter values … if I am working in a particularly dark area … I often leave the outline because it will be hidden by addition of color layers.
                    And sometimes you can hide the outline of a light area by bringing the dark adjacent area over the outline (using a sharp point on the pencil).

                    Thanks for looking
                    Richard

                    Facebook Page brownblackandwhite
                    artincanada.com

                    #770320
                    sheri
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                        This is breathtakingly gorgeous. You have captured the softness and delicateness of the peony. You should be very pleased with how this is turning out. I can’t wait to see it finished.

                        #770333
                        Pingpongfan
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                            You have lots of patience. Doing all those leaves just for practice and now this which is so beautiful, I hope it is not just a practice piece. Looking forward to seeng the leaves appear.
                            Vena

                            #770324
                            ocmd123
                            Default

                                Beautiful as always! I love seeing how others work. I would get completely lost with all of those lines on your base drawing! I start with basic shapes and build the details as I go.

                                ELAINE~ Moderator-Colored Pencil Forum ~ [FONT=Times New Roman]New to the forum? Visit the Welcome Thread ~ [FONT=Times New Roman]New to CP? Check out the CP Libray Index for information about about pencils, paper, sharpeners.[FONT=Times New Roman]
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                                #770310

                                Thanks Sheri … I am inspired by what I see you do.

                                Thanks Vena … in spite of my practice, I am still not sure about how to draw the leaves … I feel a little intimidated … if you will pardon the pun I will leave them until later.

                                Thanks Elaine … as you say we all do things differently … and that is ok … there is no right or wrong … we work as we feel comfortable with our process.

                                I am starting to add more color to the bloom.
                                All with the idea of adding color saturation.
                                I am using
                                Process Red
                                Greyed Lavender
                                Lavender

                                And I am focussed on the bottom left quadrant.
                                I consider this to be the darkest part of the flower.

                                I like to work dark to light.
                                This applies on a macro and micro scale.
                                So on a macro scale I am working on the lower left quadrant.
                                But on a micro scale I work dark to light with each individual petal.

                                I find it easier to develop the values this way.

                                The one thing that I hope to capture is the translucence of the petals … I like how the light filters through the petals … I didn’t know that the petals were translucent before I studied my photo. Nature is amazing.

                                Thanks for looking
                                Richard

                                Facebook Page brownblackandwhite
                                artincanada.com

                                #770338
                                kerri_oz
                                Default

                                    This is developing beautifully, Richard.

                                    I'm here to grow and learn as an artist, so C&C always welcome :D

                                    #770326
                                    KJSieloff
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                                        OMG, this is stunning!! I’m pulling up a chair!

                                        Kathy Sieloff
                                        My Website

                                        #770330
                                        KarenESP
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                                            #770311

                                            Thanks for your comments Kerri and Kathy and Karen.

                                            I am heightening the contrast by adding mulberry and dark purple and parma violet to the shadows. And I am adding white to the highlights on each petal to fill in the tooth of the paper. And I use greyed lavender to create shadow within those highlights.

                                            I continue to work dark to light … I am working from bottom left of the flower to top right.

                                            I think this may be as far as I will go with the flower. It may be 80% done. I think I need to see it with the leaves before I spend any more time on it. Once I see the leaves I can make final adjustments to the flower.

                                            Thanks for looking
                                            Richard

                                            Facebook Page brownblackandwhite
                                            artincanada.com

                                            #770322
                                            KathyA
                                            Default

                                                All that detail!!! Absolutely beautiful!!

                                                [FONT=Palatino Linotype]Kathy

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