Thursday 31 December 2009

2010.........



I can't believe that tomorrow will be the first day of 2010.  Is it just me or does that sound far too space-age.  Aren't we all supposed to be living in bubbles, wearing all-white papery disposable clothing and eating food that comes in fantastic colours, in vacuum packs?  I suppose some people do eat food like that but I'm thinking maybe I have watched Woody Allen's Sleeper just once too often.

Anyway, December has been really busy hasn't it?  I have hardly found any time for artwork which has been a little bit depressing.  I have spent nearly all the time I have had working on one coloured pencil picture in my sketchbook.  Based on some studies I did in the local park in early summer and a couple of photographs I took at the time, this picture has taken me a..g..e..s......!!  I have had a love / hate relationship with it while drawing it, but I finally finished it this morning and thought I'd share it here.  I have also included a couple of pictures I took at the end of a couple of drawing sessions, just to see the progress.  Not sure how interesting you will find them, but I have noticed other people posting 'progress pictures' and I find them really interesting.










I have never really used coloured pencils as much as I have recently but I find them really good to use in my sketchbook and, in the long process of re-gaining my drawing skills I have found them invaluable.  You really have to concentrate, it makes you think about where a mark has to go on the paper and the colour combinations you want to achieve.  After this picture I really want to say how impressed I am with people who use coloured pencil as their main medium!  I am feeling happy with this picture, and a little more confident with my pencil work, though as I was finishing the picture a book was delivered (a treat bought with some birthday money):




.... and as I flicked through it quickly my eyes fell on the work of Andrew Holmes and I nearly wept!  All drawn with coloured pencil on paper....







The little picture I have drawn, took me hours, spread over seven sessions.... how long must these take?!!  Like I said, I am thoroughly impressed with anyone who uses coloured pencils as their main medium! I am really only a beginner.  I'll get back to the drawing board...

If you would like to see more of Andrew Holmes' work it can be found at: http://www.plusonegallery.com/index.cfm
along with lots of other very talented people.

So, to round off for now I'd like to wish anyone who takes the time to come and read this a very happy and prosperous 2010.  I hope the year brings you all you could wish for.  Also, a big thank you once again to anyone who has been kind enough to leave comments for me, I can't tell you how encouraging you all are.  Wherever you are in the world, however you celebrate - have a good one! xx

17 comments:

  1. I love seeing your work in progress---the end result is so beautiful with it's many tones of light and shade---in soft transitions--I sometimes will take several days puttng in some part of a painting for varied reasons---some of which I have no clue of...I just have to wait till my mind says "it's time now"---I think some of the times it is because when I am done with a work I am done with the conection I had with the progress--and on to a new work---it's sort of a sad goodbye, as so much emotion went into to it even if that may not be apparant---Happy New Year ! Winna

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  2. An outstanding page! I admire your perserverance and the hours you put into this, I'd lose patience after just a few hours. But I agree, art with colored pencils is awesome, whether regular, watercolor, ink, whatever, I love them all. Happy New Year!

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  3. These are beautiful. I have no experience of working with coloured crayons and so I was pleased to see the work in progress.

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  4. I think your result is very beautiful. I also very much like the composition. Happy New Year!

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  5. It's a beautiful page. Yes, his work looks fantastic and it must take ages but for that kind of realism, I'll take a photo! I like the softness and interpretation of the subject in YOUR piece. I am glad you shared some of the progress. I tend to work all over a subject at once. I think it's interesting to see how you complete pretty much a whole section at a time. You are doing great. Please do not compare yourself to someone else. His technique is his and yours is yours. Do we all want to look at the same thing? Heavens, that would be boring!

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  6. I forgot to mention that I feel exactly as you do about 2010. I told my husband yesterday it seems we should be in the Jetson's kind of homes or some other science fiction kind of thing - this is TWENTYTEN!!

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  7. Lesley, great sketch. I too have a great admiration for people who can draw in colored pencil - such endurance and tenacity a person must have for it.

    -Krista Meister
    www.kristameister.com

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  8. I'm giving you a standing ovation for this one; it is beautiful! I once did two large colored-pencil drawings (paintings?) and decided right then, it was not the medium for me! It took SO long, and I haven't the best of posture when I work; I felt like a hunchback for weeks!

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  9. Lesley--Your work is great. I've just taken up colored pencils and find them a delightful medium. But yes, it can be very tedious. Do you find that you prefer the level of realism that can be achieved? Having worked almost exclusively with watercolors over the last few years, I have a clear tendency to aim less for exactitude. But I envy those with the patience (and posture) to spend HOURS. Keep up your work!

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  10. What an amazing set of comments, thank you all so much! I really am glad I kept at this one! I shall keep up with the coloured pencils, though my first choice of medium has always been watercolour, and I do struggle with the amount of time coloured pencil pictures take, I think for me the discipline is really good - for now - they really make you think about each mark you make. Then I'll move back to the watercolours and try to apply some of the thought processes to that. I'll find my style eventually! That's what is so cool about these blogs, you can see the transition in your own work and looking at other peoples blogs you realise you are absolutely not on your own! I'm glad people liked seeing the work in process, I'll try to post more like that.


    It's a snowy day here in Yorkshire and the school I work at is closed, so - I think I'll get the colours out and have a play!

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  11. Your rhododendron blossoms are beautiful. Sometimes colored pencil drawings can be a bit stiff but you have managed to acquire a painterly, fresh quality. Nicely done!

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  12. I'm late here, but absolutely delighted to see the series, and your art. The textures changes, delicacy, light you achieved are wonderful to see. In the middle of working a piece, color pencil always makes me wonder why in the world I ever chose to start something in that medium... but I'm always glad I did when in the zone, and when it is done, I'm sad. I agree with Janene - painterly quality is exactly what you've achieved. Bravo

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  13. Beautiful! Never knew colour pencils could produce such magic..Have you tried water colour pencils?

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  14. Loved this post, I am using coloured pencils as my 'weapon of choice' at the moment.
    Saron

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