More in graphite

I have completed another project, another in graphite. This will go to my father for his upcoming birthday. Sure hope he likes it. I do enjoy working in graphite but find I do miss color so not sure I could only do work in black and white. Perhaps I will try colored pencil next. Have done a couple of things before but have learned some things since then, such as how to mix colors, so, perhaps, it is time to try again? Will never give up on watercolor painting, still love to do that. Just so many things to try and learn!

Working in graphite, as I have probably written more than once, is helping me so very much with values, something I have a very hard time with in watercolor. I find I have to study my subject more closely to make an interesting rendering in graphite, this should help me in other media as well. I am not as happy with this latest work as with the last. More work was done after the photo was taken and, as with watercolors, not everything shows up as it should.

So many things coming up in my life; out of town trips and also time to get the vegetable garden in, will have to make a concerted effort not to let my art go by the wayside.

Let me try again!

After posting my last blog entry, I realized that I repeated myself quite a bit from the previous blog. Wouldn't have that problem if I posted more often, now would I? Also, didn't want to leave the impression that I thought artists that didn't spend a lot of time drawing weren't doing things "right" somehow. Not at all! Getting back to drawing is important.....for me. In my artistic journey, this is what I need to do now to improve. To really improve, I need to spend more time doing art, any art; drawing, painting, whatever! So, having said that, I will end this entry and get to it!

Back to Basics

Didn't wait quite as long to post this time but could do better.

I decided it was time to work on the basics and get back to drawing and sketching. I think, overall, this will help my painting, giving me a much better starting point from which to work. Oh, and how I am enjoying this! Drawing was something I used to do many years ago, much more than I ever painted. Now, I have rediscovered working in graphite and, while I am not abandoning watercolors, feel the pull to work with pencils for a while. Recently, I did some plein aire sketches of trees with pen, with varying results but, no matter what the result, it was fun!

The more I draw, the more I realize how important being able to draw is to a finished piece of art, no matter what the medium. No shorcuts of projecting images and tracing them, good, old fashioned drawing is the basis of all well rendered art, in my opinion.

Posting a graphite piece of a Goldfinch. My son took a photo while he was visiting and I used that as my reference.