Colored Pencil Art Drawing : grocery bags 2

The whirlwind of the show has passed and the  pencil pot has been replenished and it is so good to be back working on this piece again.

The texture of the cold press paper is so lovely for the paper bags, but it is much more delicate to work with. The paper does not hold the pencil as well my regular hot press paper, making it very easy to smudge.

I am trying to use this to my advantage in some places by creating delicate blends of color in the highlight areas, but I have to be much more careful than usual, especially with the shadows.

Colored Pencil Art Work in Progress - Summer

Thank you for helping me finish this picture in record time! Keeping my promise to you has helped me stay focused on the job and not flit from project to project like a flighty butterfly in a sun drenched garden.

We are still deep in snow here in New Jersey and I am aching to return to the warmth of this beautiful garden cafe, where they serve the best local smoked mackerel and fresh pressed apple juice from their own cider orchard. Alas, their menu is so fresh that there is nothing posted on their website. Nothing for me to ponder over wistfully as I sup my meagre bowl of gruel ... (4th helping, thank you Mr Dickens).

http://www.aftonpark.co.uk/index.html

Colored Pencil Drawing: Work in Progress - Summer 3

nearly there ...

Color Pencil Landscape - Art Work in Progress - Summer 2

Well, as promised, here is installment No2.

It was odd working on "Summer" today when every glance out of the window took in a perfect winter wonderland. To try and remember the delicious respite of the shade under this arbor, escaping the summer heat beyond, whilst I am wearing three sweaters and my fingerless mittens to keep warm.

But it is often the way. In summer I start work on next year's Christmas card and have to recall the icy chill of winter in the sweltering humidity of a New Jersey summer.

Now if only I was a little more organized...

Color Pencil Landscape : Art Work in Progress : Summer

I had just enough pencil left to start a small work on smooth mat board, so it won't be too hard on my remaining pencil stumps. This will be the final one in the "Seasons" series. I am hoping to get it finished and framed in time for the show at L & M Gallery - 15th March  :  www.lmartgallery.com

Yikes! 15th March - there's only one thing to do when deadline looms - make a promise.

I PROMISE to post an update on this drawing EVERY DAY this week, until it is done.

Lordy! now I'm for it

Who ate all my colored pencils?

I must start off with an apology. I got so carried away listening to "Anthony and Cleopatra" by Colleen McCullough and the work was just flowing by, that I quite forgot to take an intermediary photo to show you, before getting stuck into real color. You can still see most of the purple under painting though.

I am working on Cold Press watercolor paper, which is rougher than I usually use. The texture is terrific for the paper bags, but it sure does eat up my pencils. I am down to a single stumpy nub on the Dark Indigo.

I also appear to have blown through my reserve stock of favorite colors which means, alas, a trip to Jerry's Art Store this week. What is a girl to do? Forced to spend the morning browsing through paper, testing the pencils and sniffing the oil paint. And then I suppose I will HAVE to have lunch at the Whole Foods just down the road. Such a trial.

Color Pencil Art in Progress : paper and plastic bags

Well I think it's done.

I'm still living with it a little longer and making minor adjustments, but I'm pretty happy with this.

I burnished the plastic bags with a white pencil to make them look slick, but left the texture of the drawing paper to come through in the paper bags. So there is a nice contrast of shiny and rough textures, as well as the contrasting juicy purple shadows against the pure yellow highlights.

Still no title.

Color Pencil Still Life Art in Progress

OK! everything's got color in it.

Now I get to sit with it a while.

It's on an easel across from me at breakfast; it's joins me for lunch at the kitchen table and it's propped up next to the TV in the evening. It moves around the house with me throughout the day so I can see it in different lights and live with it long enough for things to start bugging me.

I've also got to think of title...all suggestions gratefully received -  just leave a comment at the end of the post.

Color Pencil Still Life : paper and plastic bags

I got quite carried away today and if it hadn't been for Lulu I would probably have forgotten lunch.

Lulu NEVER forgets lunch

I am on the final stages now, before I start on the fine details and any corrections I want to make.

Colored Pencil Art - still life drawing

Having these mini blog deadlines every couple of days is really helping me to stay on track and focused on the work. Just as well, with the impending deadline looming large (Feb 13th!).

I am also finding the daily documentation of the work useful for assessing the picture as a whole, something I usually leave until the end. Once the picture is "done" I will usually live with it for a while. I put it in the living room where I will look at it throughout the day and in different lights and gradually make a list of things I think need fixing.

But photographing the work daily has made me stop and assess the work in progress. For instance, the top yellow plastic bag looks far too green to me. This is the sort of adjustment I would usually leave until the end, but now I think I will fix it tomorrow.