Snow Leopard

Colour Pencil on Toned Paper

The following is from one of the demonstrations and exercised I did with my recient class at Camp Creative, a Snow Leopard in the soft Prismacolour Premier pencils. I don’t use Prismacolour pencils often as I generally find them too soft, but I do like their ability to blend and layer over coloured papers. As I didn’t want the class to have to spend too much on different types of paper for this class, I brought along a pad of the Strathmore Tan paper A3 180gsm. This is a lighter weight paper than I usually work with, but is robust enough to take several layers of pencils. As it is a thinner paper it is possible (just) to use the trace method of transferring a line drawing via a light box or window.

Why draw on toned paper? Well, working on toned paper can lead to a very realistic result . Remember, just as there is no true black in life, neither is there white. There is the sun, and everything else is darker than that.  So if your paper is darker than white it gives you an edge in your tonal range. It is easier to push a dark on tone paper, and you can always add a white highlight if you wish. Mistakes made on the original drawing are easier to hide. Because you start with a tone, your drawing time is faster as you don’t need to draw that in, it is there for you. You draw the tonal range either side of the paper colour.

One drawback to toned paper is that it can affect the colour hue of your pencil when laid down. So you MUST do a test sheet of your pencils on your chosen paper. So this is how I began. The Snow Leopard image is a photo I took several years back at the Melbourne Zoo.

As you can see, the Prismacolour pencils worked well and were quite intense in hue compared to my preferred Staedtler Mars Karat pencils - although you can certainly mix the two together if you are lacking a particular colour in the Prismacolour range.

Here is the the final result:

Very shortly there will be a step-by-step post on Mike Sibley's website showing the development of this work - joining is simple and inexpensive. But if you wish, I have a pdf available of this progress, simply contact me and I will send it to you.

Camp Creative 2

Wednesday & Thursday Morning

Wednesday is landscape day!  It can be fun to expand your work to express an open sky and full background. We discussed various ways to plan a composition for a landscape; how to maniuplate your reference to create a pleasing series of shapes, understanding the foreground, mid and background - and a few other hints and tips. We also looked at ways to create tone, using tortillon/paper stumps, hatching and scrumble effects and also using water soluble graphite pencils as a wash base. This landscape exercise had a mixed result with the students - about 1/3 loved it, another 1/3 hated it and struggled with it, and the last third were ambivilent. But love or hate it, all agreed it was worth the time to attempt the subject.

Haybales near Wattle Flat. Class demonstration, incomplete. Grapitint and 4B W/S graphite pencil plus HB, 2B & 4B graphite on Fabriano 300gsm hot press, A3.

Thursday Afternoon/Friday

Working on toned paper is also great fun - with a mid-tone grey or tan you can build your tones up and down leaving the colour paper to work as your mid tones. In this exercise students were given some Strathmore 180gsm Tan Toned paper and asked to use colour pencils to create an animal portrait or a human portrait of their own choosing. I demonstrated a quick portrait of David Helfgott, the patron of Camp Creative. We were lucky to see him perform for us on Monday night where I took a few mental notes and quick sketches. As well, the printed program had a good shot of David with which I based this work.

'David' Prismacolour pencils on Strathmore Toned Tan Paper - 1 hour demo.

I also started an animal portrait that demonstrated fur techniques. This is currently a wip and I hope to produce a progressive pdf of the work to completion.

'Snow Leopard' Prismacolour pencils on Strathmore Toned Tan paper - WIP

Camp Creative

Monday and Tuesday At Camp Creative

Camp Creative in Bellingen, NSW has started - and it has been a wonderful start to the week. We are very lucky in that the weather is balmy and warm without being very hot. Just perfect in fact. 

There are 13 students in the class and each one is  a joy to work with. It is always inspiring to meet and teach people new methods and techniques.

Monday:

I started everyone off with tonal studies - as several are repeat students I didn't want them to have to redo the value scale exercises. So instead I asked each to bring in a plain, simple glass. This allowed me to cover a range of topics - drawing circles and forms in perspective, different grades of pencils, tonal values, reflections, and working dark to light.

Quick demonstration. 4B, HB, F, 2H graphite pencils. Less than an hour 

Then students took the same glass and concentrated on highlights only, drawing white on black.

Demonstration. White colour pencil, white charcoal pencil, white gel pen. 10/15 minutes.

Finally, again using the same glass, rendered in colour pencils. (wax/resin based)

Demonstration. Prismacolour pencils. Over an hour 

Tuesday

Building on the colour pencil lessons of Tueseday, students advanced to Aquarelle colour pencils. Subject was to be a botanical item. Once more perspective was discussed, especially showing how to draw flowers and forms from an angled or side view. Blending colours using water washes created by the pencils and then building on those layers with more colour wash or dry colour was demonstrated. This was an all day exercise and most students finished a drawing - some did more. All there results were darn great!

Demonstration. Actual leaf on left. Drawing on right in Staedler Mars Karat Aquarelle pencils.

Tomorrow - Wednesday, we will be looking at Watersoluble graphites and create a landscape image.

My Fav Pencils are back!

Staedler Mars Karat Aquarell Watercolour

I love these colour pencils and have used them for decades - in fact for nearly 40 years! Brilliant colours that work well wet or dry. Excellent blending, good strong colour fastness. Nice hard leads that allow you to sharpen to a point and draw crisp hair lines. IMO these pencils are far superior to any other brand in the market. These are professional, top of the line, colour pencils.  Here is an excellent review on bestpencils.com. 

So you can imagine my dismay when I was told a few years back that Staedler Australia was no longer going to sell these pencils into art stores.  But someone at Staedler heard my pleas and they are now back! You can purchase them online at Officeworks throughout Australia or Bennetts who will also deliver Australia wide.

These are a professional standard, premium colour pencil and cosequently costly. But you get what you pay for, and although I don't need more, I could not resist and just purchased a brand new box of 60.

Oh! Pretty New Pencils! 😍

Why not indulge yourself and buy some... even if it is just a set of 12 or 24 I bet you will love them! Just remember, if you want the best, you have to pay for them.

Aero Naut Final

With a twist!

Here is hoping you have all had a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!

Sometimes when working on a project, you need to reassess your original plan. In my previous post you will have seen that this drawing was planned as a verticle format image. However, while working on it and building up the main shell image I was having some trouble with the paddle wheel - it seemed to be turning in the wrong direction pushing the Nautilus backwards instead of forward through the clouds.  I had to turn the work around to avoid smudging as I drew. As I did so I began suddenly noticed that when in the horizontal position this paddle wheel was turning the correct direction - and the Nautilus was suddenly surfing down the cloud scape instead of battling through it!

So, my brain boggled a bit, but settleded down and the work flowed and became more coherent. 

Here is the final result:

Aero-Naut WIP

Steam Punk with a nautical twist

Would you like to see my latest work on the drawing board? You would? If so, read on...

This will be the third work in a series of nautical themed steam-punk influenced works for a solo in September/October. Title of the show is tentatively called '20,000 Leagues'.

All works are 38 x 33 cm either verticle or horizontal, primarily graphite, but with some twists. Planning of the drawing was some 6 or 7 hours before trasfering outline to 300gsm Fabriano Extra White Hot Press paper.This work was started using a liquid tint made from Twinings English Breakfast Tea (extra strong). A light, selective layer of water-soluble 4B graphite pencil was added and washed to create tonal tints. Finally, I am working with straight graphite pencils (Staedler Mars Clutch) 2H, F, HB, 2B, 4B. This attached shows the progress at about 6 hours of work.

Title of the work is 'Aero-Naut' - and it is based on a paper nautilius shell I found on Montague Islands decades ago and photo references from google for the appearance of the real animals tentacles before I mechanised them up. Take note, all circles and gears are drawn free hand! No templates, which is why some are a bit wonky.

Tablet shot only, so tonal values are a bit out of whack.

Biblio Art Prize

Accepted! Both!

Hi there! A few weeks ago I told you about the Biblio Art Prize to be held in Port Fairy during December and showed you one of my entries here. After showing Jo from Blarney Books both works she encouraged me to enter the two, and much to my surprize both have been accepted.
I can now show you the main entry work, 'The Battle'.

This work was created in ink on 250gsm Bristol board and exhibits the main participants in the final battle scene of the book 'The Wolf in the Whale' by Jordanna Max Brodske. Each element of the drawing flows and merges into the next forming a moving frieze of combatants facing the Viking warship as it breaks free of the pack ice. There are narwhales and inuksuk, a seal, bear, wolk, raven/odin, blue whale, sturgeon and the main character Omat - can you find them all? As well as the prow of the viking ship trapped in the pack ice.

If you are visiting the area around Port Fairy this summer drop into Blarney Books and view the exhibition - I will be there on opening night December 7.

Dates: December 7 to January 27

Blarney Books and Art

37 James St., Port Fairy, Vic 3284

Draw with Mike!

Don't miss Mike Sibley's new website and forum!

You may know of, or heard me speak in class about my friend and wonderful graphite artist, Mike Sibley. Well, Mike has just launched his new website and forum 'Draw with Mike', and I encourage you to have a look at it and seriously consider joining.

Membership gives you the opportunity to watch custom made videos of Mike at work - videos that actually TEACH you something! You can also ask Mike questions at his regular Q & A sessions - even requesting he do a video of a particular technique you want to see. There is an online drawing class/workshop you can join.

As well, the members forum gives you the chance to show your work (finished or in progress) and ask for help from Mike and the other forum members. Unlike a Pintrest or Instagram page where you will receive accolades but no helpful critique, the forum offers constructive, friendly advice and assistance from Mike and other forum members.

This is a great time to join as Mike has included a special 'Christmas' link you can send to your special other as a helpful gift hint! And this comes at a convenient time for us in Australia as we enter summer holidays - I visit the site weekly, and would be more than happy to offer you any help there on your summer artwork. You can PM me on the site to give me a heads up (as I will be travelling/workshopping* in January) although I plan to check into the forum regularly.

Interested? I hope so! Why not click on the link and join today!

https://SibleyFineArt.com/join-Draw-With-Mike/

see you there -

Image courtsey of Mike Sibley Fine Art

*Places still available at Bathurst Mitchell School of Art! Enrollments close Nov. 29, don't miss out!

AAEA Award

Runner up to the Australian Art Excellence Awards

I was very suprised and pleased to accept the Runner-up Terry Collins Award yesterday at AGRA's annual Australian Art Excellence Awards. It is a huge honour and a real buzz to win this award - especially as the the works I submitted were not 'tradtional' but from my mechanical pencil series; 'Rat Race', 'Lead Balloon', and 'Springtime'. Check these out on my gallery page on my website.

And the prize goodies:

A fabulous selection from Art Spectrum, thank you Anna for choosing so well. Additionally a voucher for framing from Studio Craft, and a joint exhibition at AGRA next year. Fun!

Thank you AGRA!

Road Trip sketches

 Driving Hwy 101

Just back from my fantastic roadtrip along Hwy 101, San Francisco to L.A. with my sister. Did so much, visited family and friends, shopped, dined, walked, hiked, watched whales/otters/birds (condor!), saw Hearst Castle, Missions, The Getty Center, flew starships at Disneyland and drove for miles and miles and miles. Sister drove as it is on the other side there and a bit confronting for me. So not much time for drawing, but here are a few I did manage to squeeze in:

Monterey Aquarium

These are done from 'life'. I had only brought a black Adel fineliner pen, so a licked finger was needed to wash and blend the ink

Asilomar/Monterey area

Again with the Adel pen, only I had an Aquash brush handy. This tree and view from the room at Asilomar resort. A pair of Coopers Hawks came and sat in the tree for awhile, keening and whistling to each other.

 Big Sur

Hike out to Parkington Cove and back in Big Sur - about 2.5 mile round trip down, the UP a very steep zigzag track. But worth the walk. Also spotted Anna's and Rufous Hummingbirds on the way down. Plus a very bright green hummer I cannot identify. Aquash brush, Windsor Newton Watercolour travel set, Adel sepia and black pens

Mission Santa Barbara

The Queen of the Missions on 101. Adel Sepia and Black pens, Aquash brush.

A Fantastic Trip!

(by the way, have you signed up for my Bathurst workshop yet? Deadline is the end of November!)