Exercise (3) Study of Several Trees. Project (1) Trees

watercolour wash with watercolour pencil on a white support.

(Disappointed that the photograph didn't bring out the intensity of the colour of the original drawing.)

I wanted to capture the graceful sweep of these trees, the smooth tree bark and big dark shiny leaves.

I started with a wash of watercolour, 

(by putting a wash down I find it helps to give me a confidence of line when using the pencil, I know were I am going.)

When that was dry I used several tones of green watercolour pencil, to define the shapes, cross-hatching to consolidate the forms and lastly I added a bit of water to the pencil. 

Not enough darks in the leaves and shadows....or anywhere in fact, and I didn't get the effect I wanted, were the tree trunks, the ground beneath them and the foliage above was all very dark (almost silhouetted) against the sunlight background.

Although not dark enough, I quite liked the way the leaves came out, with the watercolour I had made lots of downward paintbrush strokes, trying to simulate a leaves, then put in pencil, outlining the leaves closest to me and further back attempting those odd shapes, almost triangular in places.

It could have been better, if I had been braver with my darks. 

Exercise (2) Larger Observational Study of an Individual Tree. Project (1) Trees

In spite of all of the drawings I didn't manage to put in any tree roots. I love drawing roots, there is something like the Celtic knot patterns about them, I find them so interesting and fun to draw.

Will try and find some way of squeezing them in somewhere...perhaps.  

Fountain pen and wash.

I think some of the branches worked better then others, the ones going away from the viewer as opposed to the coming forward branches, which are less successful.

Black marker and conté.

watercolour pencil and fountain pen.

watercolour pencil and watercolour.

Three shades of felt tip pen.

Brown pencil.

I think this drawing has some good elements. 

I do like the tree, it is quite unusual and quite beautiful, with it's practically non-existent trunk and odd mishmash of branches (most bolt upright and a few smaller ones at angle.) 

It was interesting to draw.

I think many years ago it must have been coppiced.

Exercise (1) Sketching Individual Trees. Project (1) Trees.

I love drawing trees, and enjoyed these exercises very much... and am looking forward to the rest of the project.

I think trees such a good things to draw, 

I could draw the same tree 100 times and not feel I had done it justice.

In this exercise I wanted to incorporate a range of varied types of tree, using a range of  materials, and see what the best results were.

Fountain pen.

I like this quick sketch,

I am trying to be freer with my lines (as the feedback from my last assignment suggested.) and I think it worked here.

 Two shades of brown watercolour pencils 

(water applied,) and fountain pen.

Don't like this one so much, it seems a bit rigid, it doesn't have much of a flow to it.  

Fountain pen (sepia ink) and wash.

Watercolour and fountain pen.

Marker pen.

Graphite pencil.

Watercolour pencils and water.

This is one of the more worked drawings in this exercise. I have been experimenting with different ways of drawing foliage, and think this is quite a successful way. 

Graphite pencil. 

Don't think I got the lovely sweep to this tree, it had a beautiful curve to it, not too bad a drawing, just a bad drawing of that tree. 

Red chalk pencil. 

Trying my hand at weeping willow's leaves, lots of fun.

Whiteboard marker and watercolour wash.

Fineliner and Conté.

Black felt tip pen and watercolour.

Maybe this was taking the free lines a bit too far? 

Not sure, But it was fun playing with the washes of watercolour, putting a yellow everywhere the strong sun light falls and a blue in all the shadow areas. 

Response to Feedback on Assignment Two.

This is my response to the feedback I have received.

 This is my reworked Assignment Two.

Thumbnail with watercolour pencil.

I had two new and different tries at the Assignment.

I like the second better then the first, the line just got too dark and messy, but it is a lot looser than the original.

Whiteboard marker, fountain pen, watercolour wash, conté sticks and white chalk.

Fountain pen, watercolour washes, (a little black  conté) and white chalk. 

I consider this one better then the above.

I took an even more loose approach (as suggested), trying to describe the form with scribbly fountain pen lines, I like using fountain pen, its so flowing and you can get a variation of line (unlike fineliner)...and trying at all costs to avoid being precious. 

I made the background just a blur of darks, and just lightly indicated the window, 

because I wished to draw more attention to the carving. 

I was interested in tried to get the expression and personality of the carved creature, and I think I was more successful then in the original Assignment.

Thought I might just mention that...

My tutor recommended listening to poetry when working, 

I already did this a bit before, but now I have begun in earnest, mostly the romantic poets, 

I also love to listen to audio-books, in particular the classics. 

It's very interesting how what I am listening to affects my work, sometimes only ever so subtly.