Exercise (4) Monochrome. Project (4) Sill Life.

"changing and decay in all around I see"

Pastels and a white support.

In this still life I set up a old classical bust on its side and entwined it with ivy....( not really sure what I was try to imply with this composition. But I do derive a distinct pleasant melancholic feeling from it....pleasing decay, so to say.) 

For a more interesting angle, I set the whole thing upon a small chair, which, in its turn was on a table, making me more or less eye-level with the objects.

I arranged the light so it was coming down over the sculpture's shoulder, from the right.

I went for green in the end, because I am fond of the colour and I thought it would work well with the still life I had chosen. 

I chose pastel because I enjoyed using them on the other exercise and I wanted to see if I could do better.

I liked the process a good deal more than I like the result,

I think I failed to capture the juxtaposed qualities of the old cracked plaster against the fresh shine on the laves.

I am in a bit of a quandary how, if I were to do this drawing again, I would get that glossy texture to the ivy.

Pastels are hard, I think they are very good for getting light and tone, but I will need a lot more practise before I get any where with textures, I am very new to, (and if you will pardon the pun) very green with using pastels.

I think the background was a bit of a mess I should have had a plain dark one, so the things in the foreground could stand out.

There are (however) a few bits I like about the work, such as the roundness of the neck and the way the features on the bust's face terned out. 

I like the way it feels fairly solid, also the capturing of light isn't too bad.

I feel I could have spent much more time on it. 

(But didn't have enough to spend, I feel I must keep pressing on to the next bit of work.)

(trying out different tones of green pastel.)