Botanical artist, Wendy Hollander, led us through her steps to create volume and 3D effect using nothing but graphite, colored pencil and watercolor pencil.
Botanical artists don't put in shadows (why is that - does anyone know?), but I put in the shadows for my little acorns.
I didn't finish the leaf yet, but I will. This on ~ a fourth sheet of Arches 140# hotpress paper.
I really enjoyed doing this as I rarely work with colored pencils - and have a lot to learn from them as to layering lightly to get into the darks slowly (I tend to rush the color and value).
Happy Mother's Day!
8 comments:
New medium Rhonda and it looks like you are on your way to mastering colored pencils. They really do take patience but I love to see them used. Your acorns and oak leaf are super. Hope you are having a great start to your week. Hugs!
Rhonda, you are a force to be reckoned with! Always thirsting to try new things and new paintings. I am a fan!
i think they dont put in shadows because the goal of botanical art is just the focus on the subject? the art, as nice is it can be I think is supposed to look like it could be in a text book and the images they hardly ever have shadows. could be wrong tho *shrug*
Another beauty, Rhonda! Your drawing skills are awesome!
Thanks, Debbie and Sherry (good to see you posting again - l’ll need to stop over and see what you’re doing these days).
Thanks Jennifer Rose. I guess you’re right - more scientifically rendered and correct in the parts - not sure I could ever be a botanical artist as I don’t have the patience to lighly build and build.
Thanks, Chris :). For me to draw well, I have to really slow down and pay close attention. Glad you like it.
I thought the leaf was a real one :o) it's so detailed.
I have just discovered your blog via Chris - your pages are great.
The interference one was interesting too - I'm just reading a book by Nancy Reyner called 'Acrylic Illuminations' and one techniques she shows is using a mix of dark and light interference paint as the underpainting.
I've been dithering over those visual journals for a while too - not sure which one to get... of course I could try two different ones :)
Is yours the watercolour one or for mixed media? (both seem to be able to cover all sorts of paints etc as far as I can see)
Gill x
Lisa, thanks so much :)
Gibby, thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment :) I have some acrylic instruction books but haven't delved into them too much yet - but I will. I only have the one interference pigment and I think I bought it by mistake! ha ha I do like the Strathmore Visual Journals - they have 90# paper and 140# and I like both - they are a coldpressed type and hold up well to wet media. For the best of the best, the Stillman & Birn journals are super - great paper, smaller books to put in a bag and go and the paper just reacts beautifully to the paint (those are my watercolor travel journals). They have various paper weights and paper for different media, too. They are more expensive but worth it. But the Strathmore is a good journal/sketchbook too. So many choices for us artists these days!
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