this week has been a trial and error sort of week
it never fails that the first thing I try is far from the mark but I find I can usually end up with what I'm after if I jut stick with it long enough - the work shown here is most definitely a product of that kind of determination
first it was getting the colours in the photograph the way I wanted them
the day I took this image was a fairly dark day, the sun low on the horizon as it is in the Yukon in winter; unfortunately that made the colours come out much bluer than they actually were - pretty, but not what I had seen, nor wanted to work with
careful editing brought back the soft and silvery greys, the sooty blacks and the yellow gleam of sunlight on water
my first drawing was over-worked, most especially the water
to break free of trying to capture every single detail I did two timed drawings - the upper one was done in 4 minutes, the lower, 2
they may not look much different but in the lower one, the crack in the ice at the base of the pilings is quieter in line and the colours were literally dashed on the pilings in the final seconds
painting trials were next, with watercolour and ink
three very large sheets of cartridge paper later I had a few crops to work with
it's so interesting to me that when I have a pencil in my hand I labour over every single line yet the minute I pick up a brush I am slapping paint on any which way I can, usually making a big mess of everything - with drawings I have to set aside the first effort aside and try to speed things up whereas with paintings I have to do the exact opposite
what the heck?
below is the third try for the pilings and I really can't quite believe I did it
it astonishes me how quick random marks and rubbings can translate so easily into 100 years of weathering
another section of the large sheet was cropped down and folded into a little book
the front cover below is perfect for that land of ice and snow, mountains and rivers, and again, though I didn't purposefully try to draw Grey Mountain, the image below could probably not be more accurate
one of the pages inside
so pleased with these, both the results and the effort
I just need to remember "draw fast, paint slow"
4 comments:
I have the same experience, although in reverse - I get a better result with drawing if I don't try too hard or too long, but sometimes I get a really good result with a slow, quiet watercolour.
And I'm not at all surprised by the wonderful one you can't believe you did. That's exactly my experience!
Your persistence is admirable in all you do. And by persisting, you are learning with each attempt and also discovering things about yourself and your methods. This is paying off big time and it shows in this latest batch of stunning artwork. That book!
I wonder if the difference could be stemming from the actual width of the 'tool' being used. I suspect there's an inherent sense of perfectionism with pencils because the marks they make are thin. Then again, what do I know!!
No matter - I love your end result.
Love these explorations Jillayne, the book is jaw droppingly beautiful. I smiled at 'draw fast, paint slow'. Reminds me of 'fast foot, slow hands' lol.
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