"Double exposure"

 

Today's prompt in the Sketch a Day app is 'Double' and some of the inspirational images provided by the app are 'double exposures' in photographs and drawings.

That inspired me to do a double exposure my own way, using watercolour.

The first layer is an imaginary landscape, a forest path as we walk often when we are enjoying our beautiful Nature Reserves. The second layer is made after a reference picture I made of some tree roots showing in the sand path.

These two belong together, the root picture was made on a path very similar to the imaginary one I painted.

For the second layer I decided on a not so natural colour, a violet to make it stand out against the first layer. After making a large 'stain' of violet on my painting I started adding the shadows around the shapes of the roots with more of the same violet. 

I had thought I could let the violet flow a bit over the paper, but I should have done that as a first layer. Now I was having the risk that the first layer would disappear and add itself to the violet. Which was not what I wanted. 

This idea is nice enough to explore further and find the best way of doing this while experimenting.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this work and - if you are interested in my original artwork - my contact information can all be found in my Flickr account.

The path - a charcoal drawing

 

In the Sketch A Day app we can see the prompt and some inspirational images connected to the prompt for the next day, maybe to get inspiration overnight or to work in advance to post as early as possible. Most of the times I just try to find inspiration for an original approach  but this time I started my drawing in advance.

I have drawn an uneven, ragged wooden path over a marshy area in the landscape. The poles that keep the path high and dry can also be seen in the distance where the path curves to the right.

Where this path is bringing the walker is meant to be a mystery.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this work and - if you are interested in my original artwork - my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

The old echo well - a pencil drawing

 

Today's prompt in the Sketch A Day app is 'Echo' and I had to think of an echo well at once. Now how to make a nice drawing about an old echo well....

Of course I wanted to add trees, so the well is (now) situated in a forest. There has to be green moss on the stones and on the trees and some larger grasses on the forest floor.

As I do more often these days I made a drawing with watercolour pencils, used water and added more layers of pencil for depth in my colours. The background is only pencil to suggest distance.

I really enjoyed making this small drawing and exploring the possibilities of both my pencils and the chosen paper.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this drawing and - if you are interested in my original artwork - my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

Emperor Penguin - pencil drawing

 

A few days ago the prompt in the Sketch A Day app was 'South' and that made me look into my 'archive' of reference pictures taken from magazines. I wanted a penguin as these animals live in the southern part of our planet.

The picture of an Emperor penguin was selected and I made this drawing with different types of pencils.

I really like the result, so I decided to show it here.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this work and - if you are interested in my original artwork - my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

Church door 2 - charcoal drawing

 

After I had made the drawing of the 16th century Church door in Eppe-Sauvage I wanted to draw our own church door as well. The reason I wanted to draw it is not so great, our church will most likely be withdrawn from worship next year. So this is not only a drawing 'because I can do it' but also making a memory.

Our church is 20th century (a few years younger than I am) so it is a modern building. The church looks like a square block of stones, but it has some beautiful details. There is a line of windows between the solid walls and the roof so light can come into the building from every angle. The church front is mostly glass with stone walls at the sides and some vertical structures to carry the weight of the roof. The horizontal white line is the floor of the choir balcony being part of the front of the building. The entrance is made with slate or another natural stone and behind the first set of doors is always another set of doors as a protection against the weather. When the first doors open, a rain storm does not 'enter' the building directly.

The glass parts of the church front are all black, reflecting nothing. As I did with the first church door I drew I wanted to draw the church front first and then decide on the doors. 

These are left 'open' as I did with the church of Eppe-Sauvage, I really like the mystery that comes into my drawing this way.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this work and - if you are interested in my original artwork - my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

Dark weather - charcoal drawing

 

For the title of this work I also thought about 'Poor sheep' because I have tried to draw - or better not to draw - the white sheep in the high grasses.

With 'not to draw' I mean that the sheep are almost white and using charcoal I have to take care that I do not make the paper black or grey or even grey-ish where the sheep are.

When I went out to make my reference picture, the grass had been mowed so I just had to rely on my memory from a week earlier. 

The pollard willows are also part from memory part from reference. The reference picture was made in the Parc area close to our home where several lines of pollard willows are to be found with various lengths of branches.

The weather is also from memory, we usually don't go for a nice short walk when the clouds look like this.

I wanted to make a drawing with dark clouds, rain, pollard willows and sheep and I am really happy with the result.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this work and - if you are interested in my original artwork - my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

Sparrowhawk - a pencil drawing

 

Today's prompt in the Sketch a Day app was 'hawk' and as I went looking for a nice reference picture in my 'archive' of nature pictures I found this Sparrowhawk.

I decided to make a drawing on tinted paper using my Drawing Pencils. 

Working with these pencils is nice but it can be difficult to get a sharp point because they are softer than my other pencils. The result is not very detailed but that usually is just how I like it to be.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this work and - if you are interested in my original artwork - my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.