Fir cones

I collected some fir cones when I was out for a walk the other day. I like them as a drawing subject. They have fascinating patterns and shapes. I like the challenge of capturing all the detail and have to really concentrate to record them accurately.
If it is warm they will open up and then make it difficult to finish the drawing as all the shapes and patterns will have changed. So I try to finish them in one go or at least sketch out all the details before this has chance to happen.
This pair of cones is a favourite drawing which I did a while ago. It is done using a HB pencil. Press for larger picture.

Ladybirds

If I had to pick a favourite insect it would be hard to choose just one. My answer would be, my favourites are ladybirds and dragonflies, really love both of them.
I have just been working with infants in a school doing some art work. We were drawing insects. I took lots of pictures and books for the children to see and then we did drawings and then made prints of the insects. Then printed on fabric with our blocks. We had a really nice time and all the children enjoyed using the printing rollers and making their prints. There is something so exciting and magical about peeling back the block and seeing the printed image.
I showed the children some of my drawings and they ooooo-ed and arrrrrr-ed, I think they were impressed ! They all took home one of my artcards, I gave them all the dragonfly to remind them of our day.
I had my ladybird sheet of drawings but couldn't find it. So the children never got to see it. I have drawn a real ladybird many times but these were actually from a book. I know ladybirds well enough to draw them from memory, but by using the book I could draw different coloured beetles that I have never seen. I think I used Derwent inktense crayons. Anyways hope you like them.

Virtual sketch February Challenge

This is my drawing of the February 2009 virtual sketch group challenge
It was painted using acrylic paint and then I used some coloursoft crayons on the water over the paint. I don't ever do scenes or landscapes so this was a really hard challenge for me. I have to confess when I saw the scene I didn't feel like doing it. I am glad I did and was pleased when I completed it. For me it was getting out of my comfort zone and trying something new.
My picture measures about 14 x 16 inches. Press to see larger.
I will go and look at everyone elses pictures now.

Three fine feathers

I did this drawing of the three feathers and haven't yet made my mind up if it is finished or not. I like it as it is, but yet feel there are little bits here and there that need a little more work. Sometimes I regret not leaving a drawing, as the extra work spoils what was already there. Of course, you just get to see the picture, you didn't see the earlier versions. So I thought I would post this and maybe I will add the extra bits another time.
I drew it in pencil and added colour with a fine brush and acrylic paint. For those of you that don't already know, I collect feathers. They are one of my favourite subjects to draw, I love drawing all the different feather shapes. Hope you like my .... Three Fine feathers. Press to see it larger.

edm 211 "in the style of " .. Leonardo Da Vinci

I am always collecting oak leaves and acorns. I planted some acorns and recorded their growth. The idea was to then somehow draw and record this progress. I have drawings on pieces of paper, others in sketch books so when I saw this challenge I decided to use my oak drawings as the subject.
I have recorded " in the style " of the great master Leonarda Da Vinci. He made lots of detailed and observational drawings of the same subject on one sheet and often used inks and red chalks. So I have used sepia ink, drawing and writing with a paint brush. Derwent drawing pencils in sanguine, venetian red and terracotta were used to add the reds on the acorns and leaves.
He had extraordinary interest in so many subjects. There is no doubt about his accuracy of his subject and it is his observational skills that I admire. Seeing his drawings, especially his natural subjects always inspires me.
I had lots of fun wetting the paper and blotting the ink to give it an "old" feel. I have finally put my sequence of the growth together, yet I feel humble to even attempt to make it look like his wonderful work. Hope you like it. Might do more on it and post that later.
Press for larger image.

Snowdrop..edm 209 draw a shadow

It is the first spring flower. Clumps of the white snowdrops are growing at the bottom of my garden and I have picked a little bunch and put them in my kitchen window.
It was interesting to draw as it really makes you see this pretty flower. The delicate little green stem holding the white drooping flower head. The three petals and then the little cup shaped centre with the pretty green markings. A simple flower yet it holds such promises that spring is on the way.
It made a lovely shaped shadow, my edm challenge 209 draw a shadow. It is drawn using a HB pencil. Press for larger image.

Autumn Leaf

I like autumn leaves and each time I go for a walk I collect a few. With so many to choose from, what influences my choices? Sometimes it is the curling shape that attracts me to pick it up, sometimes it is the colours or patterns or the way the stem bends. I like to find unusual leaves, skeleton leaves or the dock leaf eaten by beetles and then resembles a piece of lace.
I see images that I want to capture in my drawings. Even if I do not actually do the drawing of the collected leaf it was not wasted, because I would just look, study the shapes, the colours, the tiny details and store it in my memory. Sometimes just looking is enough, seeing the object and closely observing, learning and understanding something about that leaf or shell or acorn or feather or whatever.
They are all different, all unique, with their different shapes, sizes, colours and patterns. That is what I love about natural objects, so much to see, so much to inspire, the same but different. There is such beauty in these simple objects.
This sycamore leaf was collected in Autumn, the colours were changing to softer greens and orche yellows. The detail of the small brown cuts and tears, bruised and fragile after falling from the tree, and tossed in the wind. Gradually this leaf will become more and more damaged, eventually becoming small fragments of dust. So in the drawing I capture a moment in time.
It is worked in Derwent coloursoft pencils, on A3 sized paper.

Clementine.

I have just completed this drawing for the challenge to draw a clementine.
It is the first time that I have ever drawn from a photograph on my computer screen, so I did find it challenging. I worked from the large image as I am a detail person. It was really interesting to do and I did enjoy the experience. I only started it Friday night and it needs to be posted today, so I would probably have liked to spent a bit longer on it, but time is running out.
It is my first time take taking part in Virtual Sketch Date, so looking forward to seeing everyone elses work, all with the same picture only each doing it their way.
It is drawn using a 0.5mm Pentel mechanical pencil, on white watercolour paper. It is about five hours of drawing. I am happy with the outcome and it made me draw something new.

One of my favourite shells .....edm 207

I have lots of shells which I have collected over many years. If I was on holiday I would bring them home off the beach. In my suitcase all the shoes would be packed full of tissue wrapped specimens. Then many were bought from shell shops. When I was first married our bathroom window was full of my shells. Our bathroom now has mainly starfish and a few shells on display. A large glass container in the kitchen window is crammed full of my beach finds. I still can't resist buying new shells, they have such wonderful colours, shapes and patterns. I buy them to draw but never quite get around to doing it. I know where all my shells come from.
I have a chocolate box full of shells found on my 50th birthday, the chocolates were a present and we were in Madeira at the time. Then I found a shop with cabinets full of unusual shells for sale. I kept going back to see them all.
The shell I have posted for the edm challenge was bought from out of the cabinets and then painted while I was at Madeira. I love it for the maroon colours, one of my favourites. I love it for its simplicity and yet it is so beautifully patterned. And of course for the memories that this little shell brings flooding back.
It is painted in watercolour paints. Hope you like it too.