This colored pencil drawing was part of a monthly challenge on another forum. I thought I would share here as well. The only information given was to draw something relating to “tending you garden”.
10"x"7.5" Caran D’Ache Luminance on tan toned Canson Mi Teintes
This was fun and challenging. Drawing a pair of hands, plants, dirt and tried to convey lighting properly while blurring part of the background.
Lenet
This looks like you had fun with this. Great job
Jim
I love it. Perfect subject and well executed.
Terri Robichon
Thank you Jim @1kidneyJD . I do really enjoy seeing that point when the drawing starts to come alive and then you can start fine tuning. So, this one had a few of those moments for me.
Lenet
Hello Terri @robichon , thank you. I appreciate the comment.
There is a photo challenge as well to use a reference photo and try to replicate the detail of a still life. It is very bright and colorful. I know I can do it in colored pencil (really beginning to like that medium), but may challenge myself to try something new…mixed media? Watercolor? Pastels? Just a little unsure of which. I’m leaning toward color pencil over watercolor or marker underpainting.
Lenet
Challenges are a great way to be motivated. Keep posting whatever you may be working on.
Terri Robichon
@lenetg137
I love the how you worked the soil and the detail on the hands/arms of the subject. Those luminance pencils are nice and bright. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself with them.
It’s been a while since some oil pastels have been used by any of us around here lately. Just saying 
Thanks, Sonia @Meme5 . Appreciate the comments, and suggestions. I currently don’t have any oil pastels, but do have a set of pastel pencils and corresponding set of the soft patel sticks. However, each is only 12 colors (same in each set). If I chose those, it would be a lot of careful mixing and blending. Part of this challenge is how does the artist deal with the details. I have seen a couple of entries already, which include a colored pencil, line and wash, marker, and a gouche entry. The gouche has the best details so far, in my opinion. That’s why I’m debating ideas in my head.
I’ll keep everyone posted and may even post some progress pictures.
Lenet
Very well done. Can’t wait to see what else you can do.
Thank you Denise @Denise , I’m pretty sure the naxt one will push me out of my comfort zone and into something new.
Lenet
@lenetg137
You’ll do great in whichever medium you choose. We’re having Spring break this coming week and I intend to paint/draw as much as I can… so i’ll be keeping an eye on all postings here…
The second challenge is like I said a photo challenge which is related to the original topic here. I have decided to do this one in watercolor (thanks to previous inspiration from watercolor paintings from Terri @robichon ). I’m going to bite the bullet and give it a try. The only thing I have done close to watercolor, since my previous humiliating disaster of a project in college 30+ years ago, was Stan the Orangutan, whice I did with Inktense instead of watercolor pencils. I’m nervous about this one, and it may take awhile. I’m going to take my time.
After watching some of Matt’s videos, I feel like I can always finish it off with color pencils, if it starts to go south.
I’m using Stonehenge 140# watercolor block, Master’s Touch 24 set of Watercolor, with option of Derwent watercolor pencils if necessary as well as my coice of color pencils (have Prismacolor, Polychromos, and Luminance). So any advice is welcome based on above listed combinations or techniques is greatly appreciated.
I have included the photo reference and my layout sketch so far.
Thanks in advance.
Lenet
Lenet @lenetg137
I can tell you right now. You’ll do exponentially better than I ever will with watercolors or Water color pencils, especially having the block watercolor paper on hand.
Please let me know how the master’s touch WCP do. I have a small set of Derwent WC pencils, but I’ve been close to getting the Master’s touch ones from Hobby Lobby every time I go there. Especially since they alternate discount prices every other week (like 40% off)
Sonia
The hands are tough and you did a great job here.
Pete
Hi Lenet - I commented on one of the other topics before I saw your post here. I’ve also decided to give this one a go. I started this morning with Faber Castel colored pencils on PastelMet paper in 8 x 10 size. After five hours I literally ripped it up and started again. This time I doing it as an ink painting on 140 lb hot press watercolor paper. Got a new sketch done and am mapping out color locations with a super light ink wash. Going much better this time. I think the watercolor is a wise choice. It’s very much like the colored ink I’m using. This is a difficult one, especially that red and white checkered plate.
Terri Robichon
Hello Sonia @Meme5 ,
I did a color swatch with them and think they have enough pigments to do well. I’ll let you know.
Lenet
Hello Terri @robichon , I think you ink version will be something to see and should be vibrant.
Lenet
Thank you @PeterV . I have worked on a few hands, so they didn’t present too much problems. Glad these came out fairly well. It was a unique perspective for me though.
Lenet
Hi Lenet -
I thought I’d share my approach for painting this with either watercolor or ink. When Matt paints he likes “small wins” so he will completly paint one thing (like a tomato wedge) before moving onto the next. I totally understand the satisfaction gained when seeing things “finished” as you go.
Now let me show you, and tell you my approach. After the sketch, I start by “mapping out” where the colors will go. In the case of this project, I started with the green leaves and stems because their location is easy to identify without getting lost. So I figured out which green to use (sap green in this case) and mixed it lighter than the lightest green. Now I just painted it on as evenly as possible over everything that is green. Next I moved on to the red. Tomatoes first, and then the plaid plate. Notice that the pattern on the front of the plate is lighter than on the sides and pay attention to the color. That red is kinda a light rusty color. So that is the lightest color, and the mixed color needs to be maybe even a little lighter to play it safe, because you can always go darker. For the plaid I painted all the horizontal stripes (every other row), and then painted the vertical stripes (also every other row).
One of the reasons this approach is helpful is because you can’t ruin anything because you will always be covering it up with darker values, or slightly different hues. But more importantly it will give you a chance to get a feel of the brush and how much water to use, or not use. Paint it wet on dry, starting on an edge, and keep working the other edge wet (so work kinda quickly) so that there isn’t a line formed when the paint dries. You don’t want the edge to dry in the middle of the section you are painting (like in the “middle” of the big round tomato). If there is too much water on the brush you will see “puddles”. That’s when you dab the paint brush on a rag or kleenix to get rid of the excess moisture, and on the painting spread that water out so there is no longer a puddle. What happens with a puddle is that when it dries it forms what is called a bloom, with the edges darker than the center of where the puddle was.
Also pay attention to the pallet because with watercolor the water starts to evaporate, making the color darker. So, you need to mix in water several times as you are painting large areas, or the color will get progressively darker as you are using it.
Now when that first layer is completely dry, I go back with another layer, leaving the lightest areas untouched and starting to add the mid-tones and making subtle adjustments in the hue where needed. You can see that I started a little of this on the tomato where there is a shadow from the stem. Just keep adding layers and you will be amazed how easily it comes together.
Hope this is helpful to you and other’s that are afraid of watercolors.
The reason I’m using ink is because when I add layers over the top, the initial layers cannot be reactivated. So when I add the shadow on the plate, the original plaid will still be there and the reds won’t get muddy on me. The down side of ink is that once it is down, you can never remove it (or FIX it) so using ink is safer if you have a little experience with watercolor under your belt.
Terri Robichon
PS - I always trace my drawing because I love realism and want it as exact as possible. I’d also rather spend my time on painting, rather than on creating the original sketch. It’s not cheating, just my preferred way to work. The little lines on the side of the tape are so that if I lose a reference line or completely forgot it, I can put my photo (with the graphite on the back) exactly where it was when I did the original tracing.
If you have watercolor paper on a block that is good. If not, just make sure the entire piece of paper is taped down before you start. Once the paper gets wet, it may expand and bubble up a little, but with tape in place it will flatten back out as it dries.
Hello Terri @robichon , this is very helpful. So thank you. As I am trying water color, I’d like to ask about the shadows. I realize you can build up darks with layers. But in the plaid areas, would you slightly change the hue in shadow areas as you build up as opposed to putting a shadow undertone first, or a shadow “glaze” over a dry area? Working the subtleties in that area is my initial fear.
Thanks.
Lenet
