Cast-iron and Tarnished Metal

 

Garden Stake
Watercolour and Ink on Paper
175mm x 260mm (7" x 10.25")

This is an old metal stake and a twig from a Philadelphus bush. I drew this a few weeks ago prompted by the Cast-iron and Tarnished Metal topic in Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice.

The hook on the stake was an interesting exercise in "draw what you see, not what you expect to see."

This is probably the first drawing I’ve done outside since the coronavirus lock-down started and this was in the confines of our garden. I am enjoying working from photo reference, but there is an extra pleasure in drawing from life.

Drawing and Painting the Landscape – Erased Drawing

Glimpses of Light
Erased Drawing - Drawing and Painting the Landscape
Charcoal on Paper
60.5cm x 45cm (23.5" x 17.55")

Lesson 17 of Drawing and Painting the Landscape by Philip Tyler deals with Erased Drawing and continues the theme of tonal drawing.

Philip’s instructions are to use sand paper to create charcoal dust and kitchen paper to cover the paper with a mid-grey tone, then to use an eraser to create highlights, and to add more charcoal to the darks. I used a paint brush as well as kitchen paper to move the charcoal dust around - the whole exercise felt more like painting than drawing.

Charcoal is unlikely to become my medium of choice, but I enjoyed this exercise and gained a better appreciation of tone.

This scene has appeared before, but you probably wouldn't recognise it (see A Break in the Clouds).

Brass, Gold, Copper And Bronze

Still Brassy - Still Juggy
Watercolour and Ink on Paper
160mm x 240mm (6.25" x 9.5")

Brass, Gold, Copper And Bronze is the second topic in the Metallic Impressions chapter of Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice.

I couldn’t find anything interesting around the house, so I used an old photo of a jug in the Black Horse at Caythorpe. I've used the same picture before - in 2011 (see Old Brass Jug). The reflections in the new version are more accurately observed, but I like the vibrancy of the original.