It seems that most of the work was really in the layout; I stopped after only an hour. By the way, this is a dead branch, one of many collected under my yard's oak. Spending so much time with my little subject leaves me wondering its demise. Was it temperature, or invaders, or disease to which it succumbed?
Up to this point, my subjects have all been dried out and gone by. I still have a few fallen leaves I'd like to tackle, but I am on the lookout for something green and alive.
This drawing turned out beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI too, always start looking for 'green things' to paint and draw when there are none to be had- by February I would give anything for even one dried, curled leaf and I begin to haunt the local florist for live sprigs of fresh greens, however foreign they may be to my own environment.
Although I have a TON of reference photos of my own local flora to draw from, I think it is far more exciting and satisfying to work from a real specimen.
~gretchen
Thanks, Gretchen. I was having a fit of a time with it yesterday--after all my snow shoveling, my muscles were sore and I had a bit of the shakes.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I somehow thought that photos would be just fine, even though I'd always read that the real deal was truly necessary. I believe it now! Pictures don't cut it! I twist and turn while looking for the best angle. And then comes the lighting, getting that proper glancing illumination to bring out the details.