Last Journal

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Prospective Cornell Botanical Illustration I students, welcome to my blog and in particular my daily posts as I worked through the course earlier this year. Any questions, do feel free to email me.

I encourage you to check out the comments attached to many of these posts. I am blessed with the presence of professional artists who offer their thoughts and encouragement.

Enjoy!

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My last assignment is to submit this weeks journal. Here are the guidelines:

You're coming to the conclusion of this course! Please reflect on "highlights" and "lowlights:" what have you enjoyed the most, learned the most, and which aspects of the course have assisted this process for you? On the other hand, where does the course most need improvement in helping you along toward your goal of drawing the plant world?

And here is my submission:

What can I say? I had a blast!

I appreciated the one on one attention. From the very first assignment, I was guided to focus on line quality. Also, I think needing to produce art for assignments brought me to work hard while experiencing many techniques within a short time. These aspects served to really raise my confidence.

I find myself observing negative space and measuring relative angles while walking about. I now have no qualms about working with ink. I have a greater awareness of light and shadow. And, I am really so happy with all these results.

Salsa

Here is the completed drawing based on a thumbnail sketch. I call it "salsa" and it's the first time I name a drawing. No word back yet with instructor comment but no doubt soon. This is, sadly, the last drawing upload for the course. I have a final journal to work out and then that's that. More on next steps soon...

Drawing Based on Thumbnail

There is something rather amazing about the drawing process. Turning off my logical thought process of how something is supposed to look and allowing myself to simply see what is there... There is such pleasure when that works...

This drawing excites me. It's not done yet, but I feel that my most important task here is to not overdo it.

Final Work Results and Thumbnails

I submitted my final drawing this morning. Yes, a singular drawing. I was expecting to upload all three Calla images but the interface allowed for only one. After uploading the ink wash, I dropped the other two in the supporting document with an explanation and emailed that along.

I heard back in a few hours. My instructor preferred the graphite as it had shading that better let to three dimensionality. Being able to compare the graphite with the ink wash was very helpful and I can now see how the ink was kinda flat. I think I was having a time of it with the white petals and was leary of getting into the darker tones. But, without tone there is no depth. So, this was a very interesting exercise, one that I got a lot from.

There is still work for this week! Below is a series of thumbnail sketches from late Sunday evening. I had to work various compositions and lighting, creating quick sketches as I go along. Now it's time to pick one for a drawing. I'm leaning towards the upper right. The sketch doesn't really portray it properly but it's a nearly level on point of view with cool lighting.

That was my last sketch of the night and it shows, but I did get photos to back me up.

The Tools

I find it all rather amazing that just a few simple tools can be so powerful. Along with some select paper, these items were all that was needed for creating the course assignments. I am rather proud of my short pencils--they reflect many hours of practice.

I spent a good while in the produce section of the local market selecting interesting vegetables for my next and final exercise, a series of compositional study thumbnails and a selected illustration.

Three Of A Kind

Here are my final drawings. There's really only supposed to be one final submission but I had so much fun trying this composition in different media that I decided that I will send them all in!

First graphite:

Next ink line:

And lastly ink wash:

Students are asked to supply comments on their work and here's a snip from mine, thoughts that I didn't cover in yesterday's post:

My triplicate entries may be a bit unorthodox and if I must choose one as my submission, well, let me see... I initially worked out the graphite to completion, feeling I'd better stop before overworking the piece. Next I pulled out all the stops with the ink lines. Bold and daring! The ink wash I suppose really is my darling. I do love the softness and smoothness. So, ink wash it is. But really, I like 'em all!

I think what I worked for with the ink pieces was to separate out line from wash. My previous exercise and your comments really got me thinking. I feel that I found a way to isolate the qualities of each medium by letting the wash work in a gentle flowing manner and letting the line boldly demand attention.
.......

I've another exercise and lots of composition reading and review left for this week. More on that tomorrow :-)

Calla Progress

Last night I started in on composition, over and over placing the lilies about on the Oasis block. I decided to leave out the willow--it just wasn't working for me. Finally, I hit upon an arrangement that felt right and I blocked in a initial sketch.

After working that sketch for some time, I transferred it off for a second round sketch. I felt that the left lily needed to be pulled in so I only transferred to two on the right, then lifted and retaped the transfer before dropping in the last, sort of like the manual version of Photoshop.

I was up until 3 AM working in some detail and shadowing. I am going to proceed cautiously as this drawing may be quite close to completion. It is so important to know when to stop. Less is more, I remind myself.

As well as this graphite version, I made transfers to two watercolor blocks. I'd like to do versions in ink line as well as ink wash. It's going to be another late night...

Final Week Begins

Composition is this week's theme.

These are the buzzwords:

• Color, line, shape and space, value and tone, texture, volume and form.
• Emphasis, harmony, unity, opposition.
• Balance and tension.
• Motion, depth.

Required reading for this week is a couple of pages on composition in chapter 1 of Beautiful Botanicals. Optional is chapter 3 of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.

There's an interesting exercise on applying the concepts behind the buzzwords to my earlier drawings as well as any other artwork.

Another exercise is to create thumbnail sketches of a set of objects to exercise my compositional pathways.

And of course, a final drawing. Here are a few preliminary sketches on my Callas.

Lily in Ink

It's hard to believe that there's only one week left...

The lily is complete and uploaded. I really enjoyed this piece. Only thing is that ink is not very forgiving so I must pay attention. I did try a bit of cleanup with a razor blade--mixed results at best.

And here's this week's journal submission:

Challenging? Rewarding. Oh yes, all of that! Really, I'm having a great time. I get the feeling that I'm learning more than I realize, that all that I've experienced will come together in time. In other words, I feel that learning to draw is a process. This course is giving me the tools to continue practice and learning. I look forward to, in weeks to come, sitting back with all the course material for a good review.

I started drawing every day in mid December when I switched from photos to drawings in my daily blog. I can't imagine anything other than keeping up that daily practice. This course has altered my blog content from self-directed material to my assignments and in some ways, I miss those little projects I dreamed up and look forward to returning to them. But, I also think that professional instruction is important and I plan to seek that out very soon.

I feel like I should have more to say here but what with all my blogging on the course and our email discussions, I'm all talked out! That is, except to say thank you for everything.

.......

This has been one heck of a week. Lots of exercises that I spent tons of time on. This coming week proves to be just as involved, not only with exercises but much in the way of conceptual material. Somehow I'd thought it was all really about that final project.

Now it's on to the Calla lilies.

Middle Tone Drawing Complete

Although most work has centered on a lily pen and ink, I did get in and wrap up the middle tone leaves drawing. I managed to get it some nice dark tones and cleaned up the veining. It's a wrap here and uploaded to Cornell.

The lily that consumed last night was so challenging for me--both psychologically and skill-based. It was so hard to get through the exasperation--ten times I began a sketch. Finally, I came upon a composition that clicked. I felt better and better as the sketch took form. The pen and ink went reasonably well with only one skittered about mess when the nib caught the tooth of the paper. There's about six hours in it already and I hope to wrap it tonight. I'll just keep at it until it's done.

It was back to the florist today for a foam block. There's no way I can manage those Callas on my own--might as well herd cats. Along with the lilies I have some willow, all twisted twigs that also need good anchoring. Laura at Merriweather's assured me that the Callas will last a long time. In fact, everything I'm working with still looks great in the fridge.

I want to extend a warm welcome to the many visitors from the New England Society of Botanical Artists (NESBA)!

NESBA President, Joyce Westner, today sent the blog address to the membership. Along with Val's recent lovely article, Nuncketest has seen a recent and incredible spike in visits.

Middle Tone Drawing I

Here's a peek at my middle tone drawing, a work in progress. I was up until late last night with this. I call this a middle tone drawing because instructions call for first covering the entire paper with a mid level gray. I used an HB with a stomp. I set up a composition window half the size of the drawing space. You can see how I margined out my space with artist's tape. I can't say that I'm much of a fan of this method, probably because after stomping in the HB, it's darned difficult to achieve dark, even with a 4B. I will be trying for darker dark by pointing up a 2B or 4B--points make a big difference. Also need some highlight work--perhaps a couple of hours more work. There's about five hours here already.

I heard back from my instructor today. The feedback on the lighting study was extremely positive. In fact, she asked to use that drawing for future reference material. Once again, my head is stuck in the doorway.

The more I thought about the Calla lilies, the more I wanted to use them for the final drawing. I ran that by Marcia (we're supposed to consult with our instructor on this drawing) and she thought that was a good idea. Only thing is that meant I needed another specimen for this week's work so it was back to the florist. I picked out a beauty of a lily that I need to get to this evening. And, I want to get in some preliminary sketches on the Callas. It's not clear to me how long everything will last even in the fridge so here I am working on three projects simultaneously. If the lilies won't last, I need to coordinate with the florist to hopefully get what I need. The florist picks up at the market near daily but they only take the good stuff. So, I'm kind of playing this close...

A Trip to the Florist

By Sunday evening, I felt worn out from my lighting studies and yet still with the urge to get on with the rest of this week's work. But there I was, completely bored with my bag of dried leaves and twigs. I decided to call it an early evening with the promise to next day look up a local florist.

This afternoon I visited with Laura and Mary of Merriweather's Flowers where I received a king's treatment. Upon calling to inquire about botanical specimens, Mary immediately made me feel right at home. When I arrived, Laura excitedly pulled out all kinds of interesting leaves and flowers. I'll need to check back with Laura to get names for all these wonders. I think the branch is some sort of willow and I know the Calla lilies. Even Laura didn't know the name yet of that beauty on the far right but knew that she liked it. What's in a name anyway?

At this time, I'm thinking of the Calla's for an ink exercise and the rest for a graphite that begins with a medium gray pencil background. More and better pictures later as I arrange each exercise individually. For now, all are safely tucked away in the fridge. Now it's on to business and I couldn't be more excited!

A Study in Lighting

It was something like eight hours work here. The exercise called for drawing a smooth object with shadowing in various lighting conditions, then repeat with a rough or twisted botanical object. It wasn't until I completed the eggs that I realized that it's be a stretch to consider an egg a botanical object. Hen fruit? No matter, no worries, I think I made up for it with that oak twig.

I tried out a transfer with the twig using a bit of Bienfang parchment. Very handy stuff... I used it here as well for covering completed drawings, preventing most smudging. I traced out the drawn twig, scratched in plenty of HB on the back side, and then traced over that with a 4H. Instant twigs!

Just what made this exercise feel so rewarding? Well, for one thing, a few of the objects came through with some realism. My favorites are the overhead egg and the side, low side, and back twigs. Another thing is simply the thought that shading is quite nuanced and requires a patient eye to experience the subtle details.

This is an exercise that I've wanted to get to on my own, that is, prior to deciding to join in this course. I'm so glad I have one study accomplished. Of course, just like any other exercise I've been through and posted out here, each exercise is meant to be repeated.

One last thought... Over the past few weeks, I've been brought through various techniques and probably didn't quite realize that each exercise built upon the one prior. From line, through shapes, perspective, and now shadowing, each component is included with each next exercise. It was a real thrill today when I remembered: Hey, I can go back and lighten up those contour lines in the highlights. Very, very cool, was that feeling!

A Not So Hairy Pear With a Side of Chiaroscuro

Doesn't yesterday's pear look positively hairy? Upon some research and review after that post, I realized that hatching is the laying down of parallel lines (or nearly so if following curved contours) of varying strength and distance. The lighting today is once again intense but with a different direction-- 9 o'clock from the side, straight into and even with the pear. Today I try to better follow the spirit of hatching by following contours with hatching and cross hatching. There is also graded shadowing and varying line strength with even a lost edge. Phew, that's a mouthful, but it might be some indication that I am learning. ;-)

After the pear redux for Exercise 1, it was time to move on to Exercise 2, Chiaroscuro. (For those like me who'd need the pronunciation.)

Quoted from the course material:

An Italian term translating to "light-dark," Chiaroscuro refers to the modeling of volume by boldly depicting light and shaded areas so as to show deep contrast. This strengthens the illusion of depth on a 2-dimensional surface.

Chiaroscuro was first used during the Renaissance, notably in 16^th Century Baroque art. The Chiaroscuro art from this time often shows a dark figure being lit by a constricted and unseen single shaft of light.

Okay, that was the second exercise. The third is using pen and ink to depict shading and I just recently completed two ink washes, leaving only hatching work for pen and ink. I'm going to let that go by the wayside, at least for now as I am eager to get started on this week's required submissions. It just so happens that the week with the most work is the week I have the least time so it's pedal to the metal for tonight into tomorrow.

Next up are series of thumbnail sketches with varying lighting angles and surface textures.

Hatch and Crosshatch

This week's first exercise is titled "How To Shade". Prior to applying shading, one must be firstly cognizant of the light intensity and direction, and then of the areas of shadow and highlight. For instance, in my sketch the light is intense and above at about 10 o'clock. The right side is shadow, the left highlight. There is a bit of highlight on the belly of the pear that extends in somewhat to the right. Then also the darker shading of the cast shadow. (I think I missed a darker shadow about the middle and reflected light at the base of the pear.)

Once a shading plan is decided, one must pick the shading method or methods--hatching, cross hatching, graded shadows, or stippling. In the above sketch, I am using hatching and cross hatching. I used graded when I worked with a stomp in Sunday's still life. I think stippling is a very cool technique but not very effective with pencil. In fact, I'm not much of a fan with crow quill. But, I absolutely love it with a Rapidosketch. (Mine has seen better days and I'll be replacing it with a Rapidograph.)

Today, my dear friend Val Littlewood of the Pencil and Leaf blog included a piece on Nuncketest in her post on Slow Art. Also check out this post from earlier in the week where she kicks off the Slow Art celebration. And be sure you are not in a hurry when you head over because you will surely lose track of time as you enter her wonderful world of bees.

An Early Start To Week 5

I've uploaded the last couple of ink washes along with the blog articles and that really wraps up this week's work.

Week 5 is titled "Using Light to Add Dimension to Botanical Illustrations". There are a lot of exercises! In fact, there are so many that I will wait to describe as I work through each. For now, I'll just list some basic principles we'll be working with this upcoming week.

The four main categories of light:

• Highlights
• Form Shadows
• Reflected Light
• Cast Shadows

Light Sources:

• Overhead
• Direct
• Oblique
• Low Side
• Backlit
• Overcast

This week's required reading is once again Chapter 4: Ink Wash from Beautiful Botanicals. Optional reading is Chapter 10 of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and chapters 3 and 4 from The Sierra Club Guide to Sketching in Nature.

Our instructor, Marcia, has called upon four of us to provide student input that could become a component of a Cornell presentation, "Facilitating Online Learning: An Introduction to Tools and Methods." Sounds interesting and fun. More on this as it develops.

Dutch Masters: The Age of Rembrandt came in today. The little Sony DVD player sits well on my elliptical trainer so I'll be getting in some entertaining exercise. :-)

Ink Wash II

After last night's exercise, I did take the time to read Chapter 2, Ink Wash, from Beautiful Botanicals. Well, I had it part way right... It is quite important to smooth those edges with a water-only brush, and do it fast. That ink sets up in no time!

The other thing is that I was probably using way too much water. I cut back this evening and also dripped in more drops at a time. This mix was so much better!

I got cut short on time this evening--I probably would have preferred a few more washes. Also, it just struck me at this moment that I could have used a slightly watered down ink instead of straight out of the bottle for the veining.

All in all, I like where this is going. Ink is a very cool medium.

The fog was just thick enough to create softly glowing clouds of sodium light. These shots are from a late night walk up the road. And you know what? It feels good to post something other than a b/w drawing. Let's hear it for monochromatic sodium!

Ink Wash Experiment

I have completed this week's required assignments so I thought I'd try an optional, an ink wash according to instructions in Beautiful Botanicals. Even though I love books, I went at it without a review. I must have read the ink wash instructions at some time but they didn't seem available upstairs this evening.

I plodded along with light washes until I began plowing in the ink and then reducing the mix and dumping in more ink. I wanted it darker. Then I remembered something about using water washes to smooth the edges--that made things looks less blotchy. So I figured, why not? Why not just try a tiny bit of raw ink on a watered down spot? I liked it. Only thing is that I think I needed the rest of the leaf to be darker. (It looks mildly better here in real life.)

Those white veins? My first try using masking fluid from a bottle a bought a few years back when I thought I was going to watercolor. It looks kinda rough and it should--I used a pine needle to apply it!

Fabriano Artistico HP 140 lb on 9 x 12" block.

The instructor reviews on my uploads came in this morning. Wow, wow! That's a quote from her messages.

Journal Entry

One of this week's assignments is to journal on these thoughts:

Often, when you work over a period of time at drawing -- when you're drawing a lot and engaging deeply in it, you can have a "break through:" one of those wonderful feelings of "getting it," when everything seems to come together.

Have you had any such moments? What activity were you doing, and how did it feel? Conversely, have you felt frustrated and unable to have such a feeling? Why do suppose that has happened?


And here is my submission:

Oftentimes in a drawing, I have this moment when some little piece sparks coherence. By way of an example, in my submission for this week's exercise, when I placed in the blossom end for the middle pear, it cemented the pear's (and the light's) orientation. It got me thinking that just a few promiment points can serve as markers for the viewer. Little pieces that inspire reality.

If I might now go in the other direction, I have been struggling for that gestalt of seeing fine line quality. It seems a place where I need to focus. I can easily get caught up in short and straight lines. Now I'm beginning to see that it's okay during blocking in to square things off before working in the curves and that once that initial work is complete, to then glide effortlesly over the laid out terrain with smooth and confident strokes. Oh, and of course getting that line thickness flowing in and out appropriately.

I think that over time, all the techniques being presented within this course can become more automatic for me. (I forgot all about negative space with the 4.1 exercise!) Right now trying to remember blocking out while staying aware of negative space while observing line quality is a bit of jerky excursion. I am reminded of my first times behind the wheel of a car. All this to me is antithesis of that aha moment and reminds me more of advice along the nature of, “Keep at it, kid, and you'll do just fine.”

Still Life - New Layout

I liked this new layout enough to start right in on it. And then on it went...just a bit more here, then a bit more there, and by late last night here is where I stopped. Now I want it all to rest for a bit.

But I do have first impressions. I am mostly okay with the three back objects but that foreground pear, I think, could use a bit less black and a bit more detail. And, maybe a bit of darkening for the second pear. Either way or both, I feel that it is about balancing those two objects. I'll let it all simmer for a while before I go back in.