Picture Perfect


The 72 degree day, that is, not the drawing, though on the whole I'm pleased with it. Tree in center seems a little too blue in the photo -- it's still in the car, and am too tired to go get it to compare. And fluffy pale purple bush in the foreground has problems. I obsessed a lot about the grass at the bottom and I'm now happy with it.

As you all know, is hard to do something where trees are all exactly in a row with lush grass in a smooth straight border underneath. Even if it really is that way in nature, it looks un-natural, unless that's the point of the drawing (and then it's a very different drawing from the ones I tend to do).

One problem was that I didn't have any good dark reds, just a magenta, an alizarin crimson, and a pink. Memo to self: check the box before leaving the house. And no good deep blue-violet, no Mars Violet. In general I like the Rembrandt pastels a lot, but most recently have used the Winsor and Newtons because the colors seemed darker and more intense -- some might perhaps say garish. Will search thru the old box and see what I can find to tone down the blue tree (maybe).

Worked on this thing from about 10:30 to 3 pm -- had intended to do some painting too, but forgot how labor intensive pastel is. So this is it, folks.

And for you car-and-boat fans -- the boats are now out of the water, though a few are still sitting in the parking lot ready to be taken away. Supposed to be lovely again tomorrow -- and I'm scheduled to oversee the print shop -- but will try to slip away and get some snaps, at least.
- posted by Cynthia @ 4:09 PM | | | Link |