Single Rose WIP 1

6" x 8" Derwent Coloursoft and Prismacolor Pencils on Rose Grey Colourfix sanded paper

I just started this rose, this is about six hours work so far.  I've not had much inspiration lately - sometimes I cannot decide what I want to draw, I think you could call it 'artists' block'.  It's like that though, art, peaks and troughs, isn't it?  Anyway, I was stirred into action after last Sunday, Valentine's Day, when my daughter, Lauren, who lives with us at present, received a dozen roses delivered to the door - how romantic is that?  Lucky lady!  Naturally, at this time of year, flowers are a bit thin on the ground and I like to draw them, sooo..... out came the camera and I snapped about a zillion shots of those roses.  Hence the current drawing.

I'm working on a light coloured paper this time as it suits the subject matter better.  I've become so used to the way pencil colours look on dark surfaces that it's been very strange re-discovering what the colours do on light paper!  Pinks, for example, appear darker and stronger on light paper, especially sanded paper, so I'm having to test all the colours first.  They also interact with each other differently - yikes! - so, as I do like to try and get the colours and tones just right, it has been quite a painstaking process to get this far in the drawing.

I have, thus far, laid down the basic colours and tonal areas.  I'm using most of the Pinks in Coloursoft and Prismacolor plus Poppy Red, Pale Vermillion, Dark Purple, Lavender and Lilac (Prismacolor).  I'll be adding more colour next, refining and adjusting the tones and having a rethink about that stem and other green bits which are looking decidedly dodgy!