8" x 10" Coloured Pencil on Soft Umber Colourfix sanded paper
Well I finally got my PC back, it had to have a new power pack installed which set me back £110 of which the labour cost was £70.....hmmm. Wish I was techie minded, could have put it in myself
for nothing! Anyway, here we are with another drawing, not the one I had originally lined up to show - that was a daffodil which started well and then turned into a nightmare. I think I am jinxed when it comes to drawing yellow subjects on dark paper, same thing happened with a carnation I did a while back! Ah well, all those lovely yellow pencils I wanted to use will have to wait.....until next time.
Back to topic. This is a drawing of Minnie, my beautiful 10 year old tabby cat. She has been with us from a kitten and enjoyed solitary feline status until the boys, Keith and Bob, came along and later.....my daughter's three cats too. It took her a while to adjust to the presence of all the boys invading her territory but she gets lots of fussing to compensate and they all get along fine now.
I was snapping lots of shots of flowers in the garden on a beautiful Spring day when I looked up and saw Minnie stretched out on the patio table, bathed in sunlight. I took a few snapshots of her and and this is a crop from one of them - the flowers will have to wait!
I'm using mostly Polychromos pencils supplemented with some Prismacolors. The Poly range is a bit short on the lighter shades I need for this drawing so I'm using lovely Prisma shades, Peach Beige Ginger Root, Nectar, Rosy Beige, Pale Sage, Jade and Celadon Green. There's still no substitute for the Poly shade, Ivory, though, which I'm using quite a lot on this one. Here are a couple of quick snaps of the equipment I'm using.
For this portrait, I'm including more of the cat's body for a change. As you can see I'm working my way down slooowly and there remains lots and LOTS more to do.
10 comments:
What a beautiful subject Minnie makes.
I've just binned my first attempt with cps on colourfix paper - just couldn't make the pencils do what I wanted on the gritty surface but you make it look so easy :o)
Look forward to seeing next stages
Oh, I can see already this is going to be fab! I love the range of colours and the light - wow! You have lovely long points on your pencils which I'm guessing is from the sharpener in the photo - can I ask what make it is? Btw, I envy you all those lovely models you have lounging around the home! ;)
Thanks Sue! Yes, Colourfix takes a bit of getting used to, I gave up at first too but then I persevered and now it's weird working on smooth paper! I don't like working on white Colourfix though, only the tinted coloured sheets.
Thanks Felicity! That photo didn't really show the sharpener very well but it's a brand called 'Tiger' which is sold in some Lidl (supermarket) shops here. They were selling for £2 each would you believe?! It's a bit flimsy but does give a really fine, sharp point. Another hand-cranked one I use is a Faber-Castell model (cost £25!) which is also brilliant, so reliable and well-made.
Minnie is looking good I can see the sun on her already. Pleased the computer is fixed, I have a techie in the house and he still has trouble fixing some things.
A beautiful painting... I love the sense of sunlight and the wonderful eyes...
Hey. good to see you back. :o) This is looking super already, lovely colours! I like the composition too. Heck all the mottling colours of tabby fur ...you do like a challenge!
Thanks Pauline, Swan Artworks and Alison! Yes, I think Tabbies are the most challenging, all those markings....
Minnie is lovely so far. I couldn't live without my Poly Ivorys either! But now I need a Prisma Ginger Root, ooh, that just sounds so yummy. (Maybe its because I have a cold and have been drinking vats of ginger tea.)
Sorry your computer cost so much. I *hate that*.
Oh Janet, I totally missed this post... thanks for sharing the photos with your painting tools. You have made me decide I'll buy the electric eraser I just saw today. It's from Crayola, but it looks almost exactly as the one in your pic, and it's the only one I've ever seen in this side of the world...
Now I'll go check the latest step on your lovely cat's portrait :)
A Big hug for you,
Carolina
Thanks Paula, 'Ginger Root' is a yummy pencil just as its name suggests. Hope you're feeling better soon.
Aw cheers, Carolina! There are lots of these erasers here, different brands but all work in the same way. So useful. You will never look back now you've got one! ;)
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