Tree Scene – Graphite and Charcoal Powder

The is the first time I’ve used these powders to block in large areas. Its interesting – but very messy. Will probably now need to re-decorate the house.

Tree Study – European Larch – Pastel and Charcoal on textured paper

Another one of my favourite trees. Larches are the only conifer which looses leaves in the Autumn. They are quite prevalent in the borders and parts of the Highlands in Scotland

Tree study, Sycamore – Inktense

Back to simplicity. This is my view of one of our most common trees. The sycamores (plane trees etc) are really prevalent in my area and its an uphill task to root out the seedlings each year as they spin downwards, with their “helicopter motions” late in the year. If neglected young trees can quickly take over barren areas and cause much choking of ground. The adult trees are spectacular with a large spread offering much shade.
This was done using three colours form Inktense vlocks

Woodland Spring – Inktense, Watercolour and Pastel

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to depict my favourite trees and this is getting near the end of the journey. I started with trying different sketching techniques while using different media. This one, a mythical forest scene, uses three separate ones. The sky is in watercolour, the distant trees are in pastel while the sharper, near stuff is done using the new Inktense block colours. I think this is about as far as I want to go with mixing media as I might make things too complicated. Will try to concentrate on specific genre in the next few posts.

Shrubs study – Tinted Charcoal

In response to Grandpa Ziza’s comment on the 6th of this month:

“……….bravely started using some long kept paints that he was saving for rainy days… ”

I remembered some long forgotten tinted charcoal pencils. This is an effort to resurrect them especially for those of us who secret things in cupboards then forget about them.

Woodland and shrubs – Pastel and pencil on coarse woven paper

Some of the shading was done with pencil but most of this has hard pastel blended with a wet brush. This is not in a Moleskine book as I wanted to use the tooth of the rough paper to pick uo some of the colour. The experiment continues.

Turner Style Sunrise – Pastel

I did not intend to emulate J.M.W.T. This effort just reminded me of some of the stuff he produced later in his life. I wish, however I was half as good as the master was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Turner,_J._M._W._-_The_Fighting_T%C3%A9m%C3%A9raire_tugged_to_her_last_Berth_to_be_broken.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rain_Steam_and_Speed_the_Great_Western_Railway.jpg

Birds Swarming – Inktense in a Watercolour Moleskine

It was very windy, last Thursday and I was outside working in my workshop when I heard this tremendous racket from the birds which roost in the high trees behind our house. Glancing upwards I was amazed to see this huge flock of crows or rooks zooming backwards and forwards in the same way that starlings do late at night. I don’t know why they were doing this but I quick collected my video camera and shot a quick film to record this behaviour. This painting is copied from a still from this video:

Maybe the wind was upsetting the birds as their nests, high up in the beech and elm trees were swaying terribly. We have stayed here for 30 years and have never seen this before.

Frosty Morning – Watercolour and Pastel

Combining watercolour with my new found pastels. This was done a couple of weeks ago as I tried to get to grips with my new stuff. The mornings are a bit warmer these days although experience reminds me that there is still time cooler weather. We even had snow in May a couple of years ago and it regularly snows up in the Scottish mountains all year round.

Snowy peak – Charcoal on textured paper

Not in a Moleskine but using the tooth of the paper to create this imaginary scene. Some of the charcoal has been over-brushed with wet water