Here is the finished version of “Balancing Act”. I have actually grown to like the green paper and the way colors of the rocks look on it. It was, however, very difficult to achieve certain colors with the green as a background – and difficult to create as many subtle gradations as is possible on the tan or blue backgrounds. Any comments about this, or anything regarding the drawing, are most welcome!
Most of these drawings are approximately 9 x 12 (or 12 x 9) inches in size. I’m going to start a smaller drawing in graphite on white paper of a stone with another object, and then return to working on the colored papers.
Another week and a new rock drawing underway. Isn’t that green paper wild? It feels so to me. I’m not sure I entirely like it, and it’s difficult to control the colors I want for the rocks with the green base. But it’s fun to experiment with these things, and overall I’m enjoying and liking the drawing.
We’re going to Little Compton, Rhode Island for the weekend, and the beaches are covered with these rocks. That’s where I collect most of my rocks, and I plan to do some more collecting this weekend. I’m always looking for interesting shapes, colors and rocks with lines on them, rocks that are very flat, rocks with interesting flaws, rocks that are almost round. . .. .. pretty soon I’m going to have the whole beach in my studio!
I’m very excited about this new drawing I’ve almost finished. I love the glow of the bag on the white rocks inside, as well as the composition. I’ve posted three photographs below, the first one is the start, working up the darks to establish where they are. I don’t usually draw this way, and it was fun to do so for a change. The second photograph is with the bag pretty much finished and the rocks waiting to be worked on. I left the bag “looser” than I usually work as I like how the texture of the paper lends itself to the texture of the paper bag. The third photograph is the drawing as it is now, almost complete. Just some tweaking on the shadows underneath the rocks, and maybe some adjustments to the lines between the rocks.
Since my younger son is coming home from sleep-away camp today, and I had an unexpected but fun trip to Baltimore last week, I’ve had to reassess my initial thoughts that I might complete 10 drawings this summer. I realize that’s not possible now, not with going to the CPSA convention at the end of July, and away on a family vacation in August. But I’m going to do my best to finish them by September 21st or so, which is technically the end of summer. I have lots of ideas about how to proceed with this series, doing at least one variation piece for each idea, so that there are two ways of looking at, say, the rocks in the glass vase, or the rocks with a split rock, etc.
I’ve almost finished this drawing of rocks which I have entitled “Fault Line”. As is usually the case with my posts, there are areas that aren’t complete and need more development and tweaking – the two red rocks, the white rock and the broken granite rock.
I’ve already developed my next idea for this rock series and am eager to move along, so I hope to finish this drawing tomorrow.
