"CP Treasures: Colored Pencil Masterworks From Around the Globe"

Showcasing the work of colored pencil artists from 11 countries and edited by Ann Kullberg, "CP Treasures:  Colored Pencil Masterworks From Around the Globe" features the work of over 70 artists.  In addition it includes commentary on techniques from each artist. 

I'm pleased and appreciative that my piece, "Dust and Thunder", has been one of the works featured in this publication.  A preview of the work as well as purchase information can be found at http://www.annkullberg.com/cptreasures_2.php .

; )

Detail of Equine Work-in-Progress

Despite battling the respiratory flu for the past week and a half, I have managed to complete the detail work of the bridle in the past couple of days.  Though I will return and go over the darkest and lightest areas again just prior to completion of the drawing, for now I'll call this area of the rendering -- done.

Though its unusual for me to be working on two or three drawings at a time, that's exactly what I find myself doing at present.  I'm feeling compelled to set this one aside for a time, and return to a larger equine piece that I began several months ago.  A couple of submission deadlines are looming in the not-to-distant future, and the larger works are more suitable for these.

Thanks for stopping in. 

Small Equine Work-in-Progress

Well, the holidays are now well behind us (small sigh of relief), and Ellie seems to be behaving herself for the most part as well as developing a bit of much-needed maturity.  I am happy to report that despite my concerns the Christmas tree did remain upright, and she only destroyed one ornament.   : )))

I've recently resumed my work on this small piece, one of three I have in progress.  Using both Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran D'ache Pablo pencils, I am laying in the final details of the leather bridle and the horse's eye.  After completing these and the silver fittings, I will finish building the values and detail in the horse's coat.

Thanks for reading, and a Happy New Year to you.

Dallas, The American Plains Artists Exhibition, and a little bit of drawing

Tomorrow I will be leaving for the Colored Pencil Society of America's International Exhibition and convention week near Dallas, Texas.  This event always proves to be five days of great fun and lots of laughter with good friends, as well as a tremendous source of inspiration.  A cowboy boot shopping expedition planned originally by several members, seems to have morphed into a virtual CPSA field trip -- so much so that we may do well to rent a bus. (And grant me a 'whine' for a moment:  I think I broke a toe yesterday, who's swelling could prohibit me from being able to properly try on boots this week.  This could be a catastrophe.)  So stay tuned for photos of wild, middle-aged women.  Okay, well............ maybe not so wild.     : ) 

My piece Dust and Thunder has been juried into the American Plains Artists 27th Annual Exhibit.  The show will be on display in Las Cruces, New Mexico, from September 9 - October 30, 2011, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.  The exhibit can also be viewed on the American Plains Artists website.

Finally, the entire grisaille is completed on my current work-in-progress -- (except for that pesky ear area near the right-hand margin that I decline to show in its entirety at present, and which I have redrawn three times ..........it is a little irritating when I find myself stuck on something in that way, but occasionally it seems simply the nature of the beast) -- and I have begun to put down the heavier layers upon which I will build the details later.  After I return from Dallas, I may set this piece aside for awhile in order to work on a couple of smaller equine pieces that need to be completed first.

So, see you on the other side of the convention -- and thanks so much for reading.

On the Drawing Table.......Another Equine Drawing

This current work-in-progress will eventually depict two black horses, and is once again inspired by the wild horses of Wyoming.  The image shows the early stages of my layering with colored pencil.  As with my most recent equine drawing, I am putting down a grisaille using the range of Prismacolor french greys (except for the muzzle), in order to establish the shapes and some of the values.  There is much ground to cover yet: for perspective, this horse head is nearly 20 inches high.

With this piece, one of my goals is to retain and lead the viewer's eye through the particular -- though subtle -- use of color.  As the work progresses, I will be able to explain more specifically what I mean by this - and what it is I am attempting to accomplish.

As always, thanks for stopping in.   : )

Wyoming Wild Horse Update

This image shows the current progress on the Wyoming wild horse drawing.  I have been applying layers of colored pencil over the grisaille I discussed in the previous post: various values of grays and beige, black, ochres, and grape.  Currently I am laying in the details of the facial fur, starting on the forehead and working my way down -- much to do there still!  Though most of the mane, forelock, and eyes are completed, I will return to them to do the finish work.  Next post..........it will be done!

Thanks for stopping in.

  

"Dust and Thunder" Completed

Dust and Thunder

18" x 24"

Color Pencil on Uart 600



Upon completion of Dust and Thunder yesterday, I couldn't help but think about how much I have learned from this drawing.  Much of it's process has been an exercise in managing discomfort -- a frequent and nagging sensation that what I was attempting to do each step of the way may not get the result I was going for.  In retrospect, this feeling was probably born primarily from approaching a subject in ways quite foreign to me..........the dreaded unknown.  

During a previous blog post I discussed how controlling contrast can impact composition.  Effective handling of contrast can help to lead a viewer's eye through a painting or drawing, and ideally the focal point should have the strongest contrast of edges.  With Dust and Thunder, I attempted to impact the contrast through color and edge control.  My previous assertion that my goal would be to make the appaloosa horse the focal point, may have been unrealistic -- given the prominence of the two largest dark horses.  However, I attempted to draw attention to the appaloosa in a couple of ways.  First, in my reference photographs the brightly lit area behind the horses did not extend as far left as it does in my drawing: I extended the brightness behind the appaloosa, to create contrast through both the use of values and color.  Secondly, I attempted to keep the edges of this horse's neck and head fairly sharp, as hard edges also increase contrast thereby drawing the onlooker's eye.  For similar reasons, I had to work very hard to keep most of the foreground foliage very loose and soft: too much detail there (hard edges) would have distracted from where the areas of interest needed to be.  As it is my tendency to feel as if I must place every little detail (okay....yes....I have control issues), this was quite an undertaking for me.  Finally, because colors of high contrast or intensity at the margins can pull a viewer's eye out of the image, I attempted to slightly darken the values of the sunlit dust on both the left and right-hand margins.

I have the distinct feeling that the process of this piece and the many things I have learned, of which the above is just a sampling, will change my future artwork: how and to what degree, I do not know.  Clearly in both life, and art, there is a lot to be said for pushing oneself beyond one's comfort level.

Thanks for reading.

"Dust and Thunder" Update: Growing Pains

Have I mentioned that I don't do foliage?  Well, practically.  Developing the foreground and foliage under these horses' hooves caused me to wonder..........when did I last execute any form of plant life?  After some deliberation (and the 20+ years I quit drawing altogether don't count), I recall it was in a pen and ink drawing in or around 1978.  So clearly, I don't do foliage.

Despite this fact, I recently completed laying in the foreground and foliage in "Dust and Thunder".  One of my goals with this piece has been to begin to develop a looser technique -- to successfully suggest detail, rather than attempting to draw every detail.  Though I'd probably be embarrassed if I knew how many hours it actually took me to develop the foreground, I'm pleased that I seem to have managed to clutch the reins a little less tightly -- in other words, hopefully I am relinquishing some artistic 'control issues' just a bit.  (Moi'?)

Presently I am tweaking the darkest values on the horses themselves, then will move on to continuing the development of the dust around the horses' legs -- something I look forward to.  With that, as well as the placement of the light source and landscape behind the horses, I will be able to address the contrast issues I discussed in my last post.

Thanks for reading.

"Dust and Thunder" Update: Maintaining a Focal Point

While recently developing a couple of preliminary layouts for future drawings, I've continued to work on Dust and Thunder.  Below is a photograph taken late this week, during one of its many (smile) "ugly phases".

During my recent research and readings about composition both online and in books, I am increasingly intrigued by the many ways in which an artist can create a dynamic composition by the handling of certain aspects of a drawing / painting -- color, contrast, edge control, and temperature, to name but a few.  More specifically as applied to this current drawing, I have been giving a great deal of consideration to how controlling contrast can help to define my focal point.  The focal point of a drawing / painting should have the strongest contrast of edges.  This can be achieved not only through the use of color and / or value, but also through edge control, with hard edges providing the greatest contrast.  Areas of high contrast other than the focal point, can actually pull the viewer's eye away from the focal point.  For this reason hard edges throughout an image (guilty!) can be problematic.

In Dust and Thunder my plan is for the area of the appaloosa (spotted) horse to be the focal point.  As I develop the background colors and foreground foliage, as well as continue to define some edges and soften others, it should become more clear as to how I am attempting to use the above information to do this.  I'm interested to see how the conscious application of the principles pertaining to contrast may effect my drawing, both on this piece and in the future.

Thanks for reading.

  

        

Close-up of Current Horse Drawing: "Dust and Thunder"

Now that the holidays are in the rear view mirror and my son has recently gone back to college, I have returned to the herd of galloping horses that generated so much angst for me when I last worked on them.  This work-in-progress has been given the working title, and possibly the final title, of Dust and Thunder.

In a past post I've mentioned that I continue to learn to draw, simply by drawing -- and this piece has given that fact new meaning.  You may recall the tremendous anxiety I experienced early in this drawing's process, given the differences from my usual style.  I have tended to feel more comfortable with subject matter that is viewed from a close-up perspective, and has clearly defined details and textures.  Dust and Thunder on the other hand, is about ambiguous shapes and values, soft edges, a rather tricky source of back-lighting, and lots of dust!......(which is yet to be revealed, as most of it will be laid in after the entire drawing is completed.)  In addition, the viewpoint is that of a landscape -- a first for me.

There have been many times I felt lost trying to navigate my way through this drawing: it seemed as if I simply did not know how to put one foot in front of the other.  More than once I wondered if I would have to give up on it.  But when I returned several days ago to finishing off the values of the two greys in the image, I no longer seemed plagued by the difficulties I was previously having with it.  Maybe I just stuck with it long enough.........or maybe I simply needed the break from it that I took out of necessity after the loss of my mother............or maybe recent events have helped to lend a degree of perspective of sorts, about what really is problematic in life -- and what is not.  Or maybe.............

Whatever the reason(s), I'm grateful for the learning -- and it feels good to be back in the saddle again, so to speak.  A happy, productive New Year to everyone.  Thanks for reading.