Recent Drawings

 Untitled, 2017, charcoal on paper, 14 1/2 x 6 inches

Drawing continues. I have found a new love and respect for it that keeps me coming back.  I'm still trying to teach myself how to work with charcoal, a medium I decided many years ago was not the right fit for me.  Too messy, blows off the page, can't control the gradations of shades unless you are using some sort of blending tool which can then also kill the texture of the paper.  All this made me rule it out when I was in college, but recently I have come across the work of contemporary landscape artists who work with charcoal and the effects they achieve are beautiful.  So I decided that if they can do it then so can I.  There is no staying away form all the different types of blending tools if you want to get some soft atmospheric effects.  Brushes, stomps, paper towels, fingers; I even saw a video of this guy in Europe who sprays his drawing with water in between layers to help him move the charcoal around.  So what do we think about this one?  I say I need more work but not a bad start.    

 

 Untitled, 2017, graphite on paper, 14 1/2 x 6 inches 

After charcoal I needed to go back to my comfort zone which is graphite pencils.  I love the softness I can achieve as well as deep tones.  Pencil will never get old for me.  

 Untitled, 2017, graphite, oil sanguine pencil, pen on paper, 14 1/2 x 6 inches 

I do enjoy working with oil based sanguine pencils, they are similar to a color pencil but with less wax/oil content.  One thing I have noticed about modern day sanguine pencils, either dry or oil based, is that they are all a cool red.  I prefer a warmer red, pushing towards a rust orange.  Think Renaissance drawings...if anyone knows of a sanguine pencil that has this sort of hue please let me know, I would love to get my hands on some.  

Untitled, 2017, graphite and pastel on paper, 14 1/2 x 6 inches 

Pastel pencil has been okay to work with, it tends to get a little difficult like charcoal but the end results are a little better.  I'm really digging this vintage feel I get with ochre and brown, throw in a little graphite pencil and you get a nice drawing.  I think I may explore it some more.