The Cover Girl

Found this today when I was going through some stuff in my work room (still looking for the burnishing reference. Combining two loves, art and sheep.

Leicester, coloured pencil on black paper, Megan Hitchens, 2010

It's coloured pencil on black paper. I was trying out various things on black paper, to see what works and what I like. I quite like the coloured pencil (and it scans well). I prefer white chalk and soap stone, which I have started using quite recently, but that scans and photographs really badly. The soap stone is very reflective. What is a lovely soft subtle silvery grey on paper becomes strong and harsh in a digital image. So you won't see those until I can resolve that issue.

The original photo from which I took this graced the front cover of the Fall 2009 issue of Wild Fibres Magazine, a wonderful magazine about fibre production around the world and the importance of supporting local and traditional producers.

This is the original cover photo. It was, as always, a great issue.

Because it is copied from a photo I don't think I can sell the drawing, but it was only meant as an exercise anyway. I quite like the way they are not the same. Each has its own thing happening. Somehow my Leicester turned into a dramatically coloured black-faced sheep. And she doesn't have the "What you looking at?" attitude of the cover sheep. But then, drawings should have their own personality, otherwise you may as well just go with the photo.

Using coloured paper is the same as using a coloured imprimatura for painting. You can let the colour do a lot of the work for you, and it automatically sets up a unity to the drawing or painting. The  thing that takes practice is knowing what to leave and what to cover over. And that knowledge only comes with experience.

Which is a good excuse to do lots of drawings.

I love coloured paper. And coloured pencils. And coloured sheep.