I've been plugging away at the Golden Nautilus shells, and even got back to the airships (although I think I will continue those in watercolour pencil. They're driving me nuts at the moment), and have been doing some little test panels for the abstracts. But there really isn't anything substantial to show you at the moment. Unless you are interested in test panels.
So yesterday I took the day off and did some other things. My son's teacher's temari is now well underway and the next door teacher's is finished. I did a Zentangle challenge, drawing with my left hand. That was fun. Drawing with your left hand is always a good exercise, in humility if nothing else.
And I finally did a drawing of my friend, Arlene.
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| Arlene, Sanguine, white and black chalk on grey paper, Megan Hitchens, 2014 |
Last time I was in Sydney on my own I bought a pad of pastel paper. Three types of grey, a cream and two ochres. Lovely colours. And one of the greys was perfect for what I had envisioned for Arlene's drawing (I get these images in my head and then I have trouble matching them up to reality. Better to see what's available or can be made available and then get the image, but I don't seem to work that way).
Anyway, it turned out well, I think, although I will let my other friends who know her have the final word.
Oh, and in case you are interested in process, here is the drawing before I really got to work with the sanguine. I had only put a little in the hair and eyes and just started on the face when I took this photo.
Amazing the difference it makes. Unfortunately I'd managed to make her look about fifteen years older at this stage. There are some other differences - I softened some of the lines, made her a little less gimlet eyed, etc, but mainly it's the addition of the red chalk. Temperature is so important. Drawing on or with cool colours makes adults look much older (our body temperature cools as we age, apparently, so our skin tones cool), while drawing children on or with warm colours makes them look older (they are also on the cooler side of things, or so I am told). Whether the temp thing is correct or not, I can tell you it is definitely correct with drawing and painting. You can see the difference with adding that warm chalk to Arlene's drawing.
I'm including the Stranglers' delectable Golden Brown on this because I like it (even though it is about heroin - I didn't know at the time, and I don't care now) and my daughter has been playing it a lot on the keyboard lately, so it runs round the house and round my head. Just as well I like it really.
Anyway, it turned out well, I think, although I will let my other friends who know her have the final word.
Oh, and in case you are interested in process, here is the drawing before I really got to work with the sanguine. I had only put a little in the hair and eyes and just started on the face when I took this photo.
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| Arlene, drawing in progress, Megan Hitchens, 2014 |
Amazing the difference it makes. Unfortunately I'd managed to make her look about fifteen years older at this stage. There are some other differences - I softened some of the lines, made her a little less gimlet eyed, etc, but mainly it's the addition of the red chalk. Temperature is so important. Drawing on or with cool colours makes adults look much older (our body temperature cools as we age, apparently, so our skin tones cool), while drawing children on or with warm colours makes them look older (they are also on the cooler side of things, or so I am told). Whether the temp thing is correct or not, I can tell you it is definitely correct with drawing and painting. You can see the difference with adding that warm chalk to Arlene's drawing.
I'm including the Stranglers' delectable Golden Brown on this because I like it (even though it is about heroin - I didn't know at the time, and I don't care now) and my daughter has been playing it a lot on the keyboard lately, so it runs round the house and round my head. Just as well I like it really.
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