Dartmoor Trees

I was immediately attracted to these lovely trees on Dartmoor, all covered in moss and with their trunks all twisted and gnarled.  It almost looks as if the moss is flowing over the base of the trees and the rocks.

Because I usually get bogged down in the minute detail in a landscape I decided to use a different support which would help me to work a little looser. I got a friend to make me up a box using MDF and some 2"x2" struts on the back for support, rather like a box canvas. I then primed it with lots of coats of Gesso which I sanded down until I got a surface I was happy to work on.

I like the way the texture shows through the pencil marks, and I was not able to draw in every little  detail as I usually do. I am very happy with the results and have already got some ideas for more similar pictures.

Title: Bark and Moss. 

Measures 15" x 15" and I used Faber Castell Polychromos pencils.

This is my accepted entry for the 2014 Annual UKCPS exhibition to be held at the RBSA in Birmingham from 28th April to10th May. If you have a chance to visit you will see some amazing coloured pencil art on show.

Trying out Landscapes

This is of a local scene, where I walk Tilly on most mornings. The photo reference for this was taken last winter just at sunrise. The geese were added from my imagination. They are always there and flying to and from the River Brue to Apex lake so are a feature of the landscape. I am just not a good enough photographer to capture them in flight, so added them later.

The picture measures about A3. I used Faber Castell polychromos on Bristol Velum finish paper.