Sunquats
Carbon pencil and white charcoal on mi-tientes 5 x 7
copyright Jeanette Jobson
Carbon pencil and white charcoal on mi-tientes 5 x 7
copyright Jeanette Jobson
* I've changed the original image here as it was a digital photo and didn't truly represent the paper colour. This is the scanner version and is much closer to the real life image.
Sunquats was the subject for the July Virtual Sketch Date and the reference was supplied by Leslie. I had never heard of sunquats before this but a llittle research shows that they are a cross between a lemon and a kumquat, with edible rind, like a kumquat. Somehow I doubt I'll ever see them here.
I have to say I struggled a bit with the image, starting out with coloured pencil then abandoning it. Still life subjects don't usually hold my interest, especially fruit and flowers, but in the spirit of the VSD I thought I'd have another try.
This time I did a tight crop of the photo then using the smooth side of an orangish toned Mi-tientes paper I used carbon pencils and a touch of white charcoal to complete the piece.
It really is good for me to go outside my usual genre. I know I can do it, I just choose not to most of the time as the subjects don't interest me as much as people or animals do. However, once I have done a piece outside my comfort zone, it is satisfying, as if I've crossed another hurdle.
We never stop learning.
18 comments:
That is just gorgeous!
Thanks for the sunquats link.
I am on the fence about whether they are plain old kumquats, but I was 'told' they are sunquats, and that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!
Your drawing is beautiful. It makes me want to return to working with graphite pencil again, and practicing tonal qualities.
Thank you most sincerely for all your work to admin the VSD.
Beautiful drawing; the gradations are so subtle, and your observation very keen: I love how you captured the edge of light on the turn of the in-shadow side of the sunquats!
Excellent drawing... good thoughts about going outside your comfort zone too....
Beautiful drawing! I think I have to experiment with darker colours of paper, and it looks as though I'll have to buy some more pencils!
Very nice. I really like what you did here. I had trouble with colored pencil on mine too this time. I kept getting the sunquats too yellow.
Hi Jeanette,
This is just lovely! The crop is great and so is the coloured paper support. I will have to try that some time.
I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who struggled with this photo. When I saw it I thought, that will make a great piece, but then when I sat down to do it, things just fell apart.
I like the toned paper and you kept them as sunquats...mine sort of morphed to clementines!
It is good to be challenged with subjects you don't prefer as well, it was good for me to have to finish this...I really didn't want to because I knew it was going badly, so then I had to turn it into worthwhile in a different way (process and new style ideas) and that was good for me and more enjoyable than extra fiber. :D
Thanks Leslie. It was a pleasure to act as admin for this VSD.
Laura, drawing is my first love and is my 'comfort zone'. I love trying to capture the details and light in a piece.
Helen, thank you. What causes discomfort always helps us grow and learn.
Kay Susan, toned paper is really quite fun to work with and it does half the work for you as it becomes the middle ground. I liked playing with carbon pencils as well, they're almost a cross between charcoal and graphite.
Thanks Jeanne. Coloured pencil just didn't work for me on this and I was trying to fit in the whole image as well. Just ending up frustrating myself, til I decided to change mediums and crop the image.
Do try it Paulette. I know you've been experimenting with charcoal, so this is the perfect support for that.
Rose,this made me swear. :) It had me sooooo frustrated the other night. I too, was going to abandon it and bail out, but then said, no, I'm not letting this defeat me. Sometimes a day away from it lets ideas come to you.
hubby wants to see if he can find any to try here, but probably wont find any (I could be wrong though)
Doesn't look like you struggled with this. Nice range of value throughout the piece. Good job drawing something you generally don't. :)
That looks great, Jeanette! And between your sketch and your description of the carbon pencils, you now have me wanting to try those, too. I saw some the other day and thought about getting them, I guess I'll have to now!
Just beautiful, I really love this.
Beautiful work, Jeanette. I love how you handled the media!
Jeanette, whatever struggle you had early on you surely conquered it because this is a lovely piece. I like the crop (smart of you to avoid that tangle of leaves!) and the use of the toned paper. I've never tried working with charcoal on toned paper. Maybe it's time. Then again...if I want to follow the stash diet I might have to wait until January. ;)
Beautiful works as always! Sometimes you just have to walk away from your work for a bit to get a fresh eye, and attitude. If you struggled, it doesn't show up in the final drawing.
Hi Jeanette,
I am awarding you the Brilliant Weblog Award. If you would like to accept it just pop over to my blog.
~Gina :)
Well, I admit, I have never heard of sunquats. Maybe they are just not ripe Kumquats. You charcoal with white is just grand.
It is always good to challenge one's self and tools.
Thank-you for your being in charge of the VSD.
((( Circle of Hugs)))
Sherrie Roberts
Fantastic job with the shadows. I have never worked with either carbon or white charcoal. This makes me want to try it.
You seem to have mastered the concept of reflective light. It really brings life and reality to the image. I love it.
Beautiful result. You'd never know you had a struggle with it. I am mad about coloured grounds at the moment.
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