The Philosopher
10cm x 10cm Including frame
Coloured pencils, Pan Pastels and Acrylic (the frame) on wood
I thought I would try a miniature artwork using the coloured pencils on gesso. And this time I applied two coats of gesso. I think next time, I may just try the one coat again. Unfortunately once scanned the pencil on wood looks more grainy and broken up than it appears in real life, and I think that is accentuated because it is a mini, which I scanned in at 600dpi. The actual pencil area is only 7cm x 7cm (2 3/4 inches x 2 3/4 inches). This fabulous chimp obligingly posed for us a few years ago at Taronga Zoo and when I stumbled across the reference photo a few days ago, I thought it would be the ideal image to try a mini pencil on wood.
11 comments:
I love this one Karen, the colours are very soft and muted.
Thank you for that Vic and please I'd love to hear about your experiments with the CP's on wood too. All the best with your move :)
What a sweet image, Karen. I think it looks beautiful. I find myself feeling so sorry for this fellow. He looks a bit blue leaning up against the wall.
Super work Karen and the muted background is lovely. I love your title. He looks to me like he is just debating how to pick that padlock..:)
Thank you so much Sherry and Tracy. I'm not sure if he was blue so much Sherry (that might be the colour scheme I used) - it was more like he was analysing all us human tourists as we watched him in fascination. I'd love to know what he was thinking. We think we are watching them, but I got the feeling it was the other way around.
But I LOVE that grainy texture! Especially where you can see the brush drag lines when you applied the gesso. I try and get the same effect with the Art Spectrum pastel primer. When you finally lay down the pastel, it only hits the "hilltops", leaving the "valleys" of primer peeking through.
This looks like an old photograph, so full of character from the texture. I think I like this a whole lot more than if it was drawn on the ultra smooth surface of drafting film.
Fabulous!
Really Cindy? I was only just thinking how well the drafting film scanned and was wondering whether people might have preferred the white background of the drafting film. Thank you so much for your encouraging words - they are so soothing to that annoying self doubt!!! :)
No self doubt allowed......
Thanks for answering my question about your wood, Karen.
I'm amazed that you can get such detailing as in this lovely piece in miniature. I so enjoy reading about other explorations in materials!
I like that you are trying other surfaces to work colored pencil on. I think the grainy surface here adds to the mystery of the subject. The title is perfect too! Thanks for sharing your work, Karen. No matter what you do, they always seem to finish beautifully!
Thank you all Cindy, Gillian and Barbara - you all cheer my day!!! :)
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