YES!

I say this one's for us Sherry. Did it a while ago, (alright,alright so 2 years ago).  May have posted it back then, or maybe not..   I'm painting window boxes and other things right now. !  

I Can Hear It. !

I came across this little painting while looking for something else. Isn't that always the way? You can see by the date it was eighteen years ago. Just a little 8x10  and of course I knew nothing about calligraphy or the quote  would have been in better handwriting.. no matter,  the saying still stands.
  

Artist Showcase !

Some of my work has been posted on The Artist Showcase  at http://www.JWJonline.net/Showcase  or at JWJart  if you'd  like to see it . I am so pleased to be part of it and all of my thanks to John  who presented it in such a manner.. while there check on some of his work , I think you'll be pleasantly surprised .!   

Sunshine Anyone?

Oh, just this morning I was so frustrated trying to paint .. I'd done this but with 3 in the painting and it went into the trash... After talking with one of my fellow bloggers I decided to give it another try.  Only using two colors (flower)   Indian Yellow   (IY)  and Brown Madder Alizaron  (BMA) very wet , letting the water do all the work.. I was pleased with it only because its been a few weeks since brush was in hand.. and no ,, its not like riding a bicycle it's constant practice ...  

What it Takes to do This ?

I get many comments and questions when I post a drawing. I thought it might be helpful to give a short tutorial on my materials and how I do it.
     I prefer smooth Bristol for my style which is very detailed, a full range of Derwent  and/or  Staedlter drawing pencils usually starting with a B or 2B.  To achieve the darks going  right on up to a 7B..  Tortillon stump for blending or my finger, and of course my trusty kneaded eraser. I can form that eraser to make extremely fine lines..  I prefer it although  I have a small electric eraser. Theres a lot of negative drawing. Taking away 'the lights' as well as putting  in the dark strokes.   The most important aspect of drawing realistic pencil art is  lights and darks.. You cannot show light without darks.. Very much like painting.. My strokes can be anything that suits the area, crosshatch, diagonals, anything that works in that particular space. Pencil is a real challenge, you have nothing more than pencil and paper. There is no color to fall back on., not a whole lot of tricks or techniques as in watercolor .  When I'm sure its all finished , nothing else can happen to it,  I'm then just beginning ..I take it to yet another level and will do that again and again.  I'm not sketching here,  I'm trying to do a realistic detailed piece . The challenge stays on and on. What  does it take?  Patience , .  and then more patience. It never ends !
  So thats what I use,  how I go about it and hope that answers some of your questions.  Above of course is Gracie, whose  grandfather Stephen is an excellent photograhper and I had his permission to do it a few years ago.  

Pencil Works

I'm  much more comfortable with a pencil in my hand.. I have no idea why I push on with watercolor.. but I do.. !  Here's a couple pencil pieces that I thought I'd post for today . Pencil is about as honest as you can get. Pencil, Paper, and a kneaded eraser.  You need the dark to show light.. No wishy washy here, not if you want the realism that you can get with graphite. 
  I start with the drawing, usually I do the eyes first if I'm doing a portrait. If the eyes are right ,, your half way home. and it gives the piece life from the start .
 Other subjects are still all about light and dark. Just when I think I'm finished I still work on it .. and have been know to go back to it even after I signed my name.. 
    Pencils, I like Derwent  , a full range although I might just use from 5B to 2H.
A hand sharpner is better for me than electric or  using a knife ..  I want a good point on it. Paper is usually Bristol smooth surface.. It's always a personal preference, but since I like detail and realism I get the most out of a smooth paper..
  If you have any questions write me at my email address.   BJ 
Blending, blending either with a tortillion stump or even my pinky finger.. .