JANUARY 2022 Monthly Challenge

[Queen Bee]

Thank you for hosting this month Deborah.

Anne, a good start with the frog, very stylish.

You're welcome.

 

[KreativeK]

Such a cutie, Anne!

 

[Hawkmoth]

Morning all. I've started a few but just finished one so far.
Inktense pencils + watercolours on A5 size cold pressed paper.

 

[Christel]

Great work Anne and Claudia!
Here is my version of the pine cone, A4, wc, wcpencils

 

[Joy]

Claudia, Christel, beautiful versions very faithful to reference. I am working on that, also.

 

[ColorEnthusiast]

Wow, two beautiful versions of the pine cone.
Well done Claudia and Christel.

 

[ams]

Claudia and Christel, your pine cones are beautiful.

I tried the pinecone too but not quite as successful I'm afraid. I pulled the heavy shadows out too far but that's how we learn.

Ink and watersoluble graphite sketch, about 4"x6".

 

[Queen Bee]

Claudia and Christel your pinecones are wonderful. Both are done with giving the pinecone depth.

 

[Queen Bee]

Anne love the looseness of your sketch.

 

[wru]

New here and new to watercolor but I'll give it a go... altered the boat to white, watercolor on Baohong rough 140lb.

 

[Joy]

Anne, this is very good!
wru, nice and fresh!

 

[ams]

Nice wru. Welcome.

 

[Queen Bee]

wru, great start with watercolor. Thanks for participating.

 

[wru]

Thank you all for the kind words. One more for tonight... watercolor on Baohong 140lb rough

 

[Hawkmoth]

Lovely pine cone Christel! I see you used watersoluble pencils too. They feel like a good fit for that subject, don't they? You've used them really successfully - the inner parts of your pine cone look great, full of texture and interest. It's a much livelier version than mine. Very nice work.

Wow, it's all about the pine cones at the start of this month! Nice sketch, ams, pine cones are seriously difficult to draw freehand (I did try, but I gave up and ended up tracing!) I can see what you mean about the shadows, but couldn't you just darken the deepest bits of those shadows more to fix it? More graphite might not be dark enough, but a bit of black pencil/charcoal, or even ink? I reckon one more layer of super-darks would totally fix that, but it depends if you want to spend more time on it, or move on.

Welcome wru! These are a great start, especially the trees/gazebo one. I like the depth and distance you've created. I'm working on that same scene and it's more difficult than it looks. My first attempt was so bad it ended up in the bin! Your paper looks like it's got a really nice texture on it, I've not heard of that brand before.

 

[wru]

Thank you Claudia. The foliage is done with 3 layers of darkening glazes from background to foreground, and most all of the foliage was painted with one of these davinci caseneo liners - they are wonderful for doing organic foliage - leaves specifically! I don't use it in a traditional way, I just push it into the paper to get those organic marks.

 

[ams]

Beautiful wru. The technique and brushes work well for you.

 

[KreativeK]

6 1/8x6 1/4 Brusho and watercolor on Grumbacher 140 lb CP paper done today after a sketch in pencil. I used moss green Brusho which is not this brownish green in real life and the frog is using gamboge Brusho, more of a yellow orange blend.

 

[ams]

Nice Kay. You sure do some interesting things with Brusho. It looks like you are having lots of fun with it.

 

[Hawkmoth]

A really fun and lively frog Kay - it's a fiesta of colour!