Farmhouse - update IV

Spring is back! :-)

Yesterday hubby, Nellie and Justy (our dogs) had a long walk in the pretty warm sunshine and it was such great to refill the skin with sunlight.
This morning it seems that we'll have a rainy day but that's okay - nature needs rain for waking up all the blossoms.

I worked a little bit more on my farmhouse and now - step by step - I feel a little bit more satisfied.
I fixed the bad perspective a bit and added greens and blues to the background trees.

We all learn by doing - and right now "learning" is huge fun. ;-) And art should always be fun, without pressure, unnecessary rules or bad feelings.
For the most of us drawing/painting is kind of balance for the daily life we all should be free in our art. Drawing and painting what we like is one of the most satisfying and wonderful things.

Farmhouse - update III

Some days ago I was so happy - spring had come and it started to be warm and cozy outside, the sunshine was bright and warm and promised to feel very good being outside.
Yesterday morning I woke up and couldn't believe my eyes - our whole garden was white and my nose felt like an icicle. Coooooooooold!!!!!!
Winter had come back. Oh how I hate to have cold and snow again but the good thing is that it won't take long until we have springtime and summer - and we all complane about the heat. *lol

After a pretty long time I at least had a little time to work on the farmhouse. The tree still gives me a little headache but I now let it flow and hope the best.

°*°*°*°

While sitting on our sofa and watching TV (with a cat on my lap and besides me on one side. On the other side snorkling hubby and a dog besides me *rofl*) I started a drawing. The "reference" is from mind, I once saw a painting similar to my drawing and tried to remember it and bring it to paper.

Farmhouse - update II

Here's the next step.

I first made a very light wash with a light green, keeping gaps for the roof and sky shining through, and then added darks for the darker area and I paid attention to the direction for leading the eye to the house.
I have to add many more layers of light and dark greens and for the very dark parts kind of darker red but - miraclemiracle - I am pretty satisfied with the result.

Btw - the walls are not SUCH reddish as they appear here.

Farmhouse update

Only a short update - time is flowing away at the moment.

Farmhouse

In a special area of Germany (The Lueneburger Heath) we have man old farmhouses with timber framework. They are beautiful and I wanted to paint them for a long time.

<- My current workspace
Many times I saw photos of them but mostly they were too small or I simply forgot to "grab" it. *lol
Now I've found a pretty nice photo in a journal and yesterday I started with the outline. I used a watercolor pencil - light warm grey - on Stonehenge white (or natural white, don't know how this white is called). It is easy to erase and doesn't smudge like a graphite when I work over it with my prismas.
Not sure where this will end but it is fun to draw. I fear I will have some problems with the foreground tree but I'm learning and the only way to learn is to practice.

Tulip on Stonehenge

As promised I now post my tulip that I've done yesterday with Prismas on my new Stonehenge paper. I must confess that I am not good at flowers but wanted to make a tulip for a long time (I love tulips, they are my second fave flower).
Mostly flowers turn out kind of childish when I draw or paint them but this time I'm pretty satisfied.
It must be the Stonehenge - it's a dream. Adding layers after layers is so easy I never thought that it could be such easy - and fun!

Okay, have a look:

This morning I added some more darks and now I call it finished and an ATC because the size is about 6x9 cm/2,5' x 3,5'-

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Another word on the new 2006 Prismas. Thanks Katherine Tyrell for telling me about the lightfastness. As she mentions on her blog and especially on squidoo - "Colored pencils - resources for artists" page the lightfastness of these new pencils is not very good. Have a look at that site (and her blog) - it is well worth.

Hooray, Prismas!

Jippiieeeh - I got Prismas and Stonehenge!!!!

It has been a huge problem to purchase Prismacolor colored pencils in Germany or in Europe in general.
Because of a real good friend (thanks so much, Joanie and Rose and Birdie xoxoxox) once got a huge set of Prismas as a gift two years ago. Of course the most often used pencils went down and so I used them less - and this blocked me a lot. Okay, I tried out pastels, pastel pencils and the last time watercolors, but nothing was really satisfying me as CPs do.

I of course have bought some other brands like Faber-Castells Polychromos and Lyras, but none of these CPs are what I like very much.
I also bought a set of Derwents and these pencils are really good, but nothing goes over Prismas.

Last week I typed the word "farbstifte" (german for colored pencils) in google and - wooohoooooooooo - there was a new shop (Farbstifte.net) and now guess which brand of CPs they sell..................

Yeeeees - my beloved Prismas. I am sure you can imagine what I did at once! I made a huge order and replenished my Prismas - and bought a set of the new 2006 colors aaaaaand: I bought STONEHENGE PAPER!!!! It was never sold in Germany before, and also Dura-Lar is now available here.

Yesterday I received my order and the feeling was like christmas. Oh, I love to unwrap all the pencils and the paper, sharpen all pencils and put them in my CP cabinet.

And of course making a colorchart with the new pencils. and I must say that I love these new colors - they are perfect for landscapes, these pencils are a must and I have missed them. Derwents Coloursofts had these colors already but the Prismas are definately much better, softer and more brilliant and vibrant.

For those who don't know the colors yet here they are:

1092 - Nectar
1093 - Seashell Pink
1094 - Sandbar Brown
1095 - Black Raspberry
1096 - Kelly Green
1097 - Moss Green
1098 - Artichoke
1099 - Espresso
1100 - China Blue (Isn't this an song of Enya too?)
1101 - Denim Blue
1102 - Blue Lake
1103 - Carribbean Blue

Wow - they are all great and my fave color is 1092 "Nectar" - perfect for skin, treetrunks, sand, wood, great one. But also the greens are wonderful for foliage - together the the last "new colors" - the colors 1080 up to 1091 they are what a landscaper needs.

And the Stonehenge paper is definately the best ever for CPs. It is always highly recommended in nearly every book about colored pencils and I am so glad that I now can purchase it. I tried it out with a little tulip and it is amazing how many layers it takes. I will show the tulip tomorrow (I forgot to take a photo at daylight).

This shop sells a lot more new stuff like ZestIt or Gamblin Gamsol, Blue Tak, Frisket - everything that was not "gettable" here before.
Anja, the wonderful kind and friendly owner, sells to wherever needed. She is definately a darling and a great artist too.

and if you now think that I am thrilled - you are totally right. And I look forward to the next day - trying out more of my new goodies.

Teeth, CPs and more

Last days had been terrible. Friday night I just felt that I am on the way to get a toothache and yes. I got one - and a very very bad toothache, worse than I was used to. I tried to distract me from that pain with drawing but it didn't work really good. The drawing got darker and darker. On monday I wanted to go to dentist - no way. we live in a very rural area and there only is one dentist I can reach and exactly this dentist was not there. But thanks heaven he came back tuesday and belive me I was the first he saw when he opened. Okay, my teeth now is swimming in the deep and dark dentists "old-tooth-jar" and I am feeling better. Yesterday I started a drawing for a challenge on Wet Canvas. It is my first figure drawing and I am astonished about the result, I always thought that I'm not able to do it. I think the start is good - better than expected.

But please look - am I or should I better do landscapes:

I am really satisfied. Some info:
I use Prismas on Hahnemuehle "Sketch" ( matt) 21 x 29 cm.

1. light peach - a light first layer
2. deco pink as a second layer and
3. peach for the darker and black grape (I love that color!) for the very dark areas.

Oh - and I worked y bit more on the cherry: