Hello my fellow artists,
A few days ago I received the grading for Assignment 2 and so I can share with you the next part of this wonderful journey.
For this assignment we were still working in black and white, using graphite and ink, but the artwork was a bit more complicated this time.
Detail of the texture study
My first struggle was choosing the subject. There is so much I’d love to paint — or, in this case, draw — that I simply couldn’t make up my mind. Then I saw this beautiful Orbea variegata and thought, “That’s it! You’re going to be the star of the show,” albeit a rather smelly star!
The First Step
The first thing I do when I start a project is sketch the subject in my sketchbook and take notes. This allows me to get to know the plant better, and it also gives me the opportunity to test the techniques I want to use before committing to the final work.
In this case, I wanted to understand how to render the flower because I needed to convey both its form and its intricate pattern.
Orbea variegata (Starflower or Carrion Flower)
Once I was happy with the technique I transferred the drawing to hot pressed paper and 45+ hours later my illustration was complete!
Orbea variegata (Starflower or Carrion Flower)
It took a great deal of patience and very slow, careful work to finish this piece. With this artwork, I was determined to really convey the three-dimensional form of the flower. I also tried to be bolder and push the contrast further because my first piece (see my blog on the first assignment) did not have enough contrast and ended up looking a little flat.
Although this assignment tested both my patience and stamina, I truly enjoyed the process and learned so much from it. Receiving such positive feedback from my tutor made all those careful hours (and waking up every morning at 5am) feel worthwhile :-)
And now, onto the next adventure: painting leaves and finally bringing colour into the journey — I honestly cannot wait!
I hope you’ve found this blog useful. Keep an eye on this page and follow me on Instagram for more updates :-)
Thake care
Katia