Building Patterns with Your Mark

 *Knit 1. Pearl 2. Knit 1. Pearl 2. Yarn Over, Knit 1, Repeat from *

I use to Knit.  I loved the beautiful colours of the yarns.  I loved their texture.  I loved the patterns I could create with just a few different stitches. 

Unfortunately, Knitting didn’t love me. . . .

MUSHROOM VILLAGE - Coloured Inks

My mom paid the price. I would find myself in the yarn store.  Yes, in those days we had several in our neighbourhood.  They were lovely places to visit.  All those beautiful colours, fabulous mixes, flecks of sparkle.   And oooooh, they felt so nice. Soft, smooth.  Made you just  want to grab a few balls and go at it. 

And I did .. . . . .  Often . . . .

However, I just couldn't get them to work.  So little gifts would drift over to my mom from me, my projects started, but not finished.  I am usually very good at finishing a project but knitting did me in.  It wasn't all for not,  I learned lots from knitting, the Power of Building Patterns.  Each stitch/stroke/mark you make creates a pattern.  And that can be quite pleasing to the eye.  

Detail: Mushroom Village - note the layers of line work building to a 3 Dimensional piece of the stump.  The straight lines form the local colour while the curvy lines give the sense of volume and lumps and bumps of the surface. 

Your work is full of patterns. . .

Some patterns are obvious as in my ink work but others are not as obvious, like your brush stroke, your movement of colour in your work, your choice of subject placement, your placement of values. . .  All create patterns to catch and move the eye around and create interesting eye candy. 

Detail: Mushroom Village - note the difference in the flow of the marks.  The moss and bark has marks flowing down and out like the shape of the stump.  The mushroom marks sculpture the shape of the caps as they flow over them.  

Patterns work alone and in groups. . .

The Mushroom Apartment is a new project for me, working with coloured ink pens.  (See last post “Using Tonal Values in Ink” to see the first part on this project).  When you look at the picture as a whole, you can see how the patterns of colour group to form my ‘mushroom apartments’.

As a whole the patterns of mark provide colour to my piece.  They also provide movement, depth, and a sense of realism.  I feel there is also a sense of lightness about the work and almost a gritty earthy feel to it.  You may see and feel different things.  BTY if you wish to share your thoughts, I would love to hear them.

As you work, determine your pattern and stick with it.  Here you can see my black ink, sets the shape and the darkest values.  The green straight lines flow in short chunks down the stump to give local colour.  The wavy green scribblely lines add the bounce and volume I need to create the moss.  

Every Mark counts. . . .

I don’t mean to scare you but every Mark is important.  On closer inspection you can see the individual marks within the picture.  On their own, they may seem and feel rather innocuous.  Not significance on their own.  Like your individual brush strokes or my knitted stitches.  But as you move out you can understand how each mark merges with the one next to it to make a pattern.  Therefore it is important to think before you mark/paint.  It reminds me of Robert Genn and his 37 Club. Completing a picture with just 37 strokes, makes for very purposeful and thoughtful marks.  

Your Mark is you . . .

Whether you draw or paint, you each hold the brush/pen differently.  You move differently, you press differently, your Mark is your Style.  You can see in my piece I am a straight line kind’da crosshatching type person.  In fact I often only draw my lines in chunks, making them close together or further apart, to make it darker or lighter.  This is part of the pattern of my work and makes it very recognizable from other pen work.  In my case I use my wavy strokes to emphasize the movement of the tree bark and the ups and downs of the blanket of moss covering it while my chunks of straight lines give the local colour. 

The Secret to good  Marks is . . .

I know, you are saying, my strokes are not always good.  True, some strokes look better than others.  Some are placed better than others.  Individually those marks can beat you up when your Inner Critic starts talking.  However, what makes Marks/Strokes work well is you have your pattern and follow it.   Consistently.  Swirly brush strokes look lovely when that is the pattern but one or two alone look lost and troubled.  

I want to thank Karina for setting this new task.  I have found it interesting but challenging.  Next post has one more ink project, this time the focus: setting up your Pattern.  Karina and I took the Challenge of our limited palett one step further. See you next week. 

Special Opportunities Coming After Christmas for Artists:

Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!! Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019 10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA.  

Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next?  Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action.  Cost $84 Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World. Contact Wendy to Register. 

 2 Day Workshop Dene Croft SFCA -  Fri, February 15 & Sat, February 16, 2019, 9:30-3:30pm  Putting Life into Your Landscapes and Flowers.  S. Langley $175  1 Spot Left  Contact Wendy to Register. 

Just in Time for Christmas - My Dog & Cat Lover Christmas Cards  Instant Download Cards so you can Print and Give, right away.  Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Max was very happy to see My Dog/Puppy Cards, of course he was my Inspiration!  Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack. 

Excited to share my Cat/Kitten Cards as instant digital downloads at my Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack.  

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

Drawing a Seagull Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here
Playing with a Very Limited Palette here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Using Tonal Values in Ink - Painting and Drawing Tips

Coloured Ink!

As you know, I am a permanent black ink Artist.  Don't play with my pens, black ink only.

Well, it was a surprise to me. . .

Who knew I would try coloured ink.  Now, don't think I have a closed mind.  I did try doing a drawing in a Sepia Coloured Ink. But fought it the whole time.  I just didn't feel I had any darks, my tonal range seemed so limited.  It all felt bland.  I decided then and there, it was black ink for me forever.

Mushroom Village - This large mass of mushrooms reminds me so much of a large apartment complex clinging to the side of mountain.  

Then along came Karina . . .
Karina is one of my young students and an awesome artist.  She brought her coloured pens to class one day and wanted to learn how to use them.  She only had a few colours: Light and dark green, blue, Orange,  Burnt Orange and Black.  I bit the bullet, picked up a pen and went for it.

Micron Pigma pens are my favourite to work with but of course black only.  This pack is their Earth Colours.  They are a fine tip, .45 mm 05 - very nice to work with. 

Of course I started with black first . . .
Turns out that was a good move.  I showed her how to work with her limited pallet of colours using a system of tonal values.  This works whether you are using ink, acrylic or oil.  It is all about assigning your colours to a tonal value.

Usually I talk about 10 tonal values but a 5 value scale may be easier to understand when talking about ink 

My Dark Value was my black . . .

Not just a black line but a dark crosshatched area as well.  When working on the mushrooms, which had an orange glow to them, the medium value became the orange. The Medium-Dark value became the Brunt Orange.   When working on the moss, the medium value was the light green and the Medium-Dark was the Dark Green. 

You wont stay with 5 Tonal Values for long . . .

Once the layout was complete and I dived into the shadows, 5 Values soon became more.  As shadows move from Dark to light there is a soft transition of value.  This happens in ink with crosshatching.  It made sense to combine the colours in that transition as well.

Close up of the mushroom caps.  Note the darks in black.  Then the midtones changes from the black to orange.  Then the orange changing to white. 

Using Your Colours to build  . . . 
Look at the mushroom caps. The darkest part is black but as the shadow lightens, the crosshatching becomes more loose.  Letting in the light.  Moving in with my burnt orange makes that transition softer and moves it from the shadow dark towards the local colour.  Moving further out the Burnt Orange becomes looser as it lightens up and now the Orange moves in.  This then becomes looser to as it moves to the white of the paper.

Working on the detail of the green moss - I first laid a layer of green to create a sense of the local colour.  This was then followed with wavy lines and bits of green outside the edges of the stump to give a sense of the layering and texture of the green.  Of course more work to come.

The same process with the Mushroom Caps also happens with the greens in the moss.  There is the Dark Value of Black then the mix of Dark Green and Black.  This gives way to Dark Green and Light Green.  Then Light Green to white.  All is tempered with tight or loose crosshatching and directional lines.

 MUSHROOM VILLAGE - WIP - This gives a sense of how the layout began in black ink and then I moved in on different areas to bring them to lift.  

One drawback to working with ink, everything takes longer.  So, sorry picture not finished but I tried to finish sections so you could get an idea how the layout and fill come together for a finished piece. 

Playing with Limited Pallets gives a greater feel to the role tonal values play in any drawing or painting.  Checking out the following post for more ideas on working with a Limited Pallet .

Opportunities Coming Up: 

1. Heart to Home Art  Show & Sale, Saturday & Sunday, Nov 17 & 18, 12-5pm daily

Surrey Art Center, Bear Creek Park, 13750 88 Ave, Surrey
Looking Forward to seeing you there. Guaranteed to find that perfect One-of-a-Kind Gift - Handmade Arts and Crafts from 30+ local Artists. Free Admission, 

2.  Paints'n Bloom Workshops & Art Show & Sale Thursday, Nov 22-Saturday, Nov 24  in Support of the Alzheimer's Society of BC

Gardenworks at Mandeville Gardens, 4746 Marine Dr, Burnaby   - C U THERE 

3.  Just in Time for Christmas - My Dog & Cat Lover Christmas Cards  Instant Download Cards so you can Print and Give, right away.  Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Max was very happy to see My Dog/Puppy Cards, of course he was my Inspiration!  Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack. 

Excited to share my Cat/Kitten Cards as instant digital downloads at my Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack.  

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

Drawing a Seagull Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here
Using Edges to Make Soft and Fluffy Birds & Animals Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here 

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Creating Texture in Graphite Drawings - Painting & Drawing Tips

When I think of birds and animals I think of soft, plush feathers or fur.  I want that look that makes you feel how smooth their coat is. 

So why would I want anything else?

WHAT'S FOR DINNER - Graphite $500 Matted Unframed

When I think of texture, I think of more than soft and smooth, I think rough and coarse.  When I draw my wildlife I want them to stand out but still be part of their environment.  Unfortunately, although they might have a coat of smooth silky fur or feathers, their surrounds may not.  I need some options. (Read more on my thoughts of making soft and fluffy birds and animals here.)

How do You get rough coarse texture with a only a pencil and paper?

Each pencil has its own properties - note the difference between the 8B and 2H both in colour and texture

First you need to understand a graphite pencil.  Graphite pencils have a lead which is a mixture of clay and graphite.  Your HB pencil is a good mix of both that gives a sturdy lead and a fairly dark mark.  However, by increasing the graphite and decreasing the clay, you can get a much darker mark.  The down side is a more fragile lead as graphite is very soft.  Pencils with labels like 4B, 6B or 9B indicate more and more graphite and less clay.  Thus the 9B pencil is very dark, very soft and has very little clay.  On the other hand a pencil labeled 9H is very hard, has a very light mark and is mainly clay. 

Graphite deposited between the tooth of the paper. 

Secondly you need to understand paper.  Paper has a tooth.  The role of a pencil is to deposit graphite on the paper.  As you do that you can deposit the graphite between the tooth or flatten the tooth and put it on top.  Those little white flecks of tooth between the graphite is what gives the surface a rough look.  By using a very soft pencil, 8B or 9B, you can put down a very dark mark, soft enough that you will leave the tooth in tack. Note the examples above, the 8B gives quite a dark rough surface where the 2H has a lighter mark with little tooth showing.

THE FAMILY OUTING - Graphite with a touch of coloured pencil - $500 Matted Unframed

The foliage in THE FAMILY OUTING has been completed without flattening the tooth of the paper Using harder pencils lightly allows less graphite to be deposited, a lighter mark but preserves the tooth.  Uses darker pencils the mark is darker and still keeps the tooth.  Looking at the close up you can see how the different pencils were used to develop the foliage.

Detail from THE FAMILY OUTING - notice the white flecks in the foliage.

Thirdly contrast the rough and smooth.  Mixing the rougher more porous darks and lights with smooth blended darks and lights increases the sense of texture. This mix is very effective and works  both ways.  In the case of the goats above, the rough finish of the post contrasts with smooth blended goats to make them appear softer and the post rougher.  Notice how soft and smooth the Sandhill Cranes are when contrasted with the grasses that surround them. 

OUT ON A LIMB - Graphite with a touch of coloured pencil $225 Matted Unframed
Doesn't this little chickadee look soft as its smooth sleek texture contrasts with the coarser finish of the leaves and stems.  

This tiny little chickadee in OUT ON A LIMB is a great contrast in texture.  The rough leaves makes the little bird seem even more soft, you can almost feel the light, smooth finish of the feathers. 

Special Note: 
I do apologize as I realize even with my close ups, it is harder to really see the difference in textures on a computer screen. However, if you saw the originals it would become very apparent.  Take your pencils and a blender and try a few experiments to see what I mean. 

Comment on Materials:
My favourite pencils are the Derwent Graphite pencils although I do use some other brands for special effects. My paper of choice for Graphite is not really paper.  It is 2 ply White Rising Museum Board, a good strong support that has a great tooth, will hold lots of graphite and takes the punishment of the blenders.

Let me know how your experiments work out.  My next post is going to be on a subject new to me - Coloured Ink Pens.  As you know, I am a confirmed black ink person, who knew coloured inks could be so fun and forgiving. Looking forward to sharing with you.

Opportunities Coming Up: 

1. Heart to Home Art  Show & Sale, Saturday & Sunday, Nov 17 & 18, 12-5pm daily

Surrey Art Center, Bear Creek Park, 13750 88 Ave, Surrey
Looking Forward to seeing you there. Guaranteed to find that perfect One-of-a-Kind Gift - Handmade Arts and Crafts from 30+ local Artists. Free Admission, 

2.  Paints'n Bloom Workshops & Art Show & Sale in Support of the Alzheimer's Society of BC

Gardenworks at Mandeville Gardens, 4746 Marine Dr, Burnaby

Show Days: Thursday, Nov 22-Saturday, Nov 24Workshop Day: Tuesday,  Nov 20

10-12pm - Beginner Watercolour Class  FULL

1-3pm Christmas Card Making Class  1 Spot Left

$40 ea. All supplies incl. Beginner to Advanced Welcome

Registration Happening Now Contact Wendy 

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

Drawing a Seagull Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here
Using Edges to Make Soft and Fluffy Birds & Animals Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here 

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

The Salmon are Here!! - Painting and Drawing Tips

Salmon Here?? - Painting and Drawing Tips??
What on earth is she talking about?

No, I haven't lost it but . . .

Even though you want to paint, even though it is raining out, you can't spend all your time in the STUDIO.  There is nothing like getting OUT THERE and really experiencing what you paint. 

This is what it is all about - a spawning coho

For me, it is the Salmon. . .
We have had an exceptionally dry summer and fall. Well, actually days and days of fabulously warm, sunny crisp days.  It has been awesome.  But not for everyone.  Well, not for the salmon and probably not for a lot of other things in Nature.   No rain has meant no water in the smaller rivers feeding into the Fraser Delta. This means fish are pooling at the mouth of these areas waiting to come up and spawn.

Higher water, means fish coming up the river - my best shot so far of a jumping salmon

Finally the rains have started . . .
The fish are moving.  It is so amazing to see these big fish come up the river.  Here at Tynehead Park we are fortunate in 2 ways.  We have a  Chinook, Coho and Chum salmon coming up our local river.  And we are fortunate to have a strong group of volunteers that support the Fish Hatchery based there.

Fish caught in the trip - some will be kept for eggs and the rest counted and put back into the river to spawn

The work begins . . .
It is not as easy as it sounds.  The rain comes and then it is a waiting game for the salmon to decide to move up river.  The rain stops, water levels drop, they move down again.  This has been happening for the last week.  I was lucky to arrive just when a small group wondered up.

Fish are netted from the trap 

After they netted and identified this Chinook, I was able to get a feel. 

It was really exciting to hold this big fish

Don't get me wrong.  I have been fishing many times and netted a nice salmon.  But this was different.  I needed to hold on and Not let her get hurt. 

Oooops! Harder than you think to hold a powerful, wiggling fish

This female Chinook was headed for the holding pens.  Her eggs aren't ready yet, probably 2-3 more weeks they tell me.

Putting her into the holding area until she can be placed with others in the holding tanks

Working at the Hatchery isn't all sunny days. . . 

I have been down there checking nearly every day this past week.  Seems like the biggest groups of fish come when it is very early in the morning and pouring rain.  The hatchery needs to get a certain number of male and female Chinook, Coho and Chum. As I said, things are late this year and suddenly fish are coming fast and furious.  

Counting and Sorting Fish - they have all the Coho now so this one goes back into the river.

With all my trips to the hatcery this week I have truly appreciated the amazing volunteers that are working there.  They are there early in the morning, (frankly, 5:30 am is not morning to me) and all through the day.  They answer all my questions, that I know they have been hearing from others all day, with a cheerful smile. And talk about what is still to come.  More rain til next week and they still have Chum Salmon to see to.  A BIG THANK YOU  to all the guys and girls that volunteer to keep the salmon coming back to our rivers. 

I will be back as well. . 

I am still chasing my elusive picture of a salmon jumping right out of the water.  I saw many yesterday but no matter how fast I click, I seem to miss it.  Hopefully I can catch some Chum jumping on the weekend.  Regardless, I do have a few great shots of salmon that I will work with this winter.

Special Note: 

With the salmon also comes the Bald Eagles.  The Harrison Mills area with the Chehalis Flats is a huge collection area for the Eagles and the dying salmon.The Eagle Festival is happening there, Nov 17 & 18 with tours, boat rides, and lots of information.

EAGLE: SOFT LANDING - 7 X 5 - Ink & Watercolour - $130 on Etsy soon every rock and tree at the mouth of the Harrison River will be a sentry point for the Bald Eagles.  

   If you can't make the Festival, the eagles will be there in high concentration for at least 3-4 weeks. So be sure and check it out.  While your in the neighbourhood, stop by Kilby for souvenirs (Art by Wendy ones, of course) and snacks.  They will be open the Nov 17/18 weekend and Dec 8/9.  

EAGLE COMING DOWN - 4 x 3 - Ink & Watercolour - $105 Contact Wendy Seeing all the eagles in the trees lining the Nicomen Slough, Harrison Mills is an amazing sight.  

In the meantime, I will get back to my Studio this week.  Several things on the go: Finish my painting of a Whisky Jack and of course complete my promised post on Creating Texture in Graphite - See you next week.

Opportunities Coming Up: 

1. Heart to Home Art  Show & Sale, Saturday & Sunday, Nov 17 & 18,

Surrey Art Center, Bear Creek Park, 13750 88 Ave, Surrey
Looking Forward to seeing you there. Guaranteed to find that perfect One-of-a-Kind Gift - Handmade Arts and Crafts from 30+ local Artists. Free Admission, 

2.  Paints'n Bloom Workshops & Art Show & Sale in Support of the Alzheimer's Society of BC

Gardenworks at Mandeville Gardens, 4746 Marine Dr, Burnaby

Show Days: Thursday, Nov 22-Saturday, Nov 24Workshop Day: Tuesday,  Nov 20

10-12pm - Beginner Watercolour Class

1-3pm Christmas Card Making Class

$40 ea. All supplies incl. Beginner to Advanced Welcome

Registration Happening Now Contact Wendy 

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

Drawing a Seagull Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here
Using Edges to Make Soft and Fluffy Birds & Animals Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here 

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy