Week 4 Insects

3 images

I thought I would try a few different materials this week and all three pictures are from photos I have taken.

My first attempt I did over a couple of days and is water colour only (ok, a little bit of fine liner before I had a word with myself). A swallowtail butterfly at Butterfly World in St Albans.

The second was a very quick torn paper collage of a ladybird on a sunflower at Hitchin Lavender.

The third is back to my trusty fine liner. A robin with a beakful to feed its chicks in my garden.

Week 2 Italy*

5 images

I had a few attempts at this theme
The first was using my trusty fineliner.

Old Harbour in Sorrento. Drawn from a photo taken in Easter 2013.

Fineliner on cartridge paper, A5

update: this one was featured on their blog :)
Italy picks on #illo52weeks blog

My next offering was this pile of old fruit boxes in a doorway in Amalfi.

Fineliners.

A few days later I started more line work on a cliff scene of Sorrento.
The detail started to look too busy so I then tried to take it back to its most simple.
I think it looks a bit like a colouring book. I would like, with practice, to make simple lines look more graphic and strong than child-like.

Neither of them have the feel of the original scene and I am determined to get my paints out and add colour.
In my head, I had greens and browns merging and looking a lot more atmospheric. However this paints a bight, clear scene, and at least I have made the first step.

I didn't share this one in the group, but here is a slightly rusty vespa.
Fineliners.

Week 1 Theme Fairytale

2 images

The Silent Gondoliers

The Princess Bride