It's Winter Sale time in Joburg - including the art supply shops (all two of them), so I've been replacing watercolours and oils that are running low, but I succumbed to temptation and bought a box of 24 Derwent Inktense watersoluble pencils. I think I'll be using them 'in the field', though on the pamphlet they have some very finished-looking pieces. I sketched my son's ID photo that was lying around on my table, and immediately liked the loose mark-making combined with, as the name suggests, intense colour when washed over with the trusty waterbrush. (Ignore please the squiff eye levels and the skew nose - it
has been broken since the photo was taken, but even now it's not as bent out of shape as this!)
Then I tried the orchid that miraculously blooms outside our front door, in spite of little attention from it's owner (our eldest daughter) or us. It's a cold, shady spot in which cymbidiums, this orchid and a pot of cyclamens just thrive in, come frost or heatwave. The crayons are a bit
too intense for these delicate colours - a very pale pink and white, with deep magenta spots, and I (once again) made the shadows too murky - but I think they'll be great for quick outdoor studies. Once dry, the colour is permanent and you can work over it with other colours or media without disturbing the wash - lots of possibilities!
It's Winter Sale time in Joburg - including the art supply shops (all two of them), so I've been replacing watercolours and oils that are running low, but I succumbed to temptation and bought a box of 24 Derwent Inktense watersoluble pencils. I think I'll be using them 'in the field', though on the pamphlet they have some very finished-looking pieces. I sketched my son's ID photo that was lying around on my table, and immediately liked the loose mark-making combined with, as the name suggests, intense colour when washed over with the trusty waterbrush. (Ignore please the squiff eye levels and the skew nose - it has been broken since the photo was taken, but even now it's not as bent out of shape as this!)
Then I tried the orchid that miraculously blooms outside our front door, in spite of little attention from it's owner (our eldest daughter) or us. It's a cold, shady spot in which cymbidiums, this orchid and a pot of cyclamens just thrive in, come frost or heatwave. The crayons are a bit too intense for these delicate colours - a very pale pink and white, with deep magenta spots, and I (once again) made the shadows too murky - but I think they'll be great for quick outdoor studies. Once dry, the colour is permanent and you can work over it with other colours or media without disturbing the wash - lots of possibilities!
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10 comments:
These new water soluble pencils sound wonderful...I might like to try them. They don't look too pricey. Cheap Joes has a set of 6 of them for only $9.69 which seems a nice way to try them out. I have not had much luck with "regular" watercolor pencils and end up frustrated with them most of the time. But again I haven't practiced too much with them. I am trying to get together some interesting sketching materials for the one day workshop I am teaching on Sept 16. I LOVE water soluble graphite pencils and use them all the time. Just for black and white studies, however.
New art supplies are always fun. The sketches you made are wonderful. I especially like the one of your son. What an open and friendly face!
Corryna
Your sketches are great... and you're getting some really nice color in there. Haven't tried the Inktense yet.... sounds like they'd work well under cp.... thanks for the tip!
Lovely sketches Cathy! It's always wonderful to try something new. Did you get the pencils from SA Arts & Crafts Supplies?
Cathy - Two great examples of how to use those wonderfully vibrant INKTENSE pencils I use from time to time. One trick to keep the colours soft, is to shave a little off the end of the pencil onto a surface (say scrap of watercolour paper) and dip in with wet brush to make a little light pool of colour to use as a wash. Other than that I wet a brush and take the colour from the end of the pencil, them add to painting and blend with more water. Very versatile. Glad you have found them for your wonderful outdoor sketch work.
I think they would be great for journalling Ginny - the paper needs to be quite sturdy though, if you do layers of colours...
Thanks Corryna - I am quite pleased with that sketch, considering how quickly I did it!
They do have lovely colours Teresa - as I said to Ginny, your paper has to stand up to a bit of rough treatment - not sure how cp would do over it. I'd be interested to see (don't blame me though! ;)
Thanks Maree - I don't know SA Arts & Crafts... where are they? I got these at Showbiz (Cresta), and Herbert Evans has them too.
Joan, thanks very much for the tips. Those will definitely come in useful. Now all I have to do is get out and sketch!
Isn't it great fun trying new art supplies... and you've done a great job.
oooh! exciting!! They sound great! It's very tempting! I love new art stuff! almost more than new clothes!! It's a good job our 3 art store don't have sales here in Pretoria... or I would spend way too much!!! ... if I weren't as lazy this afternoon, after reading your post, I would most certainly jump into my car and drive to one of them to buy these crayons...
Hi Cathy, great cp paintings. I too am an ‘art stuff junky’. I will have to try them. Our area will have an art supply convention in October and I will check them out then. That would lighten the load for carrying art supplies on our walks.
Hugs
Pat
Beautiful orchids, Cathy! I have inktense pencils but have never exploited them as beautifully as this.
I've just discovered all the beautiful work on your blog. Now I'm trying to work out how to subscribe in my Google reader.
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