I have taken a few photographs in Forge Valley and am about due to go and take some more showing the change in the scenery for summer. These drawings are based on what I took earlier in the spring. I find drawing a bit daunting but actually using a felt drawing pen seems slightly easier than using a pencil. My efforts are still not very good though.
These are my trials using different pens. I hope you can see it, the original photograph was very dark and I have brightened it but it looks a bit too pale here compared to in my file. I have used dip pen and ink, biro and various sized drawing pens.
Choosing from my photographs was quite difficult. I have accidentally done chapter 4 before chapter 3 and so I have used certain of my photographs there so I didn't want to use the same ones in chapter 3. That might have worked out differently if I had done them in the correct order. I have chosen one that I have repeated and two new ones for these drawing.
I love this part of the river. I am walking along the boardwalk and this is in shadow just before you come out into the sunshine. I don't think my finished book is going to depend on my drawing techniques, I am planning ideas for a different paper and paint approach.
This is a beautiful tree. It has a rope attached to one branch and has been a swing for many generations. In fact, a pit has been worked in for children to swing across. I can manage this type of drawing better as it is more of a feeling than careful lines.
I loved this plant although I have no idea what it is. When I saw the photograph I put it aside as being too difficult to replicate. However, I decided that I could maybe give it a go with the pens and I am reasonably pleased with the result. It does look a bit like the flower. It might still be a bit difficult to take through to my final piece but I won't dismiss it altogether.
Not such a good chapter for me. Photographs like the tree trunk I would go straight into working it out in stitch and fabric, maybe doing several samples using different threads and fabric, the others I would probably leave alone. Sometimes I come back to things a couple of years later because I can incorporate it with something else but I rarely sit and try to draw from a photograph. The next few chapters are more in my line.
