STEP ONE
Having roughly sketched up and placed all of my key elements I transferred my drawing to my sheet of 310g-illustration board. I wanted to create an atmosphere of days gone by to allow the viewer to ponder what would have once been a thriving little farm let. The bridge would have been hand built and a necessity for getting across the creek and a short cut from the main track to the house, instead of winding down the old dirt track! Barely strong enough to take the horse and cart and definitely not robust enough to accommodate a car! As times changed and main roads went this way and that the old bridge remains long after the house was abandoned.
STEP TWO
Working from left to right I start off with a 2B graphite pencil keeping my background trees softer in tone to create depth in the painting. This is achieved by using less pressure plus the correct pencil. I am using from 2B up to the darker 9B for this picture. I am adding subtle colour using Graphitint pencils. The colour range is perfect for achieving realistic landscapes. I have used Cool brown and Chestnut for the tree and roof.
STEP THREE
I have used Ivy for the leaves on the foreground tree and Storm plus Cocoa on the bridge and the ground. Depth of tone and shading is achieved by increasing the pressure on the pencil this will give that extra dimension to your work, the beauty of working with Graphite and Graphitint together is evident when building up your detail, they were made for each other!
STEP FOUR
I continue working my way across the painting, building up from 2B soft background trees and foliage to mid tone trees and bridge 3B to 6B and coming forward to 7,8 and 9B.I am adding Graphitint colour as I go. I have added Ivy to the reeds and grasses and cocoa to the bark and dry grass.
STEP FIVE
The beauty of the Graphitint pencils is that you can achieve an even stronger colour by using a wet brush. I have done this to enhance the colours throughout the painting to give tonal balance and add an even greater depth.
FINAL STEP
Time to add some finer details, the wild hops, the reflections in the creek and shadows across the grass and tree trunks. I also added some more details to the palings on the bridge. I am happy with the “days gone by” atmosphere I have created in this picture and so to the all-important signature! I may decide to add more colour at a later stage but for now I think subtle is good!
Happy Painting!
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• To keep a record of your Graphitint colours use a sheet from your sketchbook to create a colour chart. Draw a small square using each individual colour and then wet one half of the square, this will be an invaluable reference for when you want to know what the difference will be between wet and dry colours.
• Practicing with varying grades of paper and pencils is the best way to gain confidence. You will also get to know what types of paper you prefer, whether you want a textured look to the finished work or if you prefer a smooth surface to work on. The same applies to your pencils some artists prefer to use hard pencilsthroughout while others would prefer to use softer ones. We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful products to choose from, don’t stress over what products to use just try a range of different ones and use what works best for you, just be sure to have fun and enjoy the process!
