Title: Poppy, No. 1
- Size: 6" x 6"
- Medium: Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil (Verithin and Softcore), Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencil, Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils
- Surface: Stonehenge Paper
- Technique: Icarus Drawing Board
- Mounted on a 6" x 6" Ampersand Claybord (1/8" thick) and framed. To learn how I mount and varnish my artwork, please read my post on Glassless Framing.
I need to produce lots of small artworks for the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts (by the way, I'm finally on their website) so I started a new series on poppies. With each piece I will post something interesting about how I made it.
I had never painted a small poppy before, only medium or large ones, and decided to make this a 5" x 5" project. After priming the paper with a thin coat of regular Colourfix Primer, I began to draw. It didn't take me very long to realize that this was not going to work.
A sanded pastel surface like Colourfix is perfect for pebbles and rocks and it helps to emphasize their natural texture. However it's not the best choice for smooth, flowing, transparent flowers. Stonehenge is much more suitable especially for fine details and sleek color gradations.
I resized my project to a 6" x 6" Stonehenge paper, still small but big enough for the intricate poppy. I worked on the Icarus board at medium-low temperature and burnished all the way through the end. This time I didn't use any tools, just the pencils themselves. I blended no more than two layers and selected only colorfast colored pencils, hence the use of Polychromos when certain colors weren't available in the other brands. Oil based colored pencils like Polychromos are affected by heat if layered on top of wax-based colored pencils.
Well, this was definitely a learning experience!
14 comments
Terry Rempel-Mroz
April 06, 2012
Such a beautiful poppy. Thank you for sharing - we learn from you also :-)
Arlene
April 06, 2012
Why did you use a medium to low temp as opposed to a high temperature like you normally do?
Grace Cowling
April 06, 2012
Ester, so glad to learn that oil-based cp’s work over wax-based colours on my Icarus board.
Best wishes for a Happy Easter
Grace
Babara Rogers
April 06, 2012
LOVELY!
Mary C.
April 06, 2012
Wow! It’s really inspiring to see you make something soo detailed and beautiful on a small scale. You may have just helped me get out of my artist’s block! Thanks!
Ester Roi
April 06, 2012
Thank you, Terry! I appreciate it.
Ester Roi
April 06, 2012
Arlene, when I work small I want to preserve the integrity of the pencil point and don’t use the side of the pencil as much as when I work larger. Moderate to low heat allows me to burnish and blend while using the point and attending to the small details. This works for me. However I’ve learned that depending on your unique hand pressure, you might find your own personal comfort zone by experimenting with different temperature settings.
Ester Roi
April 06, 2012
Hi Grace, glad to hear from you! When working with oil-based pencils make sure to add them over a solid layer of wax-based mediums like wax-based colored pencils or artist crayons.
Ester Roi
April 06, 2012
Thank you, Barbara!
Ester Roi
April 06, 2012
Thank you, Mary! I’m so glad to provide a little inspiration - artist’s blocks are a pain!
Jill
April 06, 2012
Wow, this is very pretty. I love the range of colors in the middle of the poppy!
Ester Roi
April 07, 2012
Thank you, Jill! The middle is the part that fascinated me the most too.
Theresa
April 07, 2012
So beautiful and delicate ... these small paintings are like gems.
Ester Roi
April 07, 2012
Thank you, Theresa, so kind of you!