Title: "Cambria"
Size: 6.5" x 11.5"
Medium: Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils
Tools: Tortillions, Paper Stumps, Full Blender Bright
Surface: Extra Fine Texture Canvas primed with two coats of clear Art Spectrum Colourfix Primer
Technique: Icarus Drawing Board
Above is the outline of this project. It's a combo piece of two small artworks I did in the past. After I developed the drawing in graphite, I transferred it onto the canvas using local colors.
Here I've blocked-in the main colors using a low temperature setting, just enough heat to make the layering a little faster and more even. Now I have a clear map of the basic colors.
After turning up the temperature dial to a medium setting I began burnishing. This is the process of saturating the canvas with pigment. I'm developing the values while blending colors and adding details. The only tools I use, besides the Icarus board, are tortillions, paper stumps, and a colorless blender.
More burnishing and blending in progress.
More burnishing and blending in progress
And finally the finished artwork. The title is after the location on the California Central Coast where I collected these pebbles.
24 comments
Sue D
June 24, 2014
Beautiful result! Thanks so much for showing the progression, Ester~
Ester Roi
June 25, 2014
My pleasure and thank you, Sue! :)
Ines
June 25, 2014
Ester, thanks again for another of your wonderful tutorials…. soooo lovely
Ester Roi
June 25, 2014
Thank you so much, Ines! I’m glad you like it. :)
Peggy Anderson
June 26, 2014
Fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing.
Ester Roi
June 26, 2014
Thank you, Peggy! My pleasure! :)
Michelle Weston
June 28, 2014
Thank you for explaining this process. I intend to make it to one of your demos soon.
I would love to be able do do some work on the icarus board you have invented. Simply marvelous!
Ester Roi
June 28, 2014
My pleasure and thank you! Glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! :)
Amy Christiansen
June 28, 2014
Incredible work you do! The rocks or pebbles come to life. Love your art!
Ester Roi
June 28, 2014
Thank you, Amy! I really appreciate it! :)
Moon
August 25, 2014
Just amazing!! Thanks for share your job!!
Ester Roi
August 25, 2014
My pleasure, Moon, and thank you! :)
jeanie hood carter
August 25, 2014
Love this art
Ester Roi
August 25, 2014
Thank you, Jeanie! :)
Beckey
August 25, 2014
This is so super very amazing!!!!Thank you for sharing!:)
Ester Roi
August 25, 2014
My pleasure and thank you, Beckey! :)
pat file
August 25, 2014
I love your work but I have never used pencils? What is burnishing and when you mention best do you mean you warm the colours? A curious neophyte.
Ester Roi
August 26, 2014
Thank you, Pat!
Burnishing is applying heavy layers of pencil until the tooth of the paper is completely filled in. It creates a smooth, shiny surface that looks painted.
I use a heated drawing board, called Icarus Board, to warm up the paper or canvas. It makes wax-based colored pencils more malleable and easier to burnish and blend.
http://icarusart.net/
Loren Margiotta
August 26, 2014
This is beautiful!!! Your work is very inspiring!
Ester Roi
August 26, 2014
Thank you very much, Loren! I appreciate it. :)
Teresa Mallen
August 27, 2014
Thank you for your newsletter Ester. I must have missed this in my blog roll. I wondered about the choice of title. Thanks for explaining. :-) Gorgeous as usual. Such yummy colours. Yeah for the humble pencil!
Ester Roi
August 28, 2014
Hi Teresa, so nice to hear from you!
You’re very kind, thank you so much!
Nancy Kozlowski
August 27, 2014
I have been considering purchasing the Icarus board but don’t know enough about it to understand which size to purchase. What is the largest work that can be worked on the different size boards? Thank you for any information.
Ester Roi
August 28, 2014
Hi Nancy!
We specifically designed the Icarus Board so that artists can work larger than the board itself. The choice of the right size, the 14"x 20” or the 20"x 26”, will depend on the average size of your artwork. If your work is usually small, the small board should be enough even if occasionally you do larger work. If your work is larger or you plan to do larger work in the future, your best choice is the large unit.
I hope this helps.