Using Colored Pencil on Ampersand Aqua Board Osprey Colored Pencil Artwork Finished

New Work

So, I like to explore and try experimenting with different surfaces when using colored pencils. So I decided to experiment with Ampersand Aqua Board. It has an acid-free textured clay surface that supposedly can absorb watercolors just like watercolor paper. What piqued my interest in using this type of surface, is that your artwork can be sealed with a sealer or coating and it doesn't have to be framed under glass. How nice that would be, not to mention more affordable. As in my last blog post, I thought in order for me to use this surface I thought if I primed it with Brush and Pencil's Colored Pencil Textured Fixative the colored pencil might adhere better to the surface. After finishing this artwork, I would not recommend this type of surface when working with colored pencils, mainly because the surface of the aqua board makes it very difficult to apply many layers of colors using colored pencils. In addition, the surface makes it difficult to complete a lot of detailed work using colored pencils. It also really eats away the colored pencil leads quickly. Ampersand Aqua Board, however, is definitely well suited for watercolors and gouache.

Title: Osprey

Medium: Derwent Watercolor Pencils, Prismacolor Colored Pencils, Marco Raffine Colored Pencils, and Yasutomo Pearlescent Watercolors

Drawing/Painting Surface: Ampersand Aqua Board

Reference Photo: My own

Artist of the Week

I stumbled across this UK artist in reading Making the Mark's Blog on Derwent's Exhibition Winners. Artist, Sarah Gillespie, had an entry that was mind blowing. All the little details of crosshatching. It was just an incredible piece.  You can check out her pencil, graphite and charcoal artwork here http://www.sarahgillespie.co.uk/

Colored Pencil Resource of the Week

Here is a great video tutorial on how to draw a bird by the virtual instructor using Derwent Colored Pencils. 

Keep on Creating!

Have a blessed weekend!

Colored Pencil Cat Drawing, Ampersand Aqua Board and Colored Pencil Resource

Colored Pencil Cat Drawing

I finally finished up this cat portrait. I forgot how tedious and time-consuming fur can be. I did not have a great photo to work from, a lot of guesswork on the white part of the fur. Arden was my daughter's cat who disappeared during a  rainstorm.
Title: Arden
Medium: Colored Pencil
Paper: Canson Mi Tientes
Reference: Own

Arden

Ampersand Aqua Board

So my next project experiment is using watercolor, watercolor pencils and colored pencils on Ampersand Aqua Board. First I have to say, the board's surface does not have the tooth to hold a colored pencil at all. I tried applying a layer of Colored Pencil Texture Fixative to the surface, to see if it would help add some tooth to the surface of the board but, unfortunately, it did not help. However, once you lay down a few layers of watercolor, you can apply colored pencil on top of the watercolor layers. I am using Copic Colorless blender to blend the watercolor pencils and colored pencil. I used Yasutomo Pearlescent Watercolors, Derwent Watercolor Pencils and Prismacolor Colored Pencils on the sky.
So here is the beginning stages of an Osprey I am working on. The reference photo is my own.
I will be showing updates as I progress...

Falcon

Colored Pencil Resource of the Week

Artist Lisa Clough gives an excellent demonstration on how to draw hair in colored pencil  http://lachri.com/drawing-hair-in-colored-pencil/ using colored pencil artist tools - Touch Up Texture and Titanium White Powder from http://www.brushandpencil.com .

Keep on Creating!