More Beach Dunes on Wood and Upcoming Colored Pencil 2-Hour Workshop

I've just completed two more colored pencil on wood pieces for my beach dune series. The top piece Beach Grasses is 8x8" and includes image transfer under the colored pencil. I took my photo of the beach grasses, sized it to 8x8" and made it black and white. I put the black and white image into PhotoShop and lightened it quite a bit then used the Dry Brush Filter to manipulate the lights and darks into shapes. I then reverse the image and print it out on my laser printer. I tape the image onto the wood and rub the back of it with a Chartpak colorless blender marker, which smells like crazy so it's better to be around good ventilation. I sometimes need to go back over certain areas more than once and because the image is taped, it's easy to lift and check the progress. When I'm done, I have a good black and white image that I can pencil on top of and because I reversed the image it is now the correct orientation of my photo. This makes it quicker to apply colored pencil, you skip the step of drawing and the grays of the transfer make a nice underpainting.

The second piece Purple Skies is 12x12" and is drawn freehand in pencil before adding the colored pencil. I have varnished both of these pieces with Golden UVLS Polymer Varnish, brushed on 4 coats, letting each coat dry at least a half hour before applying the next.

COLORED PENCIL ON NOTECARDS WORKSHOP
I will be teaching a 2-hour colored pencil class on Friday evening, July 19 from 6-8 p.m. at Hope Gallery in Bristol, RI. The cost is $40 and all materials are included. Students will be creating notecards or postcards in colored pencil. Subject matter is optional, scenery or still life which I will also supply. For more information contact Anita at Hope Gallery (401) 396-9117 or email trez88@aol.com.

Beach Dunes in Colored Pencil

I am working on a series of beach dunes and beach grasses in colored pencil and on cradled wood panels. The grain of the wood is showing through in some areas of the drawings adding texture. I've also left some of the wood showing in the areas of sand, the wood grain and wood surface make a nice addition to these organic types of drawings. Pictured are three, I am working on two additional all in different sizes so I can hang them together as a grouping. I'm also trying out adding lots of colors that aren't in my reference photos such as red and pink skies

I am varnishing the wood with several coats of Golden UVLS Polymer Varnish brushed on. I let each coat dry approximately 30 minutes before adding another layer of varnish.

I have work in a colored pencil exhibit titled "the Magic of Colored Pencil" on display through the month of June at Spring Bull Gallery, Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI. Our New England Chapter of CPSA is sponsoring this exhibit which has many beautiful pieces of colored pencil artwork. I am pictured with my piece "Woman in the Window" (difficult to see because of the glare) which I am honored to say, won Best in Show in the exhibit.