Peonies on Masa Paper, Final

Not much more to report, but I did say in my last post two weeks ago that I'd post the final version of this piece. All I've added is a little more definition to the bud in the lower left quadrant, and tied the colors and values in a bit more in the partial flower below it. (Incidentally, this posted image is looking somewhat darker, on my screen, than the actual drawing.)

I've started another one on the same paper, using hydrangeas as my subject matter this time. I'll let you see how it goes! If you'd like to see more of my non-Civil War themed work, please visit http://www.AmyLindenberger.com

Colored Pencil/Watercolor Pencil experimental piece, Step 4, by Amy Lindenberger

I believe I've nearly completed this piece. Now that I'm viewing the image in this post, I see a few edges that need some strengthening, particularly on the bud and pink peony in the lower left portion of the composition. One thing I like to do with all of my work, is take it near to completion and then let it rest for a short period, getting completely away from it. Since I am preparing for a conference and will be leaving to attend in two days, it will be the perfect opportunity for me to take a break from this drawing and get a fresh look at it when I return. Though I doubt there will be too many additions, I'll post the final version next week.

This has been a lot of fun, and I'm already tossing around ideas for another demo piece I started in that same workshop!

Colored Pencil/Watercolor Pencil experimental piece, Step 3, by Amy Lindenberger

This is actually going a little better than I had anticipated, and I "relearned" something I've used in other situations. Since the paper won't take much layering at this point, I had assumed that I wouldn't be able to get the pinks of some of the peonies and their buds, to cover the less desirable areas of green. But I remembered that sometimes in similar situations, I've been able to pick up a color that is actually darker in value and much more intense than the desired final color, and apply it with a very light touch, to achieve the value and intensity I'm actually aiming for. It appears to be working, and now -- though I don't think the pink peony in the upper right corner will end up looking exactly like I had originally envisioned -- I think I can proceed with my original intention of using only colored pencil on this piece, rather than having to add another, more opaque medium.



One of the things I'm enjoying about this piece is that it is forcing me to adapt to what's already there, accepting and even embracing changes to my original idea as they become necessary. Since it's always tempting to go with ideas and applications that feel "safer", I think it's a good thing to sometimes put ourselves into situations where we can't automatically take that route.

Colored Pencil/Watercolor Pencil experimental piece, Step 2, by Amy Lindenberger

The masa paper is very delicate, and since it has already taken a fair amount of "abuse" by being soaked, crinkled and unfolded, it's not inclined to take much pressure from the colored pencils. I already knew this about masa paper, but due to the unplanned nature of this experimental piece, this quality is turning out to be a bit of an obstacle in some places where I'd really like to further subdue the unwanted areas of green by applying more pencil layers. So, in my focal point area (undeveloped flower in the upper right), I suspect I'm going to have to go to something more opaque than pencil, to tone down the green enough to allow the building of the flower colors over top. However, in areas that I want to stay more low-key -- like the flower and leaves in the lower right -- the haphazard nature of the green and blue watercolor pencils on masa paper serving as a background are giving it a sort of antique, even mysterious, look, which I find interesting. On to step 3!

Totally experimental colored pencil/watercolor pencil piece by Amy Lindenberger, Step 1

I taught a workshop this past weekend which I had entitled "And You Thought You Knew Colored Pencil!" (For information about my workshops, please visit http://www.amylindenberger.com/.) The premise of the workshop was that the very things which attract artists to colored pencil -- the ability to render precise details and have ultimate control -- can carry the disadvantage of a loss of spontaneity. So I demonstrated a variety of techniques for advanced students, most using watercolor pencils, which help to bring some of that spontaneity back, but still meet the Colored Pencil Society of America's guidelines of "100% colored pencil" for their annual international exhibitions. This piece started out purely as a demo of a technique for using Masa paper, wetting and "crinkling" the paper to produce an intricate pattern of lines. Then while the paper is still damp-to-wet, a deep blue watercolor pencil was brushed over the "hills", and the color seeps through to the other side of the paper, reminiscent of the lines of a batik. After the paper was thoroughly dry I brushed an olive green watercolor pencil onto the surface in certain areas -- we were discussing the use of this technique for foliage in landscapes. (This is really a watercolor technique, and I'm still new at it, so if any of you watercolorists have done this and have any tips to share I'd be ever so grateful!)

At the conclusion of the workshop I wondered what to do with this demo piece. A few days later I found a photo I had taken last Spring of the peonies that were blooming outside my studio (which I dearly love), and noticed that -- while the greens are too strong for my peony image -- the shape placement was very similar to the flower placement in my photo, and there were elements of blue and green present in the peonies and their foliage. So I began to speculate on what would happen if I drew onto this surface, and used my dry colored pencils to subdue some the areas of color. I can't honestly say I know for certain this will be successful -- I'll see what happens and share my results with you as I go!