FF Tree Studies

I've become less ambitious in my tree studies. I'm drawing branches and trunks for now. This is a Hophornbeam with snow. It was outside Peg's study window on Monday. The "hop" part of the name refers to the fall fruit, which resembles the hops used in beer. It's also called "Ironwood." A new friend I think I'll recognize anywhere.

GLEANINGS ON THE WAY

"Trees are at every season among the loveliest of living things. To draw them successfully you first need to understand the form and structure. You can most easily learn to do that by observing and sketching leafless branches in winter. It takes a lot of practice and patience. Move from parts of trees, to single trees, and then to groups."
Norman Battershill, "Draw Trees"

FF Tree ID's

This is one of the buildings at Lutheran Hospital. I found the trees way more challenging than the building. I remembered TK's trees leaving some light on the trunks. Heretofore, mine were all black broom sticks. I tried to be accurate enough so that I could identify the trees from the drawing. That's when I went back to look at some of Micah's. Wow! Not only the kind of tree, but the individual with its personality.

So I have set for my own goal to draw 50 tree pix, trying to get to know them personally.

KEEPING AT IT CHALLENGE "Posting Posts"

Two things:

1. I've found it hard to "keep at it" of late. But "Everyone's got five minutes." The mutual encouragement and a deadline of our challenges helps me. So, whoever wishes, let's do another one--Micah's notion of posting posts. The challenge is to draw a picture that contains a post. Large landscape, close-up detail, anything at all as long as it has a post of some sort. "Post-Saturday" is a week from this coming one, April 4.

2. How about a real "Sketch Crawl"?. Let's meet one day to sketch together until we are bleary-eyed, foot-sore, with drawer's-cramp, only pencil stubs left, and we all have to crawl home. Well, at least let's try if for a morning. Can we find a day we can all get together for breakfast in downtown Milwaukee, and go from there, drawing whatever our eye grabs until noon? I'm thinking about sometime in May, after we get back from Atlanta.

OUT OUR WINDOW

The grays are smudged with my finger. I wanted a picture of 5 tones, pure and solid rather than gradations. Couldn't get the flat grays I'm looking for. I think it's the paper. I'll have to try something smoother, like Bristol Board.

OUT CHARA'S WINDOW

The perspective on the far roof seems wrong. Have to go back and see. Still looking for grays. Tried HB and even H. I often use my finger for a smudger to get gray, but I want a gray with simple pencil strokes. A fresher look, not overworked and labored. Too much searching here. I'm hoping to find my lighter tones with gray pencils--the H numbers.

OUT THE CAR WINDOW - KT 2

Same house, different day, different time of day. I'm still looking for gray. What caught my eye here was the brightness of the white house in the sunshine. The encircling grays and black windows help that feel. I resisted the urge to tone the sky, a thing I often overdo.