Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP Completed!

As you will see, this has gone through some changes since my last post. I decided the inside of the tree wasn't happening for me. I didn't like the rocks, they were too distracting, taking away rather than adding interest.

You can see in the photo above, my solution was to darken the interior and rocks, to lessen their importance. Yet, I still didn't think this was how I wanted it to look. I stopped for the night to let it rest and see it with fresh eyes the next day.

Next day, I still didn't like it, so I took a chance and changed it. Getting rid of the rocks and opening up the passage allowed the light to come through. Now there was a place for the rabbits as well as the viewer to escape to.

I continued to clean up some areas and add more darks. The black rabbit needed to have the dark fur smoothed. I then flipped the page over and worked on the underside. Adding some graphite to the underside of the black rabbit made the blacks richer and the strokes more even.

This is when I also started to add a bit of color to the rabbits ears and the inside of the tree.
The above is a closer view of the two rabbits and the inside of the tree. In the finished work below, I lifted up some of the graphite on the inside of the tree and added a bit of warm sienna colored pencil to the light, extending it out to the rabbits fur. I did some further defining of the body of the two rabbits and added a touch of acrylic color for the two eyes. The tree seemed too bent, so I widened it with some more bark on the right side, and also darkened the left side. The finished work is below.

It's Not All Black and White, © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 7" x 7"

Below is the finished work in the frame I'll be using. I wasn't sure how this piece was going to turn out. I did not intend to have two rabbits, and didn't know what I was going to do with them. I knew I didn't want to put a door in the tree, but the tree was going to play a role in the scene. I knew that having rabbits as a subject could end up being too cute. Cute was not what I wanted either. I think the two rabbits mirroring each other has helped to make it more mysterious rather than cutesy. Or at least I hope so! However, how can rabbit NOT end up being cute! I'm happy with the results. Thank you for following along with me on this.

It's Not All Black and White, © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 7" x 7"

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP Update # 2

Finally, I've gotten a batch of my work shipped and two batches delivered! One more delivery to go! I'll say more about that after I've completed this piece.

I decided not to enter this work into the show with the deadline of April 16th, and instead, I'll enter it into the one with the April 23rd deadline. It was almost finished enough, but enough wasn't where I wanted it to be. There was more that needed to be done to take it up a notch. Here is more of the progression.

Above, I've started bringing the drawing down into the grasses on the left side and adding the knot hole on the front tree.

I had gotten a lot of work done in the above photo, adding more to the front tree and drawing in one of my subjects.

I'm not sure why I decided to do what I did here, but after spending some time looking at it, I decided the piece needed something more. I love the spots on the rabbit and the way his eye is surrounded with the dark fur. It came to me that the reverse would be interesting, so I gave him a twin, or mirror image.

You can see a close up of the two above. Trying to reverse this rabbit was a challenge, especially doing the eye.

Above is a view under the magnifier to work on the rabbit's eye. I am using my 0.3 with a darker, softer, lead.

This photo is current with where I am now in real time. You can see why I wasn't satisfied with calling this finished, but it is so close. I'm going to add color on the reverse side in places and I'm not sure if I like the rocks inside the tree. I've added the grasses and leaves in the foreground. I still think the opening inside the tree needs work.

I hope the next time I post, this will be a completed work with a title, (the hardest part)! Thanks for taking the time to read this and see my work in process.

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP Update

While I'm in the process of framing, almost finished thank goodness, I thought I'd show the progress of my current work.

This first photo as in the last post photo shows my tools and photo reference with the addition of the putty. I use it to lift up the graphite when an area is too dark, or to create texture. The putty is the dirty looking bit on the edge of my drawing easel. It's very useful for cleaning up areas. I also use it to hold my work in place on my drawing surface. I sometimes use a tiny piece on the tip of a *blending pencil. It's something I came up with when working with miniatures and needing to get in tiny places to clean up the graphite. It a very useful thing to keep around in your studio. The downside is it can make oil marks where it sticks, so don't let it sit on your art work, AND, don't get it in the carpet, voice of experience!!

* The Prismacolor Colorless Blender pencil has no color, but has a firm tip which is used to push the colors together or soften edges in colored pencil work.

I've made a lot of progress here. You can see where I've added the tree in the background, right side, as well as worked on the tree on the left. I've also added some twisted branches extending from the knot on the foreground tree.

On the above photo, I've worked on the larger tree, drawing it further down the left side. I also worked more on the upper right background adding some foliage, showing some dark shadows and defining some grasses.

Because I've been framing and getting all my new miniatures ready for the shows and my website, I've not had time to work on this. I'm hoping to do so this evening. I'm a bit further along in the drawing than this post, but almost caught up in real time. I hope to share more progress photos soon. Friday is my deadline for this to be finished. If I don't make it, I have another show I can submit it to on the following week and I know I can make that! Either one will be fine.

My newly titled and scanned works are up on my website in the Miniature Gallery, as well as the one metalpoint in the Drawing Gallery. You may notice I've added a few changes from when I posted them here. I'll be showing them framed later when I submit them. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Your comments are always appreciated.

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP

While I've been madly getting my work ready for the four show deadlines this month, I thought I would share a new work that I'm also desperately trying to finish!! I am currently working on a new small work, done with graphite on Dura-lar Matte film. You may recognize the characters I'm using as they have appeared in my work before. This will be a 7 x 7 inch, square format, with the same set of trees with a rabbit, so far, as the star instead of a crow this time. The rabbit is the same one that I've used in two of my new silverpoint miniatures, shown here in earlier posts. In this work, his pose is slightly different, with his head turning a bit more in the viewer's direction. I'm not sure where I'm going with this yet. I'll just have to let it unfold.

When I am working with subjects that I like, I tend to want to continue to work with them, to further their poses and settings. They are never exactly the same and instead evolve in their shape and story. I hope you like this one and follow along. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't run into any problems and can manage to finish it in time for my deadline!



Here you can see more of the tree's texture added as I moved down the surface. I've been very careful not to get the marks too dark to begin with.

This shows the photo I'm using for reference. I've included the eraser, brush, to whisk away bits of graphite dust or lint, and I use the piece of soft cotton fabric to rest my hand on to protect the surface from oils and scratches. My pencil is 0.3 HB. I'll switch to harder and softer leads as the work progresses. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Another Miniature Silverpoint, "Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed"

Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed © Barbara A. Freeman, 2 7/8" x 3 7/8"
Silverpoint on Prepared Art board

After I finished my last miniature in silverpoint with the tree and rabbit, I decided to do the rabbit again, only as a single subject. The challenge was how to do a white rabbit in silverpoint. In the previous work, the rabbit was surrounded by the grasses and tree, so they helped form his white body. In this one I drew the outline along the top areas and the grasses helped define the bottom area of him. The ears were fun to do and I loved doing his eye. I added some acrylic color to the eye and used that same color in the mushroom ring around him. There is a hint of color on the nose and in the ears. I don't think this is the last rabbit I'll do. I have some more ideas for him. I would like to get some photos of the other side of his face where he has some larger spots.

My posts may be a bit spotty as the April deadlines approach. I have four shows I'm am preparing for, but once the work is packed up and shipped or delivered, I'll have more time. I'll be deciding which work to send to which show and will post all that information shortly after it's decided. I'll also have more time to visit all my blogger friends and see the fabulous work you are all doing! As always, thank you for taking the time to read this and look at my work.

New Silverpoint Drawing in Miniature, "The Way Home"

The Way Home © Barbara A. Freeman
Silverpoint, 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

Finally I have a new work to share! It's done in silverpoint (with a bit of watercolor added for interest), on Strathmore 500 illustration board. A great surface, very forgiving, thick and sturdy. I used Golden Silverpoint Ground to prepare the board, and once dry, it's ready to accept the fine silver stylus, (mine was purchased from the silverpoint.com website).

If the trees look familiar, it's because I've used the same reference photo that I've used in other work. Each time I do them, the trees become slightly different. It's really the placement and the way the light hits the trees and surrounding landscape that I need from the photo. I may make the trees with different textures, or placement of limbs, etc when creating a new piece. In this one, I've given the tree an opening for the rabbit to escape to. I added color to the opening in the tree which not only draws your eye in, but also gives contrast to the rabbit's white face and the color is repeated in the eye. The rabbit is from photos that I took of the one that my husband sees when he goes for a run. Wayne has named him Spot. When he comes back from a run he tells me that Spot says hi if he sees him. We think Spot was someone's pet at one time as he allows you to get rather close before bolting. I was able to take photos easily enough moving very slowly.

Below is the frame I'm going to use. I am thinking I'll not mat the work, but use spacers to separate the work from the glass. Thanks again for taking the time to read about my work! Now on to the next one!

The Way Home © Barbara A. Freeman,
Silverpoint, 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"