Thursday, December 20, 2012

Happy Lab


Black Lab (temporary, unimaginative title)
23cm x 28.5cm, Coloured Pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes
Copyright Laura Hardie 2012

Stayed with Canson paper for this drawing but think I might be extremely, to the point of beyond, fussy because I didn’t enjoy working on this particular sheet nearly as much as the one I used for the Clydesdale! Does that make sense because I’m not sure I get it. Not something I will dwell on, it’s all part of the learning process after all and it certainly hasn’t put me off Canson paper. It's still a paper I am liking very much and I see many a drawing being completed using it. After the chaos that is Christmas that is.



Copyright Laura Hardie 2012
Please do not use images without permission.

6 comments:

Caroline B said...

Love this drawing! I use Canson paper a lot for animal portraits and find it depends on the colour of the pencils used as to how the paper reacts. I tend to use the 'wrong' side for a smoother texture.

Laura said...

Thanks Caroline, Have just been looking at your blog and love the knitted dogs. So clever.

I use the smooth side of the paper too - the other side would have me demented - and must admit I did wonder if it was something to do with the colours I used. I certainly struggled to get the black as dark as I wanted - the pencil strokes seemed to disappear by morning!!! I got there in the end though :-)

Caroline B said...

Yes,it's always the black dogs that cause me problems on this paper too.Sometimes I resort to a bit of Chinese black ink brushpen.
Thanks re the knitted dogs - not how I ever envisioned making a living!

Laura said...

Spent ages this morning looking through your blog and love your work - look forward to seeing more.

Might try a bit of black pastel pencil as a base before adding coloured pencils next time I have a black dog to do. I have ink somewhere too so may try that also. I can see lots of experimenting ahead :-)

Sue Clinker said...

The lab is beautiful Laura.

I stopped using this Canson paper for the same reason - overnight colours seemed to soak into it. I struggled with white (two Westies). I love the colour range but the paper does feel flimsy after working on pastelmat and Fisher 400 etc.

I still have quite a lot of Canson at home so may get back to it later

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year

Laura said...

Thank you Sue. That's exactly what the colours seemed to do, soak into the paper and I couldn't understand why. Frustrating because I was forever going back over areas I'd finished until the pencil took. Can imagine white being the same.

I have Fisher 400 and love it with pastel - yet to try it with coloured pencils but it is on my 'to-do' list.

Hope you have a great Christmas and wishing all the best for 2013