Firstly, I like the process of mixing colours and mediums and using a brush (though I have a loooong way to go before I get any of it right!).
Secondly, because of a point Bill made that's been rattling around in my brain for months. He reckons the average Joe places less value on pencil drawings because it's a medium that anyone can use. Sure, they may not be able to use it particularly artistically, but because we all use pencils every day, the artsy mystery is removed. So there's a perception that a pencil drawing is less valuable.
Now I'm not entirely sure I agree with him, but I can see his point. And after such a long break from art, it seemed like a good time to try something new and see how it goes.
So here's how it's gone so far.
Pencil on wood (done during babysitting my 2 month old niece who was courteous enough to sleep through the entire experience!).
After a couple of coats of some kind of timber sealer that Bill recommended, I tried a heavy pink background (oil paints). Bill hated it. Dave reckoned you should be able to see the wood grain if you're painting on wood. Plenty of people liked it, but I tend to listen to Bill and Dave because they don't pull any punches.
So I rubbed back the pink to a much softer level. I prefer this, though the wood grain here isn't the best looking grain I've ever seen. Once I get the hang of this, I'm going to track down some more attractive timber.
I'm still pretty crap at mixing colours. So I figured I'd practice by trying to match my own skin tone. At the risk of sounding like a loony, I did thoroughly enjoy painting on my hand.
Tonight I've redone the background, whitened her hair and started on her dress. But she's now at an awkward teenage stage, so I'm holding off on posting her until her blemishes clear up and she learns how to use makeup properly.
Wish us luck!
xk
