Thursday, February 14, 2008

First Tulips



Watercolour Pencil & background wash 15 x 15 cms

I'll always associate tulips with our friends Jani and Louis. This is from yet another beautiful bunch they've given us. I've been sketching and photographing them all week.

The first big pencil sketch was a disaster so I decided to try a detail in watercolour pencil. This Cartiera Magnani drawing paper quickly started to scuff under the sharp pencils so I knew I wasn't going to be able to build up a multi-layered dark pencil background. I used a neutral tint watercolour wash instead, so I guess this is now mixed media.

The tulip bulbs we've planted are now coming up in the garden. I love this time of year, so full of promise.

26 comments:

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

I love the softness of the tulips here against the smoky backdrop. Gorgeous :)

janie said...

absolutely gorgeous, the detail in the petals is fab and the colours are scruptious.I like the dark background, it really makes the tulips sing.

Felicity Grace said...

Absolutely gorgeous! The petals look so soft and I like the way the leaves are faded into the background. Lovely colours too.

Anonymous said...

Spectacular! The beautiful detailed tulip petals against the dark background is so lovely, I can't even imagine how you did it.
Shirley
http://www.paperandthreads.com

Laurel Neustadter said...

Beautiful! I love the strong contrast between flowers and background and the delicate effects you have achieved on the flowers.

Lin said...

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

caseytoussaint said...

Oh my! Robyn, this is gorgeous! I'm trying to learn how to use wc pencils right now, but I'll never get this good!

mARTa said...

Cara mia! Questo e molto bellisimo! You have me reaching for the computer screen to touch! Absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!! I too have no idea how you acheived this but I love it!!!
PS: Buon giorno di San Valentine!!!

Dave said...

Sounds like a bit of an adventure producing this, but the end result still looks effortlessly beautiful!

E-J said...

Lovely sheen on those tulips! Such delicate colours, too.

Joan said...

Robyn, I don't know what happened, but I don't see the tulips!!! There is a little box above your words but nothing, not even a petal is showing!

Claudia said...

Excellent, Robyn! The petals look wonderful; it's a perfect painting.

Jeanette Jobson said...

These are lovely Robyn. The shading from light to dark is beautifully done.

I wish they were growing in my garden, but I won't be seeing anything coming up til May!

Anonymous said...

Brilliant, Robyn! With this piece and the recent Tuscan scene, I now officially declare myself completely unable to know what you'll be up to next ;D. That it will be great is all I can safely predict.

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Im not suprised you have had such a big comment response to these tulips. The mixed media final result has charm, wonderful subtle colour changes in the petals, great background contrast to throw the tulips right at the viewer - this for one wanted to pick them.
We are having a glorious sunny February for England and the daffs and snowdrops and early spring flowers are out but not the tulips yet. Your painting makes me very impatient.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Thank you all so much. I was pleased with this one but it's very easy to think - Am I kidding myself? You've all been so kind, I continue to be happy with it.

I look forward to visiting everyone in the next day or so.

Joan I'm sorry, I don't know why you couldn't see the image. It seems to be okay now.

Joan Y said...

The warm and cool colors blend so well. I just love the mix of colors in each part of this. This drawing just makes me smile.

quirkyartist said...

This is just beautiful. Aren't tulips such beautiful flowers!

Anita Davies said...

Stunning work!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pencil work Robyn. The variations in tone, the crispness of the foreground to the back, the light to dark, the diagonal grace of the comp. You thought of it all.

juj said...

oh! lucky girl! we're still several weeks away from anything close (except what you can find in the grocers which imo doesn't count lol). this is such a beautiful sketch robyn - the dark background really sets them off and the petals are so velvety and soft - i feel like i could almost touch them.

Joan said...

Robyn, This is beautiful!! The pencils were great to use on the petals...they give them that silky tulip look that you just want to reach out and caress! Wow!!!

laura said...

A beautiful drawing; the colors are so glowing, not just in the flowers, but the blues in the leaves too. Lovely! I think the drawing expresses everythign you say about tulips in your post!

Anita said...

OOOH these tulips are lovely! Super lighting! Ah for spring - I long to see daffodils! I hope they will be in flower in England when I go home in a couple of weeks.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely stunning. I love the contrast between the dark vibrant background and the soft colors of the flowers.

Mim said...

Found your blog thru Casey's links and am glad that I did. Your work is wonderful and immediatly brings to mind the wonderful street of Italy. and these tulips are amazing.

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