Friday 20 May 2011

Colour from the season - Rosa Rugosa Pink

"Capturing the freedom and graciousness of nature. "

The wild Rosa Rugosa is a fabulous rose. Chip and I pass a number of them on our morning walk. They have a very strong perfume, amazing hips in the autumn, are seriously bushy and some are this shocking pink colour.

Colour is what this notebook is about, but lately I've drawn the plant as well. Here, for the first time, I documented the growth of the drawing. All the photos below show stages where I considered stopping as I liked the drawing enough. There's always the thought that any more might just over do it and it could lose the vitality that I'm hoping to capture. Usually those stages are lost.  By photographing them, I was able to re- visit these points in the progression and consider with hindsight whether I should have stopped there or not...?!

















































rough sketched outline and first ink marks - I liked this very unfinished effect.



















outlining the leaves and detailing of the stamens, maybe I should have stopped here?



















bringing depth into the centre of the flower, tonal wash added to the leaves.



















All the outline pen work finished - a line too far?



















tea break while the ink dried, then the first splash of colour.



















(inspired!)



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...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.