Details (from left to right):
- Conté black sketching crayons and Pierre Noire pencil on Cartiera Magnani Velata paper (light cream tone, 8″ x 10″), November 2007.
- Conté crayons and pastel pencils on Cartiera Magnani Vergata paper (light cream tone, 8″ x 10″), November 2007.
These two studies were completed over the past couple of weeks and are of a similar view of my dwarf orange tree drawn in the same format. They are perhaps influenced by my recent visit to the Museum of Modern Art to see the current exhibit of drawings by Georges Seurat. Most of Seurat’s drawings were done in black Conté on a beautiful laid drawing paper and feature a heavy contrast between dark and light values not dissimilar to what I’ve attempted here.
Apart from the fact that I’ve done one of these drawings all in black and the other using colored Conté, the strong difference in the surface of the papers is quite evident. The Velata paper used for the black drawing is smoother with a slightly “woven” texture while the Vergata paper has a more course texture and stronger laid pattern. This was my first time using the Vergata paper, which is handmade by the Cartiera Magnani Mill in Italy. It has a supple feel to it and a softness that, when combined with the coarseness of the surface, seems to suggest and encourage a rougher approach with less emphasis on detail. I enjoyed using this paper and look forward to working on it with landscape drawings as well.
The leaves and branches in both of these drawings run the risk of becoming lost or overwhelmed by the darker areas of the background. I feel as though I am making some slow progress with the challenges I’ve faced in having a background that doesn’t compete with the foreground yet is harmonious while providing a sense of space and depth. I also like some of the texture that is happening in parts of these drawings as a result of each paper’s surface. I’ll be doing more work along these lines in the coming weeks and will also be continuing on some larger landscape drawings. The landscape I am working on currently is a larger drawing based on the view of Lake Constance shown in my previous post. I should have more work posted before the end of the long Thanksgiving weekend and am especially grateful this year for having the time to draw, and for being able to spend time with family and friends.
