Living and learning...

I finished the elephant,  at least he looks happy.  Can't say I am with this horrible grey and chilly weather.    I had high hopes for today,  it started out really sunny and then the grey stuff set in.  It seems to have put the dampener on my spring cleaning blitz, well not blitz,  more of a dribs and drabs affair.  

The art is going well,  but not the spectrum noirs...    think I may have made a mistake! I did watch and read quite a few reviews,  all said they were good but, that isn't what I've found.

I was going to test them on this still life,  just to see how they performed.  I have to say I gave up.  There is no depth to the colour,  they soon wear down, and are very hard to sharpen, some break very easily, too easily for oil based pencils.  So I got out the Faber Castells, bliss,  easy application,  smooth blending and good depth of colour.   I also noticed that the spectrum noirs were leaving a lot of residue behind.  They are fine for digi stamps etc, but not for art work.  Oh well, we live and learn.  They'll be going back. 


The still life was partly made up from photos as I do not possess a yellow pitcher, had no apples, oranges or grapes.   The curtain was an excercise in shading,  still have a little bit of work to do on it.   I've sketched out a foal,  again it was something I attempted about a month ago and just couldn't do it.    I would like to attempt some buildings next,  I'd like to try to draw our Anglican Cathedral, it is such a beautiful building.   I'd like a nice sunny day so I can go take some pics.   I must try to find my pic of the Albert Dock, with the wonky lamppost,  it was taken just after they'd reopened the dock, and we had the Garden Festival,  that was such a lovely summer. 

It would be nice if Spring would come back so I can get out into the garden.  All for now folks.