Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Forest Drawing


(Click to enlarge)

Furthest from the trails, where the ground is dense and springy, and the growing limbs crowd in and mix with the dead, proves to be the most advantageous for trying to bring out order.

Yesterday I was here behind a massive fir, the girth of which exceeded mine. In such a place there is nothing to quite jangle your nerves like a sudden deep grunting sound from directly behind you. Looking back this way and that, telling myself that there are no boars in these woods didn't help any to stop the heart from pounding. And then right behind the tree two racoons make their way, over wet ferns. The one ahead didn't notice me and kept on going. The one trailing behind saw me and froze, then startled, went some paces in the other direction away from me before carrying on down the hill.

I didn't know racoons could make that kind of sound.

2 comments:

Tim J. said...

Nice. Very nice.

What sort of paper/materials do you use?

Paul Stilwell said...

Thank you Tim.

For the majority of the sketches I use a "Canson" universal sketch book. Usually the 9x12. The sketch book says 65lb. I'm assuming that is the weight of the paper. It is spiral-bound of course, and the pages are "microperforated" for easy removal from the book, so you don't have to tear the page.

I use a range of pencils: 2H, 2B, HB, F, H, B.

But I've been thinking more and more of art board, you know, along the lines of something more frameable; something that won't need to be taken out of the sketch book if I were to (God-willing) sell it.

Also I want to start using charcoal more. Sometimes the lines or shadows just aren't black enough when you want them to be.