Winter came with a vengeance during Christmas week. The most compelling subjects tend to appear in the worst of the weather, but the atmosphere of a winter's day is difficult to capture in a toasty warm studio, so it was a case of putting on the layers and the fingerless mittens and heading outdoors... The idea was to immerse myself in the silence and emptiness of an icy landscape vacated by the rest of the world, who had the good sense to stay at home in front of a roaring log fire - and then to get something down on paper before my finger ends dropped off. It is no time to indulge in fine detail. In fact, as one's fingers steadily grow numb, it becomes impossible to make anything but the crudest marks. But I have yet to experience conditions that actually freeze my brain cells, so my powers of observation happily stay in working order! Winter Walk © Judith Key Winter walk is not a literal depiction of the landscape, but aims to capture the atmosphere of the place, and the experience of being out on an icy winter's day. The lone figure - not surprisingly the only person I saw that morning - adds to the sense of space and isolation. Spiky, staccato lines suggest the starkness and bitter cold. And no, the short, horizontal lines at the bottom half of the study do not represent my finger ends that had finally given up and dropped off - although they did feel good and ready to do so! I’m often asked about materials and techniques. Willow Charcoal is one of my favourite sketching mediums, and a very flexible one - these photos show three of the ways in which I use it:- Placing the charcoal on its side and sweeping it across the paper creates a painterly effect, and if the underlying paper is allowed to show through, a sparkling texture can be achieved, which enlivens the surface. Placing the charcoal on its side and pushing it up and down along its axis creates ghostly and spiky lines. This is how I worked the background trees and the sweeping path that turns back on itself. Using the point of the charcoal allows a range of linear marks of varying tones and thickness, depending on the pressure applied. Varying the pressure results in an enlivened line. 'Winter Walk' and the examples of charcoal techniques were drawn on A4 copier paper. I find it good for sketching and experimentation, and although it looks smooth, has enough tooth to hold the charcoal and create textural effects.
Now I'm back home and huddled in front of the fire, and teasing some feeling back into my fingers, in readiness for the next foray with a sketchbook...
0 Comments
|
Judith Key
Judith Key is a Norfolk based artist, working in watercolour and pastel. She has exhibited with the Society of Graphic Fine Artists and New English Art Club at the Mall Galleries, London. Her paintings are in collections worldwide. Categories
All
Archives
May 2018
|