I’m delighted that so much enjoyment has been had looking closely at pebbles, seeing them as individuals rather than merely a tiny part of the foreground of a seascape. Thank you to everyone who’s shared their paintings this month. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy looking at the results as much as I have.
By Claire: “It was great fun emptying drawers and finding materials and paints I haven’t used for years. I think I should have put masking fluid around the stones first as the tape tended to lift, allowing pastel dust to escape. I used watercolours, watercolour and acrylic inks, oil and soft pastels, white charcoal and a few touches of gold cerne relief on Bockingford Not 140 lbs p;aper.”
From Marion: It feels like I’m looking at a display at a geological museum, and that if I looked off to the side there’d be a little notice explaining the links between the different pebbles. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favourite.By Cathi: “This is pure watercolour — no pen, no pencil just paint — to give it a simpler, cleaner feeling. The pink wanted to run everywhere, but hey-ho that’s what paint does.. The sandstone pebbles, although having clear patterns, have quite a texture so I hope I have been able to capture that.”
From Marion: The pink running adds a sense of the pebble sitting in wet sand. And you’ve definitely got the sense of textures as well as colours.By Eddie: “I was excited to start this and decided to do a grid with a different medium in each box. One source of trepidation was that I only had one sheet of A2 watercolour paper so if I got it wrong I would have to wait while I ordered more. I decided just to go for it and think it went well.”
From Marion: It’s beautiful, as a collection of stones, and mesmerising for the differences in appearance and mediums.By Eddie: “A little pile of pebbles. Some years ago, when I was more into pen and ink, I got, as a present, an electronic dots pen by Cuttlelola. It’s a nifty little device that really speeds up stippling. It’s been languishing for a while so I thought I would give it a try for pebbles. I tried hard to concentrate more on the process than the result and not care that some of my pebbles looked rather like cream cakes and, mostly, succeeded. The added media are, from top to bottom; coloured pencil; watercolour pencil; watercolour; Graphitint; gouache; XL charcoal; XL graphite; and Elegant Writer all washed in with a water brush pen. All great fun added to by the fact that they were on a wobbly desk and kept falling over as I tried to draw and paint them.”
From Marion: My favourite pebbles are the second lowest one and the fourth from the top, the nature of which I think stippling suits, giving a lovely sense of their layered, weathered, slab structure.By Sarah: “Had lots of fun with this. Using walnut ink and a dipping pen, watercolour, Uniball Signo white pen and Coliro M600 (bling). I added my own rock and seaweed from the coast picked up last year. I have thoroughly enjoyed this process and outcome.”
From Marion: Another beautiful painting on that grey paper; starting from a mid-tone rather than white really works for you. I like your composition with the bottom pebble (which was being problematic) cropped, giving the feeling of the scene continuing beyond the edg. My eye is lead up whilst the single pebbles and grouped change the pace.
This was my first painting arranging the pebbles in a grid, done in my sketchbook:
I absolutely love these. I plan to paint my own collections but with other projects I don’t know when I’ll get them done. Will share when I can. Thank you.
I absolutely love these. I plan to paint my own collections but with other projects I don’t know when I’ll get them done. Will share when I can. Thank you.