First layer of fur

I'm plodding on with the tabby cat, still finding the pastelmat an unfamiliar support to work on. I don't actually dislike it but it is very different, particularly as I was getting used to working on drafting film which is so smooth and the pastelmat is like a sanded surface. I have to remember to keep sharpening my pencils! The light has been bad for working, so wet out it makes indoors very gloomy.

Although I'm not happy with this piece it will be worth finishing it. I'm really hoping it will get me back on track. I'll never be able to work for hours at a time again as I find my eyes get sore and start watering after a fairly short time. But short spurts will be better than nothing.

he now has a nose

A quick post just to show that I haven't given up! I did a little more on the eyes and started his nose - I'm sure when I look at it tomorrow I will decide it need more work.

beginnings

I'm finding the pastelmat very different to any other support that I've tried. This piece will be trial and error - I may even try the tutorial again once I'm used to the surface and know a bit more what I'm doing. So far, the eyes are far from being right - more work needed. I have to find out if there is a way to erase / lift colour from the pastelmat. I'm finding it quite hard to make the colours look blended, again something I have to find out about. Even if it turns out to be rubbish, I will try to finish this!

Back with a tabby cat

It's been a long time! I really thought that 2009 was going to be good year for my drawing. Instead, I did nothing at all. In March I was diagnosed with a posterior vitreous detachment in my left eye. It has left me with hazy vision and floaters and coupled with my extremely poor vision it makes it difficult to see fine detail. I've also spent a lot of time on photography!Still, I'm going to try again and I'm starting with a tutorial piece of a sweet tabby cat by Pauline Longley. I'm trying a new support - Clairefontaine Pastelmat and mainly Derwent Coloursoft pencils with a few Prismacolors thrown in. As you can see, not a lot done yet - I've just transferred the line drawing to the grey pastelmat. At least my scanner still works!