Time Away From Home - Shenandoah by Fran

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Last summer McSpousky and I drove along the Blueridge Parkway overlooking the lovely Shenandoah valley.  There were so many lovely sights and I took bunches of photos. I wanted to make a drawing or painting of the one below. 

Though not my original intention, I made two of them.  Both of these are ATC card size.  The one above is actually the second one using colored pencil with accents done with gel pens.

This was the first painting that I made.  I used my watercolor pencils and the process was an interesting one which I thought that I would share with you.

1. Make sketch on watercolor paper
2. Color lightly with watercolor pencils and carefully apply water.






At this point it looked OK but true to my nature I had to do more and more until it was a mess, entirely too dark. So:

4. Throw ruined painting in the trash and start on drawing number two while stealing glances at painting number one which is calling to me from the trash can. "Save me." it whispers. "You can do it."
5. Take discarded painting out of the trash, put it in the kitchen sink and spray it fiercely with the spray attachment.
6. Scrub painting with the plastic Teflon scrubber and then hang it up to dry.

   Day two
7. Continue working in new details on the now dry first painting with colored pencil.

Look at both pictures and decide that neither does
the photo justice but each does have its own
character.