LATEST PICTURE PROGRESS FOR PINT OF SCIENCE WITH HELEN SCALES: After a very disturbed night of coughing and spluttering, I think the antibiotics are at last kicking in. Have managed a bit of the transfer sketch this morning, but it has made me very tired, so I will have a little rest and perhaps do some more later. I remember a warning given by a tutor at a botanical class I attended way back in 2002: “Practice patience in getting the drawing right, then the picture will be right.” I must therefore get the drawing right – so little and often (with rests in between) will probably work. The ratio of transfer is 1:3 – the pen and ink paper sketch is 8″ x 10″ and the canvas size is 24″ x 30″.
I am using my favourite blue-grey water colour pencil to transfer the image on to the canvas as this can easily be erased when I make [inevitable] mistakes. In this progress photograph I have highlighted the sketch on the canvas as it is difficult to see otherwise. But the sketching is very light so that it will not interfere with the translucent layering of paint later on. I am trying acrylics for the first time, so have no idea how to paint with them, nor what they feel like, so a huge learning curve on the job! And I do like a challenge.
This is so difficult. I keep getting Painter’s Block.