challenge CHATTER - 2012

Good lnews regarding hubby's eyes.  they are maintaining,  did not get worse since last visit.  that is a good thing...  I can still show him my paintings and ask him to critique. 

As I mentioned in the Challenge thread, my pencils arrived yesterday and I stopped by DB on the way home from the eye doctor and picked up a full set of drawing pencils (graphite)  they are currently having a sale on there Bristol Vellum pads as well. 

I have already had one broken lead on one of the colored pencils.  I will have to bite the bullet and make sure I have a good pencil sharpener,  any suggestions?

Marsha I am so glad your hubby's eyes are no worse. Let's hope he can continue to maintain for some years to come so he can enjoy your paintings with you. I always use a very sharp knife. I find I get less lead breakage that way. Others swear by electric sharpeners. I use a Husky. It folds and is heavy duty and it has replacable razor blades. You find them at Home Depot and the like in the tool department. Mine is red so I can find it easily.everyone is amazed at how I can do it but as I explained that is how we all sharpened our pencils at school. We all carried small penknives when we were kids. ( a hundred years ago ) None of us ever stabbed another with them either! It's a real bummer when you get a pencil that has been dropped. In answer to your question a while back I live in Arkansas and just stay up late. I was born and bread in England.

Marsha, great news about your hubby's vision.  I pray that he will continue to remain the same or, even better, improve.  This has to be very stressful for both of you.

Concerning your broken green cp, I suggest that you call the company you ordered them from and let them know that it arrived broken.  You might want to be sure all the others are okay before calling in case there are more.  They should replace it for you.

I like top loading pencil sharpeners.  My Panasonic battery operated is quite old and not easy to find any more.  The electric sharpener that I use in my studio does not continue to sharpen after the point has been reached. It is called a pencil saver.  I looked at Amazon.com and they have top loading sharpeners in both battery operated and electric.  My electric sharpener is a bit expensive but worth it to me since it doesn't eat up the pencils.  It's Stanley Bostitch Quietsharp.  Check them out at Amazon.com.  Shipping is free if you spend $25 or over.

I use a sharpener because it is important to keep a sharp point while working with cp.  I am constantly sharpening.  One tip that helps to keep a sharp point is to keep rolling the pencil in your fingers so that you are not always working at the same place on the point.  Rotating the point like that helps to keep the point. sharp.

I just made a really helpful discovery.  At the bottom right of my computer screen is a box with 100%.  If I change that to 150% or 200%, I get a larger version of the paintings that are posted here.  It helps a lot.  Don't forget to put it back at 100% or all of your online images will be bigger.

Marsha, I should have mentioned that the reason one keeps the cp points sharp is so that one can fill in the little craters in the paper more easily.

Most people don't make straight strokes with cp but  make tiny circles so as to avoid a linear look.  If you ever get to look at Ann Kullberg's work though you will see lots of linear work.  She is a very well known cp artist. and an exception to the norm.  I work so that my strokes are not visible but there are all kinds of ways to approach it.

While you are looking at pencil sharpeners at Amazon.com, check out "Colored Pencil Painting Bible" by Alyona Nickelsen.  That covers the basics and is an excellent book.  They should let you browse through it online.

Sam -  Thanks for the information and the research.  my husband bought be an electric side X-Acto sharpener and I don't like it, but then it was a very inexpensive and it doesn't have an auto stop.  I have another cheapo that I have had in my office for years, a Boston, battery.  I also have a hand held one that works pretty good but I can see it will be a pain.  I use it for my wc pencils.  I will look into it as you suggested, again, thank you so much. 

I ordered the book several days ago and it should be here any day. 

I will call DB online regarding the broken pencil. 

The other day while buying the graphite pencils at DB, I did notice some of them not having the cores centered and I put them back, I figured it would be a problem when sharpening.  my new cp came already sharpened so you cant see the core but you can see the core on the opposite end. 

I have read about putting them in a microwave for a few seconds,  they are to new for me to be trying that. 

Regarding your sharpener,  I also read that if you sharpen several graphite pencils it gets rid of the wax build up. that might help get your "tips" back...

Jen - thank you for your suggestions as well.  I used to use the knife method when I was in school as well, my father taught me.  but now I only have a small pocket knife for using as a screw driver when I need it at my Jazz events. 

Thank you all for the kind words regarding hubby...  Sam - I use the zoom at the bottom left corner as well as an app called "no squint", so my hubby can see the screen on some web sites.

Hi all I love this 3D TV it has so many informative subjects,recently I watched a show about the ghost town of Brodie Cal and done a couple of paintings about it. The 1st one is an abandoned saw mill I done with Derwent W/C pencils 9x11 Fabrinio 140# HP,the 2nd. was a shed [I guess] 9x12 W/C Fabrinio 140# CP

Fred

 

Fred, i wonder if your Derwent wc pencils are Inktense.  They have a reputation forf being intense colors.  Your abandoned saw mill is quite colorful.  I like the woodgrain on the side of the building and the stonework at the base. 

The colors on the shed aren't quite as intense.  I like the colors on the roof and the lean-to at the back of the building.  Who knows that may have been somebody's home.  You do like to put those outhouses nearby, don't you?

I'm glad that you like 3D TV.  We thought we wouldn't be getting that since my hubby is always doing a crossword puzzle or reading while watching TV.  Switching those glasses back and forth with the reading glasses could be tiresome.

Of course, at one time we didn't see any use for remote controls, color TV, portable phones.  We changed our minds in time.  Maybe that will happen with the 3D TV.  It sounds like you are watching some interesting shows.  Enjoy!  

Fred: sure would be hanging on for dear life if I tried to use either one of those old out houses! You do such a good job on old derelict buildings and these are no exception. Keep on watching the 3D TV if it inspires this kind of art!!

Fred:  Like what you did with the shed and old cabin - Great subject and great rendering.  I'm not familiar with W/C pencils.  Are they easy to work with?  I tried watercolors a couple of times, but got frustrated that I couldn't make changes like I can with oils.

 

Hi all, First Thank you Jen,Shiela and Sam for your comments. Sam I have the intense set of pencils but I didn't use them here.but if fact the colors on the shed are more intense than the saw mill ,I have limited edit options with Picaso so many times the photo I submit is somewhat off the original but is usually quite representable of the painting. I bought a LG 55'that came with 4 pr. of 3D glasses and to my surprise they are very light and are comfortable to wear as I don't need glasses to watch regular TV and I like to add an outhose to the shack type paintings because they seem to catch the viewers eye.This painting is a result of letting my imagination have it's way. 140# fabrinio CP 14x18

Fred

Fred, this mountain pass painting is lovely.  You have wonderful textures, especially in the green area of the right mountain.  Great colors.  As always, I like your sky and the mist around the mountains.  You have a great imagination.

Fred - your mountain pass has some really cool colors in it.  I live in Las Vegas and it looks like some of the redrock canyons we have near her,  they have many colors including green, purple, orange, and red.  the colors here in the dessert are amazing especially in the Spring with the cactus blooming.  I will try to take some pictures and post them for you.  I believe I have seen some bear families within them thar hills as well.  There is a Gorge on the way up to Salt Lake that you have to drive through and your picture reminds me of that. 

your down and out buildings are so much fun.  but a TV antenna tells a great story.  They do look like some of the indian reservation homes not to far from here.  one I especially like near here is a delapidated bldg with a huge satalite dish right next to it.  it almost looks like the dish is holding up the side of the house.   are you using a credit card to get the greenish part of the mountain?  great job.

Today was filled up with doctor appointments.  This morning, my hubby saw the orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hands.  I went along because I thought she may think it was time for surgery and I understand medical info more than he does..  But that wasn't the case and he just got a shot in each hand.  Those shots help with the pain for more than a year.  I'm so glad because if he had surgery, he wouldn't be able to do the dishes or mop the floors.  Yikes!!!

I had a root canal this afternoon.  I'm feeling fine.  I came home tired and crashed in my recliner for a while.  The numbness is about gone and it's good to have that over with.  Tomorrow, I plan to be in my studio.

Fred : Wow you have a wonderful imagination. The mountains have some great colours and textures. The touch of mist really finishes it off nicely.