Rain and Pencil

I recently began using pencil for my under drawing instead of colored pencil. I've found myself gravitating toward a more subtle color palette than I use with my colored pencil paintings. I like it and I think I will continue using pencil and seeing what takes shape. The reason I started using pencil is because I recently purchased the most amazing mechanical pencil I've ever used, it's a Koh-I-Noor Mephisto Profi pencil, and I really cannot put it down. The advantage of colored pencil is that the Prismacolor col-erase pencils melt into the watercolor. The lady in the first painting is wearing a Jean Yu triangle bra. After several weeks of sunshine rain has returned to northern California. I don't mind, I get more work done on rainy days.

Leaves and Pencil

This is a study for a larger painting. Lately I have been using two (warm/cool) sets of primary colors and a color called neutral tint.

Alexander McQueen

It's hard to believe a year has passed since the death of Alexander McQueen. Both of these pen and ink drawings were done on Legion Iyo handmade Japanese rice paper. February 11, 2010.

Paculla Annia

Recently I decided to try to using pencil to compose my under drawing. Usually I draw on watercolor paper using Prismacolor erasable color pencils. When I paint over the lines they melt into the paint.

Something about light gray pencil line makes the whole painting feel lighter, which I find really satisfying. I've been painting with two sets of primary color palettes and black. For some reason I find this easier to do with oil paints as opposed to watercolor.

Paculla Annia was an Italian priestess. She led the Bacchus cult and threw wild parties.