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8 x 8
Polychromo pencil on Strathmore Bristol

This is what all those "Walnut Brown" experiments were all about. I finished this today, and the recipient is very happy with it. I am so relieved!

It was a very fun commission. Its an invented artist's studio with some Harry Potterish bits in it, as well as things that are meaningful to the person to whom it now belongs. (that was wordy).

**Update** I now know I have permission to say WHO the mystery recipient is ~
the wonderfully gifted colored pencil artist Nicole Caulfield!!!
She mentions this on her blog and explains what its for.
It was such an honor to do this for her. I am a BIG fan of her work and admire her skill with a pencil tremendously.

I think we achieved the "black and white" idea but warmed it up sufficiently by using the Walnut Brown Polychromo instead.

There's a secret passageway going under the cupboard toward the right, a broom for flying leaning against the drawing table, Hedwig the owl, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor beans down front, an invisibility cloak hanging on the armoire, a chocolate frog, and references to Nicole's work and subject matter she uses in her pieces.

I wish I had a secret passageway in my studio...


All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.

2.5 x 3.5
Polychromo Walnut Brown pencil on BRISTOL
ebay

I thought I'd try one more support. It was kind of a d'oh! thing. I found some good Strathmore 500 Bristol PAPER in my file drawer. The bristol is only 2-ply I think. And so its also "see-thru" on a lightbox, like the Rives in the last post.

Let's see how they compare now: (click to make it bigger)



The color isn't as soft as on the Rives, and has some of its punch back. Its a twinge different than the original one done on board. But it comes closer to the original one than the Rives does.

Very interesting (said like the guy on Laugh-In, if you remember that)...

To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.

2.5 x 3.5
Polychromo Walnut Brown on PAPER
ebay

I bought some Rives BFK print paper last time I was at the store, and thought I'd better try it!
This is a HUGE departure from my usual illustration board. HUGE I tell you.

I've always loved illustration board for its durablility (doesn't crease easily, its more sturdy) and versatility (you can use all kinds of media on it).
But you can't see through it. That's a major drawback. It makes it really hard to transfer finished drawings, especially for colored pencil work (if you do the usual "lay the drawing down on top and trace over it to transfer it" it leaves a groove in the board, no matter how light a pressure you use, and that's not a good thing for pencil work.)

What I've been doing with the board is this labor-intensive "scan the drawing, clean it up in Photoshop, then print it out really really really really light onto the board with my Epson 2200 printer".
Well, that works, but its kind of a drag. And the printer only goes 13" wide, so if your board is wider than that, then what do you do? You can see the problem. (Except for all of these little pieces ~ I just draw them freehand directly onto the board. I'm talking about more involved illustrations.)

So this paper works with a lightbox. YAY!

And I like the paper. Not as well as the board, but its OK. It doesn't take many layers of pencil. I think it will be good for this monochromatic kind of work where I don't have to do too many layers anyway. But I think for really heavy handed many-colored and layered kinds of work, it wouldn't hold up.
The paper is soft and lovely, but that's the problem. The tooth squishes down too fast (if you do colored pencil you know what I mean by that.)

The other interesting thing is that the Walnut Brown color looks different than it does on illustration board.

Do you see the difference? It looks softer on the paper, and it also doesn't go quite as dark.
I used cream colored paper ~ I think. I know that sounds stupid. I remember there was a grey (which I didn't want) and this. I know they make both white and cream, and I'm pretty sure what I have here is the cream. I guess I get to go back to the store and check, or order some white from online someplace. (I've already searched online, and when looking at the little color swatches of both colors, what I have here actually looks like something in between the two, which is no help at all!)

Remember when art was easy? You just had your little box of crayons and some construction paper?

To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.

2.5 x 3.5
Polychromo on illustration board
ebay

Uno mas. Back to my Polychromos. This was done with "Walnut Brown". Funny, I thought the Sepia color would be darker, but nope. I actually like this a lot.
Wouldn't it be funny if after all this trying out different brands I came back to my Polychromos after all?
(Remember, this was all about finding a warmer alternative to just black.)
I think I might do one or two more, then decide which way to go. I have to get started on the piece, a private commission, that inspired this search in the first place!

To see all the Yarn pieces in this series side-by-side, please go here. Or visit my ebay store to see which are available for sale.
All images and content herein are © Paula Pertile and may not be used or reproduced without permission.

Black Polychromo on board
2.5 x 3.5
on ebay

I'm just in a black and white mood today.
Although there's not really any white in this. Or pure black. I just used one pencil for the whole thing.

Things are still very grey here. January is always such a bleak month. Its freezing, its wet, its grey, and I have ants in the house which are not deterred by Pine Sol on a paper towel plugging up their entryway so I have to resort to the RAID which makes me gag, then I think I'm done with them but no, hours later those buggers are back, and this has absolutely nothing to do with yarn or illustration but I was in the mood for a good run-on sentence, thanks for indulging me.