Mitchellville Barn - Series # 2

Here is another update. I have a feeling that I am done with this drawing. I lightly placed the grass and weeds in and at this moment they seem like it is all that it needs. I'm afraid if I make the weeds anymore pronounced it will take away from the scene.I really enjoy vacation time and being able to spend 'blocks of time' just devoted to drawing. When I am able to concentrate on a drawing, it really provides a continuity to the overall drawing.

I am continuing to work on the barn....developing each board as I go as well as the shingles on the roof...... This barn is about ready to collapse upon itself, creating some beautiful and unique angles and openings to work with. The play of the light as it hits the angled sides also adds interest....




Well, vacation time is flying by and don't want to waste a minute! This is of the Mitchellville Barn - Series #2. This barn is just 5 miles north of town and I have been taking photos of this place for the past 5 years. It became abandoned after the flood of '93 and is now considered a wetland reserve area. The first drawing I did was from a photo taken 4 years ago. This photo I took this summer. Time is quickly taking it's toll on the barn as well as a few people scavenging the boards off. I was having a particularly challenging day at work and was driving home in a bad mood. I looked at the clouds and thought - oh great - sure now I need to go home and get my camera and take pictures of these incredible clouds! But maybe it will put me in a better mood. I hurried home, got my camera, and went to my favorite hangout - this barn. (Which is the last old barn close by my home!) I got the best photos I have ever taken of this barn and perhaps the best photos I have ever taken. Just as soon as I finished my photo shoot and jumped back in the car, the skies let loose and it poured cats & dogs! Needless to say, work was forgotten and I was feeling great! That day, everything happened for a reason and timing was everything. I've been itching to draw this one ever since.

Garden Shed Continued

I am now calling this one completed! I darkened the left side of the building just a bit, darkened the chimney and added just a touch more detail in the flowers in the lower right. Can you notice these subtle changes? My newest friend in this drawing is a technique called burnishing that I learned from Mike's new book - Drawing from Line to Life by Mike Sibley. I used 6H over HB to create wonderful even tones and was able to enhance details so much better.


Almost finished.... I have darkened and lightened and pushed and pulled the darks, textures and highlights of this drawing to the extremes.

After a busy holiday season, I have finally been able to get back to this drawing! I have worked on darkening the trees in the background, created the flowers in the front of the shed and have darkened the building up to show the sun highlights more distinctly. It's getting closer to being completed!

At a recent visit to Living History Farms, I found out that this was not used as a garden shed, but it was used as a summer kitchen! During the late 1800's, to keep the main house cool during the hot summer months, this small building was used to cook the meals in.

Happy Holidays!

Just wanted to share with everyone Holiday Greetings!

Garden Shed

The foliage is so complex and dense in this drawing that it is taking me quite a while to build up the layers. Every so slowly it seems to be appearing on the page.




I have been working on the background slowly building up the dense foliage of the trees. I have also started on the garden. Have you noticed that I removed the plant hanger in the center of the drawing. At this point I am not sure if I will adding it back in or not. My perspective angles are slightly off on the front window. I will need to do some minor adjusting as the downward slant is just a bit too much. I have been using 2H lead in a .05 mm mechanical pencil. Paper is Strathmore Bristol Smooth and is approximately 10" x 14".




Just a small update as I got to spend a little time last night working on the background.

Here is another Living History Farm Series drawing. This is of a beautiful gardening shed that is north of the Flynn House. I hope to capture the essense of the flower garden - even in black and white!


Here is my reference photo:

Cupola

Here is the finished drawing. Reminds me so much of the barn we had on our home farm!


I have let the shingles draw themselves. If I work too hard on them, I seem to lose the freshness of the pencil strokes so I have let go and they seemed to just draw themselves. The most difficult is keeping them aligned with the roof line.



I think anyone who enjoys drawing barns will eventually draw a classic detail of a cupola. Here is a very ornate cupola I found recently on a barn.

Iowa Pasture Study #2

After I completed the pasture drawing, I felt compelled to try the scene again. There were a number of small subtle changes that I wanted to try differently. Here is my 2nd drawing of this same scene.

Still Life - Study

This is the fourth in a series called Living History Farms. Throughout the Tangen house there are these wonderful settings. The morning sunlight coming through the window created such a beautiful glow, adding a softness to the setting of this lantern and flower vase.

Der Musiker

When my daughter visited Germany over spring break last year, she took some beautiful photographs. This is of an accordian player.

This is the first of a new series called Around the World. I have not traveled very much, but with all my friends on-line, they are providing me with photos of their travels. I will be seeing the world through their photos and my drawings.

Der Musiker means "The Musician".