Project: Still Life. Exercise: Still Life Group in Line

I completed this exercise on 25th February.

I chose a group of vegetables for this exercise with contrasting forms and textures from the curvy and jagged-edged leaf 'scarole' (curly endive I think in English) to the waxy and almost architectural forms of the pepper. I included some wilting celery (I buy celery with pathetically thin stalks to use the leaves for flavour rather than to eat the stalks - as a consequence they wilt very quickly). I really liked the curve of the bending stalks and the cascade of leaves and the way the curves of this reflected the curve of the jug in which they were sitting. I placed the veg on a large chopping board as this seemed like a good background context for them.

I had to fight my urge to start hatching to create form with tone. I have suggested tone by varying the character of the line such as the thick lines on the surface of the pepper and on the edges of the artichoke leaves. I really enjoyed using the dip pen as I could create a variety of lines. I especially thought it was suited to the fine, flowing lines of the endive and celery leaves.

To give a suggestion of colour without building up too much tone, I scraped some pigments from my soft pastels and spread them onto the paper with a paintbrush in a sort of dry wash.