Poinsettia
Found a new toy today in a store, a water soluble pencil. I think I actually had one of those once, but I never really used it. I bought two, a 2B and a 4B, and played around a bit. I like the way the water smoothes out the graphite without rubbing out the lines completely. You can keep working on top of the washed surfaces with more graphite, getting much darker traces.
For those of you living in countries where poinsettia is more like a bush or a tree – in Sweden we buy them in December, in a pot, and every Swede get all Christmassy inside when these turn up in windows everywhere. People don´t usually keep them longer than a few weeks or until the red has disappeared – poinsettias do not fancy our climate, so the red leaves don´t come back.
17 x 18 cm, Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth “GIOCONDA” Aquarelle pencils and watercolours on Fabriano Rosapina paper (sketchbook page).
Great drawing Nina. Fabulous poinsetta.
Lovely results!
I really like this one, Nina.
Merry Christmas to you,
xoxo
I like the contrast of the red and the contrast a lot.
Our poinsettias are much like yours and we buy them in pots, too. This is a beautiful rendering and I love the red splotch!!!
Beautiful, Nina. Great texture and colors.
It’s the same in the UK – I love the colour and your drawing is lovely.
Beautiful! And it’s always interesting to find that things are so different in other countries, sometimes in ways I’ve never considered. It’s hard to kill a poinsettia here.
An absolutely wonderful drawing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a poinsettia drawing this beautiful. It’s just gorgeous.
Incredible values here…a stunning drawing!
Beautiful nina!
ronelle
Your drawing is so rich. Always enjoy your comments about your part of the world.
Very very nice! And yes, very christmassy indeed.
My father actually managed to get one to turn red again, but it took a special lamp and a timer set for 12 hours of light per day, and it wasn’t quite the same anyway.
I just bought my first poinsettias, but I’m not quite sure I can draw them as nice as you have. In fact I’m sure I can’t.
/Johanna
Oh Nina, I haven’t stopped by your blog in awhile, and that poinsettia is exquisite! Your work is always so delicate, and detailed, and yummy.
I was glad to see this as I’d just bought a poinsettia for my Swedish (language) teacher and then had a horrid afterthought that maybe they don’t like them in Sweden… tack, Nina!
And it’s a beautiful picture, too!
Lovely rendering. I like what you did with the pencils…. I’ll have to find one to try out.
I very much enjoy seeing your work, Nina. You draw beautifully and your skill definitely enhances your watercolors. The contrast of the grisaille leaves and red flowers is so interesting.
I really enjoy your drawing. I bought few water soluble pencils and sticks recently and can’t find ease with it yet. You give me hope.
Beautiful work, Nina. I love water soluble pencils too, but you make me realize that it’s been ages since I used mine. I’m going to dig them out, thanks to you.
I really really love the ’studying girl’ sketch below as well. Really, no one I know sketches people as well as you do!