Moody Blue - original pastel pencil drawing

Here's another Dutch iris from my garden - I have a whole yard full of subjects (if I can just keep them going through our hot, dry summer).  Botanical drawings have always interested me, like the prints I did years ago - I keep saying I'll go back to doing those things, so maybe I will just do it.  I don't know about y'all, but I can procrastinate like nobody's business!  The other day I was encouraging a friend to do something she has always wanted to do and telling her there's no time like the present etc. etc. - all the while knowing I am not a good example.

This drawing is done with pastel pencil on 12 x 9" Art Spectrum Colourfix paper.  The actual flower is really a deep royal purple and royal blue.  Every time I used the actual colors, the drawing looked, well, kind of cheap.  So, I grayed the color and put a reddish ochre behind it, kind of liking the idea of coming from the dark background at the top, into lighter shade at the bottom.  Now I wonder if just the grayed color without the ochre would work, but anyway, am just going with it as is and maybe do another version later.  Actually, the photo doesn't display - at least on my laptop - as blue as the drawing really is.  Maybe I can fool around with it later, although I only have iPhoto.  Also have Pixelmator, but even that is beyond me.  Plus it's well after midnight.

I used mostly Carbothello for this, but found a Caran d'Ache set on sale and it was finally delivered yesterday.  Heavenly stuff!  A few weeks ago I purchased a set of 12, and now I'm the proud owner of a set of 40 - would not have done it if it weren't on sale.  Expensive, but worth every penny.  Thanks for stopping by!

Early Spring - original pastel pencil drawing

This drawing is of one of my Dutch irises, which I didn't expect to bloom 'til later - my backyard has been absolutely full of roses for weeks, which is earlier than usual.  I used my Carbothello pastel pencils on 12 x 9" Colourfix paper for this one.