Geranium Botanical Study

Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' Cranesbill.

We have this plant in our garden and the bees love it. It's the first time I've used cuttings of all the different parts of a live plant in the studio (although I did take photos too, because I work so slowly!)

It's a sketchbook spread in coloured pencil.

Bumblebees

Bumblebee sketchbook pages.

And my version of an identification guide of common British bees.  The artist of the original guide kindly gave me permission to use it as a reference guide for my coloured pencil version.

Bee on Foxglove

I've joined a challenge group on my art forum. Each month there is a theme and we all paint/draw an offering within the theme. Reference photos are provided, which we can use or not as we wish. It's good fun, and nice to feel part of a group.  This was my first month's submission. It's coloured pencil on smooth hot-press watercolour paper.

Pied Wagtails

I love Pied Wagtails and their jaunty tail-bobbing. They always seem so cheerful.  These are coloured pencil on sketchbook paper.

Siberian Iris in Coloured Pencil

This is actually an exercise in one of my Billy Showell instructional books (A-Z of Flower Portraits). I did it in watercolour first, but then I decided to also do it in coloured pencil, and I prefer this coloured pencil version.

Coloured Pencil Sketchbooking

Some of my sketchbook pages.

Botanical Work in Coloured Pencils

I'm really enjoying my coloured pencil work at the moment and am making good progress, getting a feel for the techniques and colours.  I'm doing sketchbook work as well as finished pieces.

These are some of my completed exercises worked from my instructional books. This one is an exercise in depicting 3-dimensionality from 'Classic Sketchbook - Botanicals' by Valerie Baines

This one is an exercise on shading white flowers on white paper, from 'Botanical Drawing in Color' by Wendy Hollender. I'm fond of Ox-Eye Daisies so I'm going to work up my own drawing now that I've got the hang of the shading from doing Wendy's version.