50 out of 50
Colored Pencil on Stonehenge Paper
2½ x 3½ inches
SOLD
French Grey layers with color over the top, this marks my 50th Art Card (ACEO) listed and sold on eBay. I feel quite pleased to have sold everything I've listed, including larger sizes as well. I first started selling on my Husband's eBay account and later began my own which I use for art related items only and for the past 3 months I've attempted to keep something listed at all times, it has been working well.
Fine Art Card - Master Study
Colored Pencil and Gouache on Colourfix Pastel Paper
3½ x 2½ inches
SOLD
This miniature is a study of a painting by Martin Johnson Heade, Apple Blossoms and Hummingbird, circa 1871.
Colorless Blender Pencils
These lovely blending pencils have no pigment (or color), one made by Rembrandt Lyra and the other by Sanford Prismacolor (PC 1077).
The Prismacolor Blender is wax based and blends Prismacolor Colored Pencils very nicely [1st square above]. During testing, I found that the Lyra Splender Blender works equally well with either wax based or oil based colored pencils [1st & 4th square above]. The Prismacolor Blender removed some pigment when used with oil based pencils and lightened the color considerably [3rd square]. Bare in mind that I just tested on one kind of paper, it may perform differently on various surfaces. The Lyra Splender Blender completely blends Prismacolor Colored Pencils (wax based) [2nd square] but when used with Caran d'Ache Pablo Colored Pencils (oil based) it lightens the colors or pigment on the paper as well as blends [4th square].
Prismacolor Blender Pencil:
- Goes down smooth like the colored pencils, but the composition is harder
- Works well with wax based colored pencils, but not as well with oil based colored pencils
Rembrandt Lyra Splender Blender:
- A little chalkier, not gritty but drier
- Works well with wax based and oil based colored pencils
* These blenders are more effective when you have multiple layers or a thicker application of pigment on your surface
* Both blenders work better with blunt points, sharp points can make unwanted indentations in the paper because you push harder when using the blenders to blend pigments together
* Clean the tips if you move from one color to another area with different color, they tend to keep a bit of pigment on their tips during and after blending
After using blenders extensively earlier this year, I was almost sure there was no oil in the Lyra Splender Blender because it seems so dry, so I wrote to the Lyra pencil company at Lyra.de and asked them about it. Their Chief Chemist, kindly responded that "...the Splender pencil is on a similar base like the Polycolor Color Pencils, which are oil based. The Splender Pencil additionally contains a so called functional filler providing the required properties."
I did some research on the Internet about functional fillers, it was hard to find a lot of information, but from what I did read, it makes sense and is quite fascinating and clever.
These blenders are available online individually as well as in art supply stores that sell open stock pencils.
History of the Lyra pencil company
Rooster, Colored Pencils on Colourfix
5½ x 7½ inches on Colourfix Pastel Paper with various brands of colored pencils. Still need to sign it and make a few adjustments. Click here for close-up and here for a close look at the rooster's head/face.
The Colourfix is great, especially the dark green, but I'm still learning to build up the lighter values, it's easy to lose the lightest lights and once that happens it can be difficult for me to erase and get them back again. I love using black and this rooster provided a great opportunity to use lots of it! I've discovered that the Pablo Caran d'Ache "Ivory Black" is fabulous for creating very deep blacks, especially on colourfix. You can tell by the feathers on the bottom of the neck I used Prisma's Black, but on the bottom and tail feathers I used Pablo's Ivory Black.
Identifying Values
Achieving depth and recognizing values has been one of the most difficult aspects for me to accomplish, this is definitely something I'm going to have to spend a lot more time on - so I've begun by adding a page about it over at coloredpencilpoints.com. Soon I'll elaborate on the topic and add more exercises, but I've been working on that page for weeks, so it's time to grab my pencils and do some coloring for a while first 
Drawing at Night
Drawing at night is no problem using GE cool, natural light [daylight 40] energy saver bulbs. They are by far the best daylight bulbs I've tried and I've tried plenty. These bulbs are fantastic, they are guaranteed for 5 years or 8000 hours, do not flicker when you turn them on and are only 10 watts each. I use two lamps, one on either side to eliminate shadows and the light from these bulbs are as close to drawing during daylight hours as I can get.
