Old Book Cover Simulates Asphalt

These are tests in Prismacolor pencil on black to simulate chalk on asphalt. I am using recycled book covers which are often black, made to simulate old fabric covers.  They are sturdy and easy to display and the black texture is a bit like asphalt.  I found you can correct your errors with solvent to re-work areas. In the  drawing above, I got a nice gauzy effect in one spot. It seems to work best with a bold treatment. This year at the Streetpainting Festival, I plan to leave the black areas black and not overwork things. If you work from light to dark there is less danger of things getting muddy.
The other good surface to simulate asphalt is roofing paper. I have a big, old roll out on the patio. And there are a couple of lovely chiaroscuro drawings I want to copy as practice. And nothing can equal Michael Newberry's tutorials for getting insight into pastel on dark.

People Today

Chalk Meets Pavement

First day of the festival. Found my square at 9 AM and got it all gridded out. Even though the temperature in Scottsdale was supposed to be in the mid-90's, sitting on blacktop amplified the effect: we were all hot. A kind lady came along and took my picture, so I include that. Enlarging images this way can produce unexpected results. I made a mess of the face, the one part I most wanted to do right. Back at home tonight, I printed out a copy with changes in red for Sunday.

For some reason, I cannot make the eyes look where I want them to! Perhaps it is the extra challenge of working on such a rough surface that has me spooked. Everytime I'm tempted to whine, I looked over at Melanie (our mentor) sitting serenely in the heat in her trademark pink cowboy hat, drawing in an easy, meditative way. She puts us all to shame.

Check, Check, Check

Above, getting my kit together. It's still pretty hot here in Arizona. Hat:check, water bottle:check, Sunscreen: check....

Practice

Close-up of an eye on gray paper. It goes much differently on blacktop though.

Almost festival time! My little drawing (above) is nearly finished.

Under Construction

My scanner cuts off the edges, but looking at the design this way helps in figuring out what to do next.

I mixed several images here. The figure is based on a real person - with artistic license. She will look different once the eyes are finished. The idea for the eyes actually comes from another person entirely.

The koi pond is from photos I took at the Japanese Friendship Garden while I was in San Jose.

Since I've always loved the lush, utopian designs on fruit-crate labels, I included that feeling in the vegetation (plus some oranges). The dove in the figure's hand is ...well, a work in progress. It is there for a reason. We'll see.

Design Ideas

Below is a practice drawing on pavement from a workshop this spring. Above: some early sketches for the final design.

Note to self: do not use your spiral notebook when doodling important sketches. It makes everything harder later.