Drawing with texture

This was not easy!

I found making marks to represent texture extremely difficult. It is something I have never done and in spite of looking at the Van Gogh drawing, doing it myself seemed impossible. I kept getting the equivalent of writers block. Hand and eye did not connect with the paper.

Frottage was new to me and I was puzzled about how to start until I saw the floor of a friend of mine. It was so beautifully worn and textured that I started rubbing away with a crayon. Charcoal did not work. Pencil was too light. Crayon was just right.

I am not sure yet how to incorporate it into a drawing. I am sure the moment will come to me when it is just what is needed. 

Texture is one thing, natural objects another. How to combine the two and keep continuity?

I found that when I was drawing the objects, I became very interested in how to draw the texture, the organic shapes and the feel of the objects.
Nevertheless, I found myself going back to my old way of doing things and not experimenting enough with marks.


While trying to keep a check on the shapes within the pineapple, I got the overall shape wrong. Too wide on the left shoulder.

In this sketch, I put in the lemons then saw the glass I was drinking out of and just had to include it. The  log was completely distorted and the transparency of the glass next to the lemons seemed to fit. All it needed was some gin!
I was quite pleased with the drawing but it was not my usual rather wild style. Very cautious and a little bit too tight. It needed more textural marks!








The oyster shells more successful drawn with a felt tip pen and then a wash on top. The pencil drawings got rather insipid and tight.










 The sketches for the composition were more fun to do. I loved trying out different positions for the objects. Working out thumbnails felt more creative than trying to get the hang of the texture of a piece of wood and the mind numbing shapes within a pineapple.

Drawing the crab claw was fun but I now realise that I have not used texture to describe it. Without the cross hatching it would not have any form.



These are more thoughts on composition and experimenting with pastel and water.
















I still have not used enough of the texture marks and decided against using charcoal for the natural forms. The detail in drawing in log, delicacy of the lemons and oysters did not seem to warrant the large expressive sweep of charcoal. Pen and ink seemed most appropriate. Perhaps the mind numbing experience of drawing detail has it's place after all. The interest of the log is the lines formed. Never predictable but tone within the shadows and amazing shapes formed by the lines. Pure texture would miss all this.

Texture and marks are something to keep experimenting with and I am beginning to feel that they might be more useful when working more on composition and colour. I feel the disadvantage is that some marks do not explain the structure only give an impression. Used as a whole with other techniques I think they would be more fun.
I am now beginning to realise that I only have pencils, charcoal, pastels and pen and ink. Perhaps I should get some of these coloured pencils and other tools of the trade? A dipping pen could come in useful too.


Coloured pencils have arrived, with watercolour pencils, inktense, pens and new oil pastels.

My first attempt with coloured pencils. Not good!

I found it really difficult to know what I was doing because the instructions were to do a finished drawing but how do I do texture with these pencils? Also, how do I do a finished drawing in the medium that is so unsuited to what I am planning. My log, oyster shells and pineapple have very little  colour which is why I am doing it in ink with an ink wash.

This is the start of the composition of natural objects. Two oyster shells and a log.
Either a complete mess because I tried to put in the shadows with a wash of black and blue ink which then ran as I was working at the easel, or the start of mark making.

This is the finished drawing. I prefer the previous one but think that adding the pineapple give it more texture and helps the composition.









Check and log


I am struggling to find new ways of using drawing tool to depict texture but persevering.

To imply form without crosshatching I cheated and used an ink wash. The sketch of the crab claw failed in this respect. I tried many different marks for the pineapple but nothing worked very well.

Frottage as a drawing technique I am putting on hold until I see a good opportunity to use it.