Whites & Darks

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I was lucky enough to have a few days in Venice last year, which was a real feast for the eyes. Since returning I’ve been occasionally turning over in my mind how to make a picture from one of our (many) photos. So many of the scenes are iconic and have been done to death by other artists. Finding something a little original is definitely a challenge.

However, today I dug out a photo of a little residential street, where the white and coloured washing was strung between the apartments to dry in the warm sunshine. The big draw was the contrast between the bright light on the painted surfaces and the cool shadows. I was initially tempted to use paint, but in the end coloured pencils won me over, in combination with an A4 black paper background.

Venice Washing Colour Pencil

It’s been a little while since I drew in coloured pencils, and I really enjoyed this very much.

27 thoughts on “Whites & Darks”

  2. What a beautiful scene of everyday Venice. Beautiful colored pencil art. I was lucky enough to visit Venice 20 years ago. My daughter lived in Florence for a semester while in college. It was a trip of a life time. Thanks for posting and the memories.

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  6. Ooh, great colours. Loving the way it’s framed by shadow, too. Gives it a lovely perspective.
    I’m envious of your having been to Venice! I recently watched a few episodes of ‘Travel Man ‘ on the internet ( we sadly don’t get it here in Aus), and although i originally began watching purely for the Richard Ayoade factor, i soon found myself wishing i wasn’t so far away from these gorgeous places. The one where they go to Venice was one of my favourites. It looks absolutely stunning.

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    • Thank you Siddie! (Black paper winning again). Venice really does look as wonderful in real life as the photos and documentaries suggest, except that it’s heaving with tourists. I’m surprised it’s not like…

      ‘Bethselamin is a fabulously beautiful planet which attracts billions of tourists each year. Unsurprisingly, cumulative erosion is a serious concern of the local authorities. Their solution is to calculate the net imbalance between the amount of matter eaten and the amount subsequently excreted by each visitor, and remove the weight difference through amputative surgery. Thus it is vitally important to get a receipt after every trip to the lavatory while on the planet.’ (Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy).

      Anyway, my advice would be that if you ever have a chance to go, seize it with both hands, with or without Richard Ayoade! 🙂

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      • Haha, oh my gosh, i haven’t read that book for years, but you’ve just reminded me that i need to do so again ASAP. I’ve got no excuse, as it’s sitting there on my bookshelf looking lonely and neglected! Chiming in on the Hitchhiker’s theme, i’ll say that if i ever get the opportunity to visit Venice, i’ll be sure to carry a towel with me! Although i’d probably need a few more than one to soak up all the huge puddles that plague the place 😉
        I’d pretty much go to a garbage dump for a holiday if it meant i could go with someone like Richard Ayoade…sigh. (Damn thee, Reality!) But there is always the consolation of knowing that Venice would still be a beautiful place to be with or without handsome, witty man in tow.

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    • Thanks Jill, I do too, although the pencils aren’t quite as luminous of course. I use Karisma pencils, which used to be made by Berol Ltd. They were the best, most consistent brand on the market. However, they have been discontinued, which is very sad. I am eking mine out by refusing to sharpen them until absolutely necessary! 🙂

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