My last drawing in charcoal was a little heavy and I thought why not lighten things up with this next piece. Graphite was used because of its reflective qualities and along with certain blending techniques a soft atmosphere developed allowing the morning light to glance over the land and pond ~
Morning Light, a graphite drawing (8×10) was done on Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper using 2H, HB, B, 2B and 3B graphite pencils and loose powder. The background was both applied and blended lightly so the atmosphere appears soft and showcases the morning light. The foreground grasses, reeds and weeds were laid in more sharply and blended slightly less allowing more detail. Additional tools used was a cotton ball, a sable-haired brush, tortilium and a kneaded eraser – what would I do without my tool!
Guess what? This is my 500th post – who would have thought! Thanks for checking in ~ click onto the image for a larger view.
Spring storms are finally starting to fire off here in North TX, keeping my fingers crossed no tornado’s pop up.
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Oil Pastels by Mary 
Wonderful.
Thank you for your lovely comment.
Another lovely drawing Mary! And congratulations on your 500th post! I have really enjoyed following your blog and seeing your art develop! ~Rita
Thanks Rita and for the congrats!
A nice drawing, but I wish it were in colour… it’s a bit of a tease, the black and white.
Thank you so much Pauline – you know i almost added just a touch of colored pencil, but I’m ready just yet to head back to color. Working in B&W is requiring a lot of constraint on my part in working the light, shadows and getting a nice range of values. I understand, truly do and before long some color will be brought back into the equation.
It’s a good exercise, for sure. Experimenting with shadows.
Thanks Pauline!
Mary, your drawing is lovely!
Thank you so much – it means a lot to receive your comment.
Wonderful artwork, delightfully calm and serene.
Thank you for your generous thoughts on the drawing!
Really lovely. I’m especially taken with your foreground. Beautifully handled.
Thank you Elena – it was an amazing scene to workout in graphite. I was going to put in a bit of carbon in the foreground, but I didn’t want the carbon to be too flat or harsh against the atmosphere I was shooting for. Thank you for noticing the grasses upfront.
An excellent image, perfect for such a special occasion. Congrats on your 500th post, dear Mary 🙂 All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀
Thank you Aquileana for your lovely feedback and best wishes! Means a lot my friend ~
Beautiful work as usual, Mary! I love the light in this piece. Congrats on your 500th post, too! 🙂
Thanks so much Patsy – I really appreciate it! I’ve been slowing down on posting this last month or so, hope I can get things going a lot more consistently soon enough. Thanks again.
Hi Mary, WOW! Congrats on your 500th post! I have certainly enjoyed seeing your art and your approach to creating such beautiful pieces. Thanks so much for sharing your art and thoughts with all of us. This drawing is so peaceful. Lovely details and I just love the little duck. And, I sure hope you don’t get any tornado’s either!! My fingers are crossed, too. 🙂
HI Janell, thanks very much – for your well wishes. Thank you for your nice comments on the drawing, it was a wonderful scene to workout in graphite. Tornado’s did hit 3 or 4, but were to the West of us – thank goodness. Hope you are well, I’m behind again with my blog and hope to catchup over the next couple of days.
Beautiful light. Like a vacation just looking at.
Love your compliment Brenda – thank you so much.
You have a gift.
Thank you Brenda! Happy Spring to you ~
And to you!
Just like being there for me. Beautiful.
Thanks very much Lucy!!
Congratulations on your 500th! 🙂 I love the painting, wonderful light and the little waterfowl is a very nice touch to it as well 🙂
Hi Calee, thank you so much for your greeting and congrats! Love that you named the duck, as a waterfowl and most likely is – so cool! Glad you enjoyed the drawing! Have a great week ~
Hi Mary. I’m catching up with my blog reading. It’s always a crazy March in our house with myself and my daughter’s having birthdays.
CONGRATULATIONS on your 500th blog post!! 🙆 WOOHOO! That is amazing.
I do not live anywhere near Texas, in fact I’m Canadian and live in Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC. Why I mention that is because Morning Light reminds me of many wilderness areas in “my neck of the woods.” Morning Light is so peaceful. I really like the background and the light/glare on the pond. Perfect, especially with the duck. Lovely picture.
Thank you so much Joanna, I really appreciate it. You live in a beautiful part of the world, so totally different from here in North Texas – loved your feedback on the drawing. The graphite was perfect for the light in the scene and in person it’s interesting because it’s reflective qualities gives the drawing a different look and feel from each angle you view it. Thanks again ~ best wishes for a wonderful week ahead!
Love this piece, Mary. Delicate feel and I like the darker accents of the duck and the cattails. Your description of your process is interesting, too. Congratulations on your 500th! That’s quite an accomplishment.
Thank you so much Jane for your generous feedback and read on the scene – I really enjoyed it. Thanks for your lovely comment on 500!
500?
Quite a number to go
All the more splendid
With this morning glow 🙂 🍸
Thank you very much – very kind and is appreciated!!
Mary, this is lovely. I love the way the sunshine beams down in the morning. Congrats on your 500th!
Thank you, I enjoyed your reaction to the scene and for your best wishes!
So softly pretty, Mary. 🙂 500 is a lot of posts! Do you ever look back? It’s an interesting journey, isn’t it?
Hi Jo, thank you! Every once in a while I’ll go back and try to do an assessment, the sheer number was surprising – I’ve been wondering about doing a remake of the blog, theme, etc. but not sure that I have the time to put into it. Hopefully the blog still holds interest for folks. Thank you for being present and generous with your thoughts.
I have a similar problem, Mary 🙂 🙂
I like your deft touch…lightness yet detailed where needed. Like an early misty morning.
Thank you for your lovely feedback! Nice to meet you ~
Lovely work!
Thank you Kendall!
Welcome!
500th, Congratulations! I feel so fortunate to be your follower, have enjoyed so many beautiful drawings and painting of yours. This one is poetic. Thank you for sharing with us, Mary! 🙂
Thank you Amy, really appreciate your continued support and encouragement!
Congrats 500th. Best wishes for your continued success.
Thank you very much Carl for your good wishes!!
Silent, serene, peaceful and I’m just super delighted to see the first early morning visitor to the lake. Great light and softness to the background makes it float and the contrasting foreground anchors the piece down, I should mention the middle ground as well since that super cute duck is the perfect addition to such a beautiful morning theme. You have mastered perfectly the morning light and gave a magical atmosphere which we will remember! Congratulations on your big 500, what an accomplishment, outstanding work, dedication and most inspiring blog!
Thank you Eva – this was a really cool landscape to work out in graphite, the perfect medium for obtaining some of the affects I was after. Appreciate that you mentioned the light and contrasting foreground, I think that in the end it’s what held the scene together. The little duck, had to breath a little life into the early morning scene – he caught a number of people’s attention. Loved your read on this piece, always appreciate the time you spend looking at my work and then commenting – means a lot my friend. Oh yes 500, never thought that would have been possible when I started out – appreciate your nod!! Have a wonderful evening ~
Thank you Mary, may you have a wonderful evening as well my dear friend! Hugs~Eva
Really gorgeous, Mary. Your kneaded eraser seems to be an invaluable tool. Congrats on your 500th post. 🙂
Thank you Sylvia – oh yes the kneaded eraser is a handy tool for drawing! 500, never thought possible when I started – thanks!!
So lovely! You’ve captured the soft morning light so well. Congrats on breaking 500 ❤
Hi Heidi, nice to see you – thank you so much for your lovely comment.
Beautiful light Mary. Makes me long for a summer morning. One where you have the place to yourself and can sit quietly taking it all in. You have captured that completely. 🙂
Wonderful Susan, thank you – love your frame of mind and where the scene took you. Hope you enjoy your time there!
Always do, thanks.
A very ethereal quality to this one, Mary. Must be owing to morning or the deft touch of graphite pencils.
Thanks Prospero – nice description “ethereal quality” is really what I was after so thank you for making my day.
Happy 500th post Mary! I love this drawing…so beautiful and mysterious 🙂
Thank you Antonia – I really appreciate your thoughtful wishes and reaction to the drawing.
Lovely drawing and congrats on your 500th post!
Thank you so much Fiona for your kind wishes and thoughts!!
Thank you so much for this serene morning light, Mary. I wish you a peaceful and tornado free week! 🙂 xx
Hi Marina, thanks so much and glad you enjoyed the light. Last evening was uneventful by way of storms, but this morning another whole matter – extreme stormy atmosphere hitting this area all morning (I’m not a fan of TX storms, they are frightening). We didn’t experience damage but others have, nothing you can do except roll with it. Happy Tuesday!
I can’t imagine many people enjoying TX storms… keep safe, my dear friend. I hope it subsides soon.
Thanks Marina, the stormy weather is coming and going for the next several days. The worst of the storm yesterday was the incredible sound of the winds that were very high up in the atmosphere – sounded like loud engines constant revving, a sort of rumbling that lasted at least 15 minutes. Anyways more storms later, yep it’s Spring time in TX. Have a wonderful day ~
Beautifully done, as always, especially the way it recedes. 🙂
Thank you Rebecca. I was considering moving the foreground grasses further into the scene, but shelved the idea because it would have lessened the impact of the light and taken some of the distance away. Thanks for mentioning this element.
🙂
This is absolutely beautiful, Mary…definitely one of my favorites. Congratulations on 500 posts…wow!
Thanks so much Jill – love reading your reaction, means a lot. I’m just grateful that you enjoy the posts enough to visit, thank you for your friendship.
You’ve caught it wonderfully. Congratulations on the milestone
Thanks Derrick on both fronts!!
Once again, you have captured the essence of a quiet, gentle morning with he perfect light. Everything about the composition works so beautifully….a true example of ‘marrying technical prowess with the intangible……’ Bravo…janet:)
Hi Janet, thank you for being very generous with your reaction and thoughts about the drawing. It was a perfect scene to work out in graphite, I really connected to the scene and experienced that elusive artist endorphin rush while drawing, almost from the start. My vision was for the light to be the star of the show – thank you mentioning.
Your connection with the scene comes through so clearly….wonderful work. Have a beautiful and creative weekend. Janet:)x
Hope you have a beautiful weekend Janet.
magic!
Thank you for your beautiful comment – means a lot.
Cindy Knoke is right….it looks like a photo. Excellent drawing!
Thank you so much Cynthia – I really appreciate your kind and always supportive thoughts. I’ve been thinking about you and hope you are well.
Oh Mary!!! This is exquisite!! Pure perfection in every sense. The dramatic lighting and the little bird along with the contrasted foreground is beautiful. I love this very much. 👍🏻👏🏻💕👌🏻
Hi Rhonda, I really enjoyed reading your comments – thank you so much. The light was the magic for me with the scene – I love infused morning light and how it completely changes an atmosphere, especially if a sort of smokey fog is created. You must experienced quiet scenes like this all the time where you live – nature at its best. Thank you again.
Indeed. And I’m missing it right now!
It’s light, cute and cool. ❤
Thank you – much appreciated!
I wish WordPress had a “love” button. This scene is perfectly beautiful. 💗👌👍
Say no more Dorann, you’ve made my night. Thank you so much for your encouraging words.
A very lovely piece & the lone duck is absolutely precious! TY ⭐
Thanks Resa, glad you enjoyed the piece. The duck was a little spice of life for the empty pond – kind of enjoying the whole thing to himself.
Wow, stunning as always….. the depth you share is amazing✨💕✨
Thank you so much Seonaid, means a lot!
Beautiful Mary
Thank you so much – really appreciated!
Always my pleasure dear Mary♡
Love this! The quacker tops it off. Congrats on number 500 Mary, keep it rolling! A cold front blasted through Vegas yesterday with the usual high wind warnings. A bit of rain today and much cooler but highs near 80 this week. yes!
Thanks john – ah, like the little guy!? Yeah, can you believe 500 – I was surprised to get the notice. Thank you. So far the storms are staying to the West of the Metroplex, but we’ve had rain on and off, and expecting all week like this. 80 sounds good ~
Oh, the subtlety of your sketching!
Love your comment Sarah – thank you my friend.
Gorgeous!
Thank you Victo!!
Mary beautiful, soothing and serene! It easily inspires me to write a poem! Thanks for sharing this gem!
Wow Wendell that is such a compliment – I love your writing, it would be an honor to read a poem of yours that was inspired by the drawing. Thank you so much, you made my day.
This has a very strong morning light sense to it. I also like how dimensional it feels, which I think is because the background plants are well grounded with the right shadows at their base. 🙂
Hi Josh, thank you very much for your read on this drawing. Appreciate that you mentioned the morning light and feel of light throughout the piece it’s what I was after. The dimensional quality you referred too is one of the elements that drew me to the scene as it weaves within both banks of the river path. Thanks Josh ~
Oh Mary……wow, what a stunning image this is. Could this be my favorite of all-time? It just may be. Wow! I work in graphite too, and maybe that’s why I realize just how incredible this is. Love the light and fuzzy warmth, and yet the crisp reeds in the foreground and the beautiful solitary duck floating…..just lovely and transportive. Thank you for sharing.
Laura you wrote so elegantly, thank you – your thoughtful and generous comments are very special. I loved your reaction to the piece, especially because while I was drawing it I had the artists “endorphin rush” that is at most times elusive, but very present with this drawing. Graphite was a perfect medium for working this scene, for the reasons you noted. Thanks Laura!
Mysterious. Looks like a photo.
Thank you so much Cindy. An awesome compliment coming from one of my favorite photographers. Means a lot and is really appreciated.