Valmagne Abbey was noteworthy for being very much beautifully restored having had the luck to be left mostly intact by various rioting hoardes. Currently, it boasted a medieval herb garden which had me rather excited. However, as it turned out the garden needed a bit of love so rather than start weeding, as was my impulse, I traipsed back to the cloister and its cool pinky greens. Having spent time in the garden patting the plants I didn't have enough time to do a proper on-sight drawing so I made some quick sketches and took photos. Later in the studio I worked up a more finished drawing using pastels. On returning home I did a much larger version using the pastel drawing and photo for reference. For this larger version I used 300 lb Arches watercolor paper, Inktense blocks and colored pencils.
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| The sketch |
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| Photo, shows the walls and floor not quite level or perpendicular also the pinkness of it all. |
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| Pastel, oh and some colored pencel I think, I fought with this one, well I kind of fight with them all if truth be told. |
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| Big version stage one. |
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| Stage two.... |
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| Done, in that I can't do anymore, of wait maybe just a little tinkering in the shadow, just over there..... |
