After thinking about this challenging topic all week, and taking photos looking upwards under trees, I found it hard to get started - too much to choose from! This is the shortlist -
I used two of the photos and an A3 pad of tracing paper, but instead of putting the photo underneath and tracing onto the paper I transferred the shapes from above via carbon paper, which means you can't see what's happening with the drawing below! The tracing, and the choices involved, took quite a while and I got rather bored outlining shapes on the photo with lines I couldn't see until ... the pencil (8H, long story with that) took on a life of its own and wanted to make interesting and lively marks. Once I figured out what it was trying to say, what choice was there but to obey?
 |
| Eventually the tracing was done |
I'd chosen to use tracing paper because of wanting to layer the lines. Although using carbon paper ensured there would be no smearing, the way a pencil does, opacity of the carbon paper meant there would be no control of where the layers would lie. Probably it wouldn't matter, but I knew of another way to get overlaid layers: a few folds and a slash and a "secret book" was made -
 |
| When the light comes from behind, the layers appear |
The book is brought to life by the movement of the pages, and the traces of leaves showing through from other pages.
Holding the book and turning the (few) pages is like having the chestnut leaves move around you, whereas the sumac is more rigid and quite lofty, and altogether denser, keeping the floppy chestnut leaves in place.
From Janet K: If you at first don't succeed... I felt so discouraged (and grumpy) about my drawing on Tuesday that I had to try again this morning with a slightly different view.
From Carol: This is traced from a photo I’m afraid after several attempts at drawing lying down but it was a good learning opportunity. I’m not sure though why today of all days after 2 years my husband decided to finish painting the stairwell and was puzzled as to why I was lying about in the way.
From Sue and Richard: Here are our sketches for today’s - mine is of handrail & banister to 2nd floor with a peep of the top landing. Richard’s is a view of the last flight to top floor
From Janet B: Well that was a struggle. I had lots of false starts. Why I had I forgotten that I cannot draw cats? Miss Molloy was looking particularly winsome at the top of the stairs but I gave up after five minutes. So my view from below is drawn from a photo of the back of our house taken from under the palm. The top right window is the one I “drew” from last week.
From Judith: Three efforts today, below the table was from sitting on the floor but for the tree I put my iPhone at the base of the trunk and the bookcase is using
Procreate
From Joyce:
Looking up at the smokebush with the light streaming through the leaves. The colours are stunning
.
From Mags:
Started drawing these latticino dishes ' from life' perched awkwardly on a very low stool until I slid off bashing head and back. Drawing resumed in kitchen from photos after lunch and half a chocolate squirrel. Still feeling a bit wobbly, how we suffer for our art!
From Jo, on postcards:
 |
I collect pebbles with faces...
Fine lead propelling pencil, ivory black pencil, brown
water-soluble pencil |
 |
Monkey glove-puppet, mine since 1950s. Two small holes in left ear,
so may have had a Steiff tag.
Oil pastels, wax crayons, fine propellign pencil |
 |
View from my bedroom window - Cassiopeia (hold up to light)
Indian ink + wash |
From guest artist Gillian: I'm trying to use chinese ink.
From guest artist Jackie:
 |
Tomatoes banana papaya pineapple mango views from below ... the idea was a challenge!!!
Not sure it was truly according to the brief |
 |
| Seen from below the tele!! |
From guest artist Hazel - "This is my drawing of a glass vase of hellebores viewed from under a glass table. I enjoyed using the grid of the conservatory roof as a guide to where shapes and lines fell within the picture plane "
From guest artist Sylvia - I'm still Looking Up ... bit behind the curve!
