Colored Pencil Play Date - Snow Drop Love

Snow Drop Love - a beginner class in Colored Pencil Play Date 2015 ©CindyRippe2015

I taught this class in the online workshop "Colored Pencil Play Date".  14 teachers and 16 projects over the course of 16 weeks.  Students were able to watch the video lessons at their leisure and create new projects along with each teacher as many times as they like for 9 months.

I sketched the idea for this design around Valentine's Day.   Taking a few creative liberties, with the way the plant actually grows, I styled it like a heart.  The flowers nodding toward each other was originally sketched to create a more pleasing design but I noticed later that it looks like they are connecting with each other.  Like two flowers in love.  My class started the week that Spring began so the Snow Drop seemed like a good choice.

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:11-12 ESV

The importance of Color Charts - What I found in my Studio Today

Working with Color Charts ©CindyRippe2015

OK... so this post is part of my "What I Found in my Studio Today" series  EXCEPT that it should be entitled "What I couldn't find in my Studio Today!".   You see, I've been working on a video for the upcoming Colored Pencil Play Date online class about Color Charts.  It's something I've done for many years while I've worked as a Designer for the Creative Industries.   There were times that companies would provide me with samples of their products.  I would create the color charts as part of my process to research the paint/pencils/fabrics etc.

When I prepared to record the video this week I searched everywhere for those charts.  You may remember that I've downsized my studio. Well there are BOXES and BOXES of supplies and reference material that I haven't put away yet. I thought they were pretty well sorted but... apparently not enough.  

As I was looking through my digital files, for an image to use for facebook post, this picture popped up.  I can't remember why I took the picture but I'm glad that I did.  I was with my friend Kelly Hoernig as she taught a colored pencil class.  She let me come along for the ride and I worked in the back of the class on my own projects.  

So.. back to the Importance of Color Charts....most paints, colored pencils and markers look very different in their packaging.  If you take the time to make samples you'll see what they look like on the surface you normally use.  It's so much easier to choose colors this way. 

Art is the triumph over chaos. John Cheever