In the style of… Nancy Ekholm Burkert

September 23, 2013January 30, 2014 | Anna Cull

Lake Taupo – graphite and charcoal, 205 x 255 mm, 2013

Today’s In the style of… drawing was an excuse to test my Derwent tinted charcoal pencils. Some of the colours are VERY similar (especially the darker tints) but they do have lovely names: Driftwood, Glowing Embers, Ocean Deep, Sunset Pink). I wonder how they’d respond to water…

Nancy Ekholm Burkert

Roald Dahl’s classic story James and the Giant Peach has been illustrated a number of times. The original illustrations (and possibly my favourites) were by Nancy Ekholm Burkert in 1961.

In the style of… appears occasionally instead of my regular Shoot it, Sketch it posts. Using my own photographs as a starting point, I’m drawing inspiration from some of the world’s greatest illustrators. It’s not about slavishly copying someone else’s art; it’s an experiment in seeing things differently.

Shoot it, Sketch it collaboration

May 20, 2013September 15, 2013 | Anna Cull

Harbour wall – graphite and watercolour, 255 x 205 mm, © Anna Cull 2013. — Harbour wall – graphite and watercolour, 255 x 205 mm © Anna Cull 2013

Newlyn Harbour Wall, Cornwall © Poppytump, 2013. — Newlyn Harbour Wall, Cornwall © Poppytump 2013

Last month, fellow blogger/artist/photographer Poppytump posted a wonderful photo of this wall (used with permission) ― and now it’s the world’s first ever Poppytump shot it, Anna sketched it. Thank you, Poppy : )

Harbour wall detail — the texture is a kind of ‘dry brush’ watercolour effect. — Harbour wall detail — the painted texture is a ‘dry brush’ watercolour effect.

Shoot it, Sketch it: A trip down memory lane

March 25, 2013September 15, 2013 | Anna Cull

I was looking for photographs to put on my new portfolio site over the weekend when I came across an image I’d completely forgotten about. It’s a picture of Press Lane in central Christchurch taken a few months before the September 2010 earthquake.

Press Lane – mixed media, 290 x 205 mm, 2013.

I wish it wasn’t quite so hard to tell what the image is (you’re looking over a flower box, down the lane and seeing the buildings in the next street). My husband took a long, hard look at it and announced that I had drawn a kitchen ― and I can see it too now! It was still an interesting exercise… putting my own spin on the out-of-focus shapes and shadows.

The sketch is mainly ink and watercolour with touches of gouache and graphite. I’m not sure what the splash of orange is at the top (I’m sure the building wasn’t on fire) but it was in the photo, so it’s in the sketch : )

Shoot it, Sketch it: Left

March 18, 2013July 7, 2013 | Anna Cull

drawing jandal texture grass ink graphite landscape — Left – mixed media, 170 x 235 mm, 2013.

I spotted this abandoned accessory on a riverbank and thought it would be a good subject for Shoot it, Sketch it. The quality of the photo isn’t great (it’s another camera-phone photo) but it’s more than good enough for sketching purposes. After all, to quote photographer Chase Jarvis, the best camera is the one you have with you.

I was inspired to take the photo because the artificial pink and white looked wonderfully eccentric against the natural green. The black/white/pink image is the one I set out to create — and I’m very happy with it — but I also really like the emphasis on texture in the ink and graphite image (shown below, before I added the colour in Photoshop). And now, becuase I don’t know which one I prefer, I’ve posted both.

A few others taking part in Shoot it, Sketch it are Clouds of Colour, The Little Leaf, Lunch Sketch, Poppytump, Two Scamps, Baaps and 30 Minute Art.