LANDSCAPE drawing is quite relaxing and refreshing. The cool breeze, the sound of insects, birds and critters transport you into a place of complete nirvana. But that’s not what happened for me. Yes, I did get outside, and yes I scoured locations but I took photos and drew from them.

The photo you see in this blog is from Yates Mill Pond in North Carolina. It’s a very recognizable landmark here in the area and is the perfect subject for my landscape drawing. It’s got all the crucial elements of a good landscape: trees, water, rocks, grass, bushes and an antique building with lots of character. I really enjoyed drawing this location due to the sheer variety it gave me.

I began with the Mill, of course, and worked around counter-clockwise. I knew the bush in the bottom right corner was going to be difficult so I saved that near the last. I noticed a pattern in the bush that once I duplicated it, it became extremely easier to draw. So I started noticing other patterns in textures. Splotches for leaves, for example. Or quick upward strokes for long grass.

Like all art, it is truly never finished. I could tweak the textures and shading for quite awhile on this drawing. But like most artistic adventures, one must move on to the next.