Tree & Foliage Study in Mixed Media, Inspired by Artists. Plus Derwent Lightfast Pencils Swatch

I had a couple of things I wanted to do today: swatch the Derwent Lightfast pencils I bought with me, onto a reference sheet, and take a look at some different ways of drawing and painting trees and foliage. I've not been particularly happy with how I've been doing trees, so this was a useful exercise to examine different techniques.
I'm aiming to be able to give a loose interpretation - nothing particularly realistic or detailed.
My own attempt at tree studies, the next day:
• Tree & Foliage Study i...
I used a variety of art materials.
Mungyo Gallery Artists' Soft Oil Pastels 48:
amzn.to/3NzuJCY
Talens Art Creation Sketchbook:
amzn.to/46IGLSe
Roman Szmal Paints at Jackson's Art:
www.awin1.com/...
Winsor & Newton Promarker Watercolor 24 set:
amzn.to/3K0sUgX
Derwent Lightfast Pencils 100:
amzn.to/443HQll
Caran D'Ache Luminance 100 pack:
amzn.to/3ZUighz
Open stock pencils from Jackson's Art:
www.jacksonsar...
Albrecht Durer Watercolour Markers:
www.jacksonsar...
Ecoline Pens:
www.jacksonsar...
Open Stock Neocolors at Jackson's Art:
www.jacksonsar...
Caran D'Ache Neocolor II 30 set:
amzn.to/3Y2C94f
Comparing Derwent Lightfast Pencils with other major brands:
• Derwent Lightfast 100 ...
My Roman Szmal palette:
• Putting Together My Ro...
My Caran D'Ache Luminance Pencils set up:
• Organising My Luminanc...
Music from Uppbeat:
uppbeat.io/t/s...
uppbeat.io/t/m...
uppbeat.io/t/j...
uppbeat.io/t/y...
uppbeat.io/t/y...
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LINKS
INSTAGRAM: helen_cryer_art
/ helen_cryer_art
WEBSITE: Helen Cryer Art
www.helencryer...
(As an Amazon & Jackson's Art Associate, I earn a small amount from my purchases, which doesn't affect the price for you. I'm very grateful when you purchase anything via my links, thank you!

[@nottaholiday]

Love the pink and indigo panel...looks so nice. A great idea to have an ideas folio for reference.

[@E4Alabbasy]

I love painting tiny paintings! And I adored yours and it was fun watching how you painted them 😊

[@helencryer]

It's made me excited to try my own now!

[@luneleaart]

So lovely 🌳stylized trees look so fun and playful

[@helencryer]

Thank you!

[@KT-kg4nj]

Love this exercise! Your videos are very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your talent!

[@helencryer]

Thanks! I really enjoyed it! There's so much beautiful work out there!

[@doreenstrachan1119]

Great idea. I Ike the look of the watercolour and pencil

[@helencryer]

I think it's a great combo!

[@nisamorin2519]

Thank you Helen. This was very interesting and very inspiring. Even more - it's making me think quite seriously🤔 ... it reminded me in a loving way how ridiculously severe and narrow I am when it comes to my art😳 ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart!❤💕

[@helencryer]

I'm so glad! I hope you get to experiment and enjoy it!

[@nisamorin2519]

@@helencryer Thank you, I deffinitely will 👍😊

[@crystaltanart]

This was very inspiring. I love how you took all the inspiration from different artist to do a study. This is what art exploration is all about.

[@helencryer]

Thanks so much!

[@aletabarker]

Didn’t these turn out a treat? What a great exercise. Loved seeing your processes for each one and how you problem solved. Cheers!

[@helencryer]

Thanks! It's nice and easy when someone else is coming up with the ideas!

[@teekierudite5108]

Really love the little paintings, theyre all so beautiful and unique. The non-realistic colors brings a different tone to some of the images, but they are still wonderful. Lovely art.

[@helencryer]

It was a really interesting exercise to do! There's so much gorgeous art out there!

[@racechick2033]

How enthralling. This is fun! I have to have a go at doing so itty bitty painting, maybe it will kick me off my butt. And, for me, it's practice so doesn't matter if they turn out badly. Yours didn't BTW, they are lush miniature works of art and remind me that it isn't flipping rocket science! Just put some marks on paper, Panda! Thank you, as always. xx

[@helencryer]

Hiya! Honestly, I enjoyed doing these so much! You should definitely have a go! It's definitely a case of getting something down on paper - next I want to make some more small sections and then keep things as simple as possible, using my own shapes and colours - in talking REALLY SIMPLE!!!!

[@FaithAnnNB]

Love this exercise!! I’m going to give it a try this weekend 😊… tonight I’ll search for the trees I’d like to try and then I’ll be all set to paint tomorrow! I did something a year or so ago, where I taped off 4 blocks and painted the same tree in 4 seasons and that was interesting as well. It’s funny, I’m always drawn to artists who paint things in non-typical colours (“stylized”, I think?), but I rarely take that approach myself when I’m recreating a scene. I also tend to over complicate things a bit and need to practice simplifying. I just overthink things way too much.

[@helencryer]

Oh, that's great! I honestly enjoyed it so much! Today I have been doing my own little studies, and it didn't go anywhere near as well... hey ho!! Yep, know what you mean about colour - I'm exactly the same.

[@floralheart]

Lovely results, colors are inspiring. I 💞

[@helencryer]

Yes, I wish I could use more colours with ease!

[@cerealnana]

This was so helpful and very inspiring! I'm saving this to a playlist!

[@helencryer]

I'm so pleased - thank you!

[@GM-yn9nc]

So glad I found your channel. You do the coolest art activities!❤

[@helencryer]

I'm happy you think so - thanks!

[@jlm517rocks]

you took grid journaling up a whole new level...or few...lovely, ty.

[@helencryer]

Thank you so much!

[@impish22]

How fun, thanks Helen !!

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@nasseraamri796]

❤❤❤❤

[@cindyfromsydney7693]

Beautiful! I must try this

[@helencryer]

I really recommend it!

[@artmix700]

Love your miniture studies, so inspiring to see all the different styles😍 Will definitely try this exercise as I always end up focusing too much on minute details and would love to be looser. Thank you for sharing🙏🏼

[@helencryer]

It's definitely fun - I hope you enjoy it! Thanks!

[@selmag5819]

this was so amazing! i wish i could see and translate things into color and shape like you!

[@helencryer]

I can't take credit for these I'm afraid - all inspired by artists I found on the internet!

[@clairebradbury11]

Fab exercise. I live near some beautiful Mediterranean pines but have great difficulty painting them and I think part of my problem is that I try and get too much detail in. Also love the Fauvist colours. Definately going to give this a try, thanks.

[@helencryer]

I hope you enjoy it! I'm learning that less is more, but it still feels virtually impossible to do!

[@agentxp0749]

Thanks for another fun video! Great to see you enjoying the Lightfast pencils. Also, I'm always looking for different/better ways of rendering foliage in colour pencil, so found this very interesting.

[@helencryer]

Thanks! Yes - the Lightfast pencils are beautiful!

[@silkspinner7010]

This looks like so much fun I’m going to give it a go

[@helencryer]

Oh great! I really did enjoy it!

[@meldixon1918]

This is exactly what I’ve been doing right now! I’m a portrait lady at heart but have been drawn to landscapes but have to develop that visual vocabulary. Love your videos, thanks for putting them together.

[@helencryer]

That's so funny! Isn't it an enjoyable exercise?! Thanks so much! My natural inclination is detailed, realistic pencil drawings, but though that's what I'm best at, I get bored of the process, so this year for me is about trying to break out of that. It's quite frustrating though, because I struggle with staying loose!

[@meldixon1918]

@@helencryer Amen sister!

[@creativeartwellbeing]

This is a great idea! I just love painting trees but never thought of doing this exercise…. So I’m going to give it a go too 👍 Thank you so much for sharing❤️🌸 Happy Holidaying xxx

[@helencryer]

I'm so glad!! Thanks!

[@charityariverpixie998]

This was soooo inspiring, watched it twice 😂, such a great idea that I will be absolutely be doing , thank you so very much ❤xx

[@helencryer]

Haha, thank you!!

[@TinyNeuron]

Thanks for sharing! Interesting how some artists have recognisable tree shapes and colour choices eg. Leigh Ellexson, Jessamydrewthat, KatieMoody

[@helencryer]

Yes, true! Although I wasn't familiar with all the artists before this.

[@TinyNeuron]

@@helencryer which styles are your favourite and do you think you'll use them in your own work?

[@helencryer]

@@TinyNeuron I really like the two with trunks left light, and foliage behind, and I love the pinks and purples, and also the really visible stylised branches. I'm not sure how much will manage to transfer to my future sketches. Maybe trying to be braver with colours is where I'll start.

[@fatblokeonabicyle9569]

This was a really interesting exercise👍

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@susananielsen8911]

Thanks for this very interesting survay? Of different ways of depicting trees and foliage. I have a Big garden and also tried to meet this challenge😍

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@katarinaholik]

This series of studies is awesome, I will probably do my own in the future. I am not happy with my watercolor lanscapes and am finding ways to simplify trees all the time.

[@helencryer]

Thanks! I don't know why it feels so hard, but it does!

[@dianegibbs]

Definitely going to try this

[@helencryer]

That's great!

[@jennyrose1274]

Absolutely brilliant;. Like you, I over complicate trees and landscapes. More so when I feel its going wrong, and I pile on more colour. Resulting in a muddy mess.

[@helencryer]

Yep, that's me!!

[@chris.h_]

This is just wonderful and so inspiring! I love your vids, Helen. Thank you for making them and I hope there will be many, many more!

[@helencryer]

That's so lovely of you - thank you!

[@katarinaholik]

P.s. I made a list of artist names, I find this very usefull

[@awatercolourist]

I love your use of colours! I also like the idea of this exercise and how you tried out the styles of different artists. I’ve never heard of these artists, I’ll check some of them out.

[@helencryer]

Even the pink?! 😜 Well, it was the artists' use of colours, which I mainly just copied. I had heard of some of them before, but not all. Have found some of them on Instagram now.

[@awatercolourist]

@@helencryer I’ve seen Erin Hanson and one or two other artists use magenta for shadows. I see strong hints of that in at least on of the sketches.

[@helencryer]

I'll take a look, thanks! I bought some Perylene Violet for shadows, not too long ago - that's as brave as I'd got!

[@awatercolourist]

@@helencryer 😄😄

[@helencryer]

Erin Hanson's colours are amazing!!

[@dianaromig732]

You used so many different mediums to capture the essence of the picture that it inspires me to do the same. Does the oil pastel smudge onto other paintings when you close your book or do they dry? 🎉

[@helencryer]

I just love having all the mediums close at hand! The oil pastel probably will a bit, until I can get some fixative for it; until then, I'll just keep a loose sheet of paper between the pages.

[@richardfuchs5131]

Love this exercise. But the bottom line is that the way you make trees and foliage is very dependent upon your own style. I personally found nothing wrong with your trees painted in your garden.

[@helencryer]

Thanks! I think this is true to a large extent, but it doesn't mean we can't encourage our style to gradually develop into something we find more pleasing to both do and see!

[@susananielsen8911]

Thought you would mention your inspiration artists in the text afterwards??

[@helencryer]

No, I showed them in the video. I just had names for most of them myself, so was unsure of links etc.

[@valeriegehling4358]

Like the way all are with various materials, and how pleasing to the eye they all are. Is it subject or colours?, in fact a little like Inga’s “Painting calm”, that I’ve by my side! Finding it such an easy read, & already 2 women have commented on it, the colours & styles in it! I think your mini works are also calming. Thanks for letting us enjoy with you.! Just an extra question: I watched a video on beginner with oil pastel, apparently they stay moist so if you use a sketch pad etc. do you cover the work with tracing paper to protect it? And, how are your pastels framed, as I assume the texture could press & smudge the glass? Or do you seal them? If so with what? Any tips gratefully received. Alt high I ask a lot of questions I also would like you to enjoy your holiday! Answer when you have time. Thanks

[@helencryer]

I really do like mixing media! I need to spend some time actually reading the book - have just flicked through it so far. With the oil pastels, when I've used them in a sketchbook, I've been putting a sheet of deli paper in between the pages. I haven't experimented with spray fixative yet. For the couple of things I've framed with oil pastel on, I use a box frame and float mount the piece, with air between the glass and picture. (I'll put a link to a video where there's a picture I do this to). I've heard the Sennelier is good for Sennelier oil pastels, and the Talens Oil Pastel Fixative is good for other brands. I'm assuming that if you use them super thickly, with little blending, then no fixative would be perfect.

[@helencryer]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWTJgYmXpqh2b5o

[@valeriegehling4358]

@@helencryer Thanks for your answers to my questions. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself as my pastels arrive today and, although I’m not a tidy worker I’m a little afraid pastels will be smudgy / messy, but, I’ve blender ( paper ) stifts I hope will help blend the colours? Also how to frame was useful. Thanks

[@helencryer]

Have fun!! I'm very messy - I'd say try and keep your work space as big as possible and as organised as possible, and keep on hand something to frequently wash/dry your fingers with. I've tried a few things to blend them with, but still prefer my fingers. Still need to find something to protect myself from real pigments though, maybe a barrier cream.

[@valeriegehling4358]

Didn’t see this before, now watched & like the framed pics. The framing gives the pics a real lift! Surprising what a difference they make! And, mixing medias are proved possible! Thanks

[@juliebromfield1865]

I feel your struggle, happening to me right now but like you I will find 'My way' eventually

[@helencryer]

I jolly well hope it happens! I feel like I'm randomly flitting around without making much headway!

[@Paintspotsandpaper]

These are really lovely, I think I might try this as I tend to get too bogged down with details myself, seems like a good exercise! Only thing is, it would have been nice to see your reference photos to gauge an idea of what you were painting, but very enjoyable nonetheless! Thankyou for sharing x

[@helencryer]

Thank you! I wasn't really sure the rights and wrongs of putting up other people's art, sorry!

[@Paintspotsandpaper]

@@helencryer Yes, I didn’t think of that x

[@user-fp4rk2bj8r]

*Really* interesting exercise & with great results too. You’ve given me something to think about over the weekend- thanks! 😊

[@helencryer]

Super! I really hope you have fun with it!