Composition

[Julie Douglas]

Hello y'all,

SO lovely to see you chatting to each other about colour pencil. One day I'll get them to put a sound track on the forum, so you can hear the sound of many peoples pencils, Colouring-In! Its my favourite sound..!
Bristol paper/board is marvelous (NOT the extra smooth, that is a nightmare, marriage-breaker, trauma best avoided), as it takes masses of layering without ripping. DO try a few different brands of pencils, as some will layer for ever, others resist after about three.

COMPOSITION and setting up your arrangement - a really useful devise is a cardboard box. Take a high-sided box and cut off two of the sides and the top so you are left with the bottom and two sides next to each other, which make a corner. (Does that make sense?) Then you can line the box with paper or cloth as a backdrop for your objects. Put the objects on there, move them around till they look delicious (if you cut a small square or rectangle out of a piece of paper or card to make a View Finder, you can hold this at arms length to help you decide how you'd like to crop the image), then put a lamp on it, and play around with it - move the box around and the lamp till you like the shadows... And when you have to pack up you can simply lift the box carefully and slide it under the bed, where the other half won't be tempted to eat the props... My own children grew up fully aware of other peoples Creative Requirements. I remember one of them opening the fridge, gasping wide-eyed and reaching in to help themselves to a bunch of juicy grapes, then he stopped short and said...'Er, are these for your CLASS..?' Yes dear, but you can have them tomorrow....

Julie Douglas

[Sooz]

Thanks Julie
That's a great idea with the cardboard box! I will try that one.

On the subject of papers, I seem only to be able to find the extra smmoth bristol board, not found any on line sites either which isn't the extra smooth! ANy suggestions?
best wishes
Sooz