Ball Moss and Lichen

Hi Friends!
This week, our assignment was focused on illustrating ball moss, lichen, and any other small specimen we wanted to draw, such as shells, rocks, and pine cones. For my piece, I chose to illustrate a branch that included both lichen and ball moss.

I began by taking multiple pictures of my subject since I would be unable to remove the branch from the bush. Next, I went through all of my images and selected which specimen I would be illustrating, aiming to determine which picture included the most detail and had a strong composition that showcased both the lichen and ball moss equally.

After selecting my reference image, I started working on my initial sketch. With this, I aimed to accurately illustrate the ball moss and branch, paying close attention to proportion and composition. One of the most challenging aspects of this assignment was accurately illustrating the ball moss since it has countless intertwining elements.

Once my initial sketch was complete, I added some general shading to make the drawing look more three-dimensional. Taking the time to mark the highlights and shadows sets up a good foundation for the next step, which is adding watercolor.

I began with the shadows, adding a mix of burnt umber and ultramarine blue to the deepest areas of the branch behind the ball moss. Next, I diluted this mixture and carried it up towards the rest of the branch, making sure to leave plenty of blank areas where the lichen was.

For the ball moss, I added a very small amount of sap green to white pigment to create an extremely light green color. Finally, I went in with colored pencils to illustrate the lichen and deepen the values on the ball moss. I decided to use colored pencils in an attempt to better match the color and texture of the lichen, however, I think my application was not entirely successful. I lost some of the distinct contrast between the branch and lichen that was present when I was using just watercolor, but I was able to match the color of the lichen a bit better with colored pencils.

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