The Craggy Old Gum Tree

Every year my family spends time at Halls Gap, which is located in the magnificent Grampians National Park, Victoria, and this is where I took the reference photograph I’m using for this demonstration. At the time, I was meandering alongside a massive line of trees which were the end of the grassed area and beginning of the bush. I could see civilisation behind me yet my eyes where focused on these majestic trees which towered above me. I could close my eyes, smell the eucalypt, reach out and touch the rough bark. I took many photographs but I chose this one particularly for the brilliant textures of the bark.

MATERIALS

• Canson 220gsm white A2 paper

• 2H graphite pencil

• Eraser

• Indenting tools, variety of sizes

• Sharpener

• Camel hairbrush

• Solvent

• Small paintbrush

• Fixative

• Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils (oil based)

– Ivory