Mark Hewatt

Tag: pencils

  • Flowers and Undergrowth

    Flowers and Undergrowth

    I am sharing a new piece today that steps away from the ink and mixed media for a moment to focus entirely on pure pencil work. There is a specific kind of quiet intimacy that comes with a graphite study—it feels like a direct, unfiltered look into the sketchbook.

    This drawing is a study of the wild, tangled details of the undergrowth. My main goal was to play with extreme contrast and negative space. By heavily shading the background to create a deep, soft, almost hazy shadow, I was able to push the untouched white of the cold press paper forward. This allows the delicate petals of the flowers to catch the light and practically glow against the darkness.

    To keep the composition from feeling too heavy, I used sweeping, thin lines for the tall grasses. That fine linework gives the piece a lot of kinetic energy, which balances perfectly against the heavier, more textured shading in the centers of the blooms.

    It is a quiet observation of the forest floor, relying entirely on shifting values to find the light hidden in the shadows.

    Technical Details:

    • Mitsubishi graphite pencils
    • 9×12 140lb cold press

  • Mountain Stream and Masonry

    Mountain Stream and Masonry

    There is a quiet permanence in a stone bridge that I find endlessly compelling, especially against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Unlike the shifting water beneath it or the skeletal branches of the trees above, the bridge stands as a testament to craftsmanship and time.

    In this piece, I wanted to capture that contrast. The challenge was in the sheer variety of textures found in this mountain landscape: the jagged, individual faces of the foreground rocks, the weathered masonry of the bridge, and the delicate, almost ethereal network of the winter trees.

    Working in this monochromatic style allows me to focus entirely on the “architecture” of the scene—how light hits a rough surface versus how it filters through a dense thicket. It’s a meditative process of building layers to find the true weight of the place.

    Technical Details:

    • Mitsubishi graphite pencils
    • 9×12 140lb cold press

Powered by
►
Necessary cookies enable essential site features like secure log-ins and consent preference adjustments. They do not store personal data.
None
►
Functional cookies support features like content sharing on social media, collecting feedback, and enabling third-party tools.
None
►
Analytical cookies track visitor interactions, providing insights on metrics like visitor count, bounce rate, and traffic sources.
None
►
Advertisement cookies deliver personalized ads based on your previous visits and analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
None
Powered by