Draw Paint Letter - Summer Part 1

The art of charcoal drawing is ancient -- as ancient as the discovery of fire. For many artists, charcoal was their first drawing medium. Simple to use, beautifully rich and very forgiving, it’s perfect for making preliminary drawings to help develop ideas for more polished paintings. But charcoal can hold its own as a fine art medium. Charcoal drawings can be beautiful and expressive.

For today’s project, you can use charcoal paper, the smoother side of your watercolor paper, or even a piece of good quality cardstock. You’ll also need a clean sheet of paper (any kind) under your drawing hand to prevent smearing.

Our subject is nepenthes, the whimsical-looking “monkey cup” plant, part of a fascinating family of carnivorous bog plants that thrive with the appearance of insect populations in late spring. At the bottom of the cup is a syrupy liquid that attracts unsuspecting insects and then makes it impossible for them to climb out again. Glands at the base of the cup absorb nutrients from captured prey.

Nepenthes is a bog plant, part of a unique ecosystem that forms in a wetland with wet, spongy, poorly drained soil. This week, we’ll draw and paint wetlands vegetation.