Layla

Reference supplied by owner, used with permission
Caran d’Ache Luminance and Museum Aquarelle, Holbein
Fabriano Artistico 11x15 inch, 300gsm, quarter imperial sheet
Slice tool, Derwent battery eraser, Frankincense and Myrrh

This loveable little pup Layla nearly did bring me to my knees, just as her namesake did in Eric Clapton's tale of unrequited love. Not on account of her behaviour whilst drawing her I should add, for she remained impeccably still in the photo for the duration of the drawing, but due to my insatiable appetite for throwing every art material known to humankind at a piece in the spirit of experimentation.

As is often the way when I am experimenting, I tend to do what I deem the higher risk bits near the start, so that if I need to hit the eject button I have not invested too much precious time and patience. And so, with a spring in my step, I started out on this puppy and drew the most gorgeous little rear ear that ever did grace a piece of paper I have touched. I have only actually drawn two dogs before, but that is beside the point. This ear would have had Michelangelo weeping for joy. I then decided to use Caran d'Ache Neocolor 2 pastels, water activated, with colour pencil on top for the paving slabs.

It is at this point that things went a little Pete Tong. The colour was an abomination, which did not improve with adding colour pencil on top as it just morphed into a textured abomination. I cleverly decided to bring my extensive gouache collection to bear to cover it up and was astounded to find I had broken new ground and successfully made the abomination twice as hideous!

Now, I don't often start pieces out twice because I have the attention span of a flea, but discretion seemed the better part of valour and I did indeed abandon my finest ever ear and start again. Being somewhat cowardly at this point, I decided to concentrate on Layla instead. Pencils behaved, the moon and the planets aligned and Layla was fastidiously groomed with my cleaning brush to clear pigment crumbs away. All was harmonious, until I spotted two errant molecules of black on the paper in an area that I was planning to leave as paper white.

Brush, blutak, kneaded eraser, tape... all had fallen to these two errant spots of pigment and the paper was clearly in peril. So, with Layla almost complete and the marks only just visible now, I decided to try a delicate application of gouache. Now, you know when you watch a horror movie play out and you just know something really bad is going to happen that you seem powerless to stop... well, adding gouache was that moment, it did not go well here at all. At all at all. The areas went from barely noticeable to in your face screaming! On the plus side, I did manage to re-wet it, remove it, dry the paper and tamp it down before using the Derwent Excalibur Battery Eraser to save the day, hurrah!

A little more furry work and Layla herself was finished, though she was clearly looking at me with those eyes and telling me to put the gouache away. Sensibly I listened this time and applied Museum Aquarelle wet as a base for the paving slab before sticking with dry colour pencil on top for texture.

And so in the end, Layla and her paving were completed for my daughter's best friend, where she will be much loved I am sure. Incidentally, in time so too was Eric Clapton's love returned by the subject of his song.

Have a good week everyone 😊