Black on Grey on White

"Self Portrait" Adolph von Menzel 1815-1905 The week-ends always do this: knock me for six. I know they are coming. I know their speed. I brace myself, hunch down, tuck my elbows in ... tight and wait for impact! Never fails: the impact gets me wobbling off balance rocking back and forth like a pin, sometimes worse... This Monday morning balance has been regained. This is what helped. Reading about the work of the Master draftsman Adolf Menzel in the latest issue of Drawing Magazine. (Highly informative and insightful article written by Ephraim Rubenstein .) The discovery of his work is sobering (despite wanting to drink it all in the hope of gaining a portion of his knowledge) . The execution of his work is stunning, the ease at which handles his pencils and paints to be envied and his mastery of light and form spot on. His work quite simply has to be shared. "Living Room with artist's Sister" Adolph von Menzel, 1847 "Balcony Room" Adolph von Menz

Here they are, two peas in a pod, cheeky, tweaked and framed.   Basti and Titus have been approved and will be making there way off to Germany. Kept my pencil away from them over the week end (most of you have no doubt noticed the revamped blog.... This is a direct result of not allowing myself to go back too soon to tweak). Hope you like the new look I've given my "Black on Grey on White".  So: spent today, tweaking and polishing a few areas, scanning and recording all info for my database. To get a clean and a web perfect image of my work  I took two individual scans (300 dpi ) of the drawing.  I then I joined them and cleaned the new image using  Photoshop Element s.   I have this Photoshop version on trial for the next 27 days.  It's good.  Actually, I am pretty sure I will be purchasing it. It seems to fit the bill perfectly.  Between you and me, I am quite chuffed as it is a fraction of the price of the full blown Photoshop (of which I would only end up