Drawing trees ugh

Well at the start of the New Year , I usually return to drawing, pencil, fundamental stuff that underpins most of the art we make. I was trying to draw one of the trees in my garden. It was ugh. I had tried on a 52 cm Daily painting board with graphite on acrylic primer.

This is one of the trees in my garden. 

 I drew with a mixture of dry pencil and graphite liquid ( made with scrapings of graphite mixed with water and painted on ) The board was too big, I couldn't get the dark tones in the pencil on the primer
 and it took longer than the half hour ! Ughhh !

So I decided to seal the graphite layer with water based varnish, brushed on. That application brought up some of the marks made with the graphite and did give the piece quite a printerly feel which I was ok with. I couldn't resist putting some paint on though , quite muted colours. Over the years, I have often gone into grey paintings, strangely always at this time of the year when everything outside is grey.

What to do ? Try smaller, on paper, maybe a series in the garden in December. Try a series in grey .

This one was a simple made up drawing of a tree in pencil.

I then scanned and printed the image and embellished the prints with inks and gold powder.

I liked the prints , they are 14 cm sq. I like them in the big mounts, it makes you take the work more seriously. I could easily do a series of these, I enjoyed it. I could do a series of, ' marks from the December garden , ' or a series looking at my Daily paintings. Mmmmmm

This one was graphite on the 52 cm sq primed board. Loved it. Do more . Mix a graphite colour in paint.

These were the thigs I used to try some kind of dry point. Two coats of Klear floor polish, drew into it with a dried out gel pen, printed it off. Ughhhh !

Worked back into the plate with graphite and acrylic, liked it then.

Worked back into the print and like that too. What are these ? Embellished prints sound too decorative. Think of another word........

I continued printing intermittently during the day. The Klear floor polish didn't work on the mount card but I liked a lot of the prints that came off.Still unsure of the name of these prints, I researched alternatives but nothing as yet......... Embellished prints - decorative ......worked back into prints - too cumbersome ...... Reworked prints - possible, monotype prints - better ........

The prints are 14 cm sq.