Creating Beek – 08-09-25

Website link: https://corneakkers.com/beek-08-09-25/
Print: https://corneakkers.com/print-beek-08-09-25/
Printable: https://corneakkers.com/product/printable-beek-08-09-25/

Cows

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Beek – 08-09-25’ combines cubism with atmospheric depth. Cows, trees and a lovely view over the Ooijpolder. In the back on the right is the church of Persingen. On my last trip to Beek-Ubbergen I went to the so-called ‘Natte Beek’. It’s a small area glued to the hillside of Berg en Dal. The farm with the same name appeared as a drawing shortly hereafter. Somehow I was intrigued by the place. Not least because of cows grazing the grass in a meadow on the left as you walk up the road. Then I remembered how fun it was to draw them. Why not look them up and see what I could do? Upon my word, there they were again. Typical Limousiin cows and they contrasted the darker trees in the background perfectly! Possibly the best series of pictures I took last Saturday.

Power Lines

You see, I took extra care of capturing them into a perfect frame in which they would align with eachother. This way I had a great styled set-up already. Persingen is in the back. There were also three treescape structures in the foreground. A pine on the left, in the middle some kind of willow and brambleberry bushes on the right. Basically, I had to layer the whole scenery. The trees served as repoussoirs against the Ooijpolder whereas the cows contrasts those trees behind them. Foremost, I wanted to draw the cows with sturdy lines. In fact, I like this thing that I found: harsh power lines revealing the overall structure. They guide the viewer through the drawing. Especially in this drawing I think they serve their purpose also to create aforementioned atmospheric depth. A great experiment I loved to do.

Pitt Graphite Matt pencil (Faber-Castell, 14B) drawing on Canson Bristol paper (21 x 29,7 x 0.1 cm)
Artist: Corné Akkers