broad beans: monoprint and collage

Another in the series of drawing familiar food - this time a handful of broad beans. 

Others include: pumpkins and squash & pomegranate

There is a small joy to splitting open the shiny green pods to reveal pale, matt beans attached to yellow 'hangers'- all cushioned in a spongy interior. Usually it's done speedily because I want to eat these beauties!

Today it was a more considered affair: taking time to look at the curves of the pods and how the beans nestled in to their spaces.

A pencil drawing to begin, and a collaged juxtaposition of some found marbled paper - with its echoes of nestled shapes.

I had limited time to get some ideas down so decided a series of rapid sketches as monoprints was the way to go. When the prints were dry I picked out the colour of the beans with oil pastels.

Several of the monoprints were cut out and collaged on to the plate image along with photos of broad beans, and a single pod.

The plate is a scan - hence the blurry areas.

It's printed on pre-used A3 paper - hence the marks in the grey.

I like these 'faults'.

Using my blue china for this project led me to utilise it for a class I delivered for Sketchbook Skool