Saturday, February 20, 2010

Garden Weeds

Weeds propagating in the garden. Dandelion with its many seeds, grass with its ground-level runners, and a plant that I know as "witch-weed," perhaps in the morning-glory family. Witch-weed propagates by a white underground rhizome that sends up threadlike roots and elongated heart-shaped leaves. It's difficult to remove, because the rhizomes are brittle, and just a small fragment left in the ground will grow another plant. Today's drawing was inspired by Illustration Friday's word for the week, "propagate."

Below is my 1981 pencil sketch of a small witch-weed plant that I found growing in my garden. After I drew the weed, I'm sure I thoroughly destroyed it.
  • Copic marker colors used: Rocks W3, BV23; Soil E43+E21 (colored on top of each other), dotted with E33,71 applied with W0 brush tip, all blended with W1 and 0; Leaves and stems G07,40, YG05,21,23,63; Dandelion roots E41; Rhizome Copic opaque white; Sky airbrushed with B01, then mottled with Copic Opaque White applied on a wet brush.
  • Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

4 comments:

Nicky Linzey said...

Great idea and drawing. It's weird how easily weeds propagate isn't it!

Cindy O said...

Yes it is weird! I can admire that in a way, but only when I'm not weeding the garden. Thanks for your comment.

Artoholic said...

Yup, those rhizome-based weeds do my head in! I'm waging a war (and I'm losing) against Plumbago - it thrives on heatwaves (41C today!), and finds hard paving excellent territory to take over!

I love your "cut away view" for this IF - great stuff!

Cheers,

Cindy

Cindy O said...

Plumbago ... I had to look that up! and found it being sold as a hardy garden plant! thanks for leaving a comment