Burnishing Practice

I've been exploring taking my time and simply playing with my art supplies.  I recently decluttered my studio workdesk, and though it might not appear uncluttered from the photo below, it's way tidier than it was!

I can now see my colored pencils in their jars right in front of me as I work, and I find I'm more likely to reach out and grab a few colors and put a sketch in my journal.

The colored pencil drawing of the heart above was the result of telling myself to take my time and practice burnishing with the colored pencils -- layering one color over another, then coming back and shifting the color balance as you go.

The burnishing process is relaxing, especially if you start with a simple shape or symbol.  Hearts are a favorite symbol of mine, but perhaps you'd rather start with a circle, a triangle or a leaf shape.  

Choose what's appealing to you.

Then pick colors -- using colors that are next to each other on the color wheel will create a harmonious scene with all of the colors getting along well.

Feel free to experiment as your intuition suggests.

I hope you have fun creating, allowing yourself time to burnish, explore and simply play!