Here’s Maen Bradwen, or Carreg Bica on Mynydd Drummau Mountain in Neath Port Talbot. It’s a massive stone and local legend has it that it bathes in the River Neath / Afon Nedd on Easter morning. I did this while I was travelling around South Wales with filmmaker Melvyn Williams and prehistorian Dewi Bowen while he was researching material for his latest book.
I did three drawings of Carreg Bica in all, two were drawn directly onto prepared Fabriano paper that had been coated with gesso and then covered randomly with my own home-made walnut ink. I quickly sketched the basic details with a white conté crayon and then worked into it with Daler Rowney soft pastels (artist quality). It’s important to use the best quality materials when making work for sale to minimise the possibility of the it fading over the years. I also drew a quick sketch into my A4 brown paper sketchbook with black, white and sanguine conté crayons.
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