My daughter said, “Why is it so pink?” I responded that pink was part of the actual background color, and that I was exaggerating that but would be mottling it (as I have now done, above). I said I was trying to show how there was a glow around the needles. She affirmed that there’s a glow, but thought that with a pink background, the glow seemed to come from nowhere. Damn it, she was right. When I started this, the background, which is partly bright white light, seemed way too difficult, but that now seems untrue, and yes, if the background doesn’t show that light, where does the glow come from?

I think I am resolving it by making the upper section of the background considerably lighter than the lower. We’ll see. I should consult her earlier next time.

Next day: you can’t erase colored pencil, but you can lighten it. I’ve done that and added a few more leaves. They are all different. I’m loving meeting each one.

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