spannersI still find crayons difficult, they lack the...

spanners
I still find crayons difficult, they lack the flexibility I find with other mediums. They do not mix well, nor cover each other for the glaze or translucent affects I prefer. I have tried a combination of crayon with watercolour. I have not kept any work done in crayon.

Jakspara
Interesting that you like the Benalla scene. It is one of my favourites. It is very different, it is not pretty. I like the surreal feeling, or serenity that one feels, at the end of the day, when the last lights of the sun reflect off the dry baked earth.

septa
I was a natural at drawing, and drew all the animals and trees on our farm. My mother encouraged me with lessons.
There was a book, Drawing lessons from the great Masters-Rembrandt that was my bible. Lots of practice with a HD lead pencil, to copy anything and everything, to get the shapes right, and shadow and light. At one stage I could copy any black and white photograph, with great accuracy.
I was taught to use my eyes to focus on a subject, as if I were the camera lens. Plus you must draw or paint what you see, not what you perceive, or from memory of a subject.

I was taught to fine tune it, by drawing items I was not familiar with, so you do not rely on memory, when looking at the subject. Take a leaf, an empty can, an old boot or shoe and draw it. If you draw exactly as you see it, you will pick up the tiny shadows and shapes, that fall into place to make it a whole picture.

I used the library, and borrowed all the books on the great masters, so to a large extent I am self taught.
It was only after I mastered the art of drawing, that I took up the oil paints and water colours.

Rembrandt was the greatest influence for me in drawing and portraiture. Then I admired the impressionists, Monet and Streeton for the landscapes.
cheers