"Ruins" (Final Photo)

Ruins

Charcoal, Graphite and White Chalk on Tinted Paper

11"x7" (2011)

Still-Life Drawing: Finished! (April 14, 2011)

(click to enlarge for better quality)

It's done! I am getting this photographed tomorrow so hopefully that goes well. I prefer taking photos in daylight so maybe tomorrow morning I'll post a better picture. As you can see I'm preparing my board for travel and there better not be any smudges when I take the board out tomorrow, lol, or I'm going to cry!

Drawing In Progress: Finished!

Laura Horseman, Graphite on Tinted Paper, 9.5"x12", 2011

She's finally finished and I'm so glad! I've also decided to add my new signature, which is the monogram I already use for my stationery. I think it's much better than my old signature, it's much more polished. Thanks for following and sorry about the graphite glare.

Drawing In Progress: My Friend Part 7

Here's a truer representation of the drawing. Compare that to last week's iPhone photo...this one is so much better! I worked on the hair shapes a bit more. I forgot how time consuming dark areas are to shade in and even-out. The teeth are better (I really hate dental work in drawings, it's very challenging). The eyes are still ambiguous, I still need more information to fill them in more. Overall I feel much better about it than I did last week but I think this may be my last drawing in graphite...

Drawing In Progress: My Friend Part 6

So this paper is a huge problem (I knew it would be). It's not so much an issue in person but getting a good photo of it is a nightmare. The graphite glare on the raised areas of the paper are really distracting. It just gets worse in the darker areas, the light areas are fine.

Anyway, I've done a bit more but I'll have to figure out whether or not I can selvage this drawing based on the paper. It's something to do anyway, keeps my mind off the pain I'm in sometimes which is great for not having to take pain killers.

Drawing In Progress: My Friend Part 5

Here's update, finally. I've started working in some half-tones and softening edges. Just that little bit made a huge difference, she's starting to look real. There will be more soon. Comments are welcome and thank you for following :)

Drawing In Progress: My Friend Part 4

Still putting in those darks. This is helping me see the overall value range. I had to make sure I put the dark part of the hair in so that I could judge the values in the face better. She's looking like a brunette right now but she's actually blonde. What I'm doing is laying in a base to erase out of, which is the easiest way I know of to create realistic hair. There's a lot of edges to blend and I still don't know how I'll finish the bottom. Maybe I'll fade the bottom out...I don't know.

Thanks for checking it out!

Drawing In Progress: My Friend Part 3

*Note: Blogger seems to dull the contrast a bit on these photos.

My trusty 2B pencil (by Koh-I-Noor, my fav brand) snapped last night and I was forced to stop. Since there's no art store nearby I settled for Staples which carries some basic drawing supplies, but not Koh-I-Noor, Staedler. Of course, Staedler's great too but I have sentimental attachments to Koh-I-Noor because theirs were the first serious pencil set my mom bought me in high school. I must say they served me well.

In any case I got pretty far last night. I'm starting to remember some of the pitfalls of graphite such as shine of course which makes me have to tilt my paper to get my tones even at every angle. Also, I have to manage the graininess while not pressing too hard on the paper. Sometimes I get concentrated spots of shine that way...not good.

As you can see in the pics, I'm working strictly in the shadows for now so it looks a bit strange as it's only 50% of what makes something look 3D. My drawings never really look spot on until much later anyway, lol. I'm keeping things pretty basic for now, no details yet until I establish convincing form. I'm also not going to round off all my shapes yet, that will come with softening edges. After I'm done with laying in my tones, I'll go back over everything to get a smooth finish.

Thanks for following, and comments are welcome :)

Me? On Camera?!?

Yup, I finally decided once and for all that if I'm going to have a Youtube channel, I actually would like to be on it. I don't like cameras, they are not my friend but I tried to get passed it to get across some information about my favourite drawing tools. It's really weird seeing yourself on camera as you're speaking and trying to imagine someone behind the lens that you can try to have a conversation with. Meanwhile, you're talking to yourself out-loud, it's freaky! Well hopefully I'll get used to it. I was tired coming home from work, didn't bother too much with appearances because I didn't want to get distracted but I do sound tired. Next time I'll definitely get a tiny bit more makeup on, haha.

What else is going on...Still awaiting the day I get to order that stationery, and there's other things in the works but I won't go there now. Why? Because I'm making a change this year. I think that (for me) telling everyone about my plans inevitably ruins them, and a lot of times they don't even get started. Don't fear though because I'm almost ready to show my new painting, which is a couple of days away from completion. Look out for it in February, that's when it's being delivered. I can't show you now because it's a gift for someone. But anyway here's my new video and if I'm not too traumatized there will be more.

Teacup in Graphite plus New Still Life Update

I didn't feel like starting a painting last night so I sketched instead. I loved this angle a lot it gives the cup more of a regal felling because you're looking up at it. It took about an hour or so, I'm not sure. Artists know that time sort of disappears when you're in the zone. I think the rim it too blent but I loved doing the handle, that's the best part of the cup for me.

I'll be starting a new still-life featuring the teacup with cookies and pieces of orange. It won't be huge because I plan on doing gradually larger paintings as I progress.