Looser

More value concentration, this time doing a sketch in about 20 minutes.




This is such a cool sculpture. Anyhow, 20 minutes or so, go!

I start with blocking it out ....




If I stopped here, I'd think I might have more than a clue at this ;). But I continue, setting value a little,




Then I finish up:




I think I'm definitely making progress. Lesson learned is that yes I'm getting an understanding of value but am still off, as evidenced by bringing the photo into photoshop and "posterizing" it, which clearly shows a different value structure than I've used (the first in 6 steps, the second in 9).







I thought this posterizing was a great demonstration of where I'm misfiring. I think I've gotta sketch a bunch more!

Poseidon and stuff

Once again, it's been a while.

I've been fiddling around with digital stuff a bit. Tom got an iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil and it's freaking amazing. It's inspired me, with my old iPad and a nice enoughish Adroit stylus, and it's gotten me going.

This allows me to get into digital drawing and art. I still SOOOOOO need to work on my basic art skills (namely, use of value and color) before I get too far with the pastels or another medium, so I'm hoping that I can keep my interest up enough to get through these elementary hurdles so that I can REALLY explore whatever talent I might have. I think the whole concept of value will be much easier to learn digitally because I'm really not getting too distracted by the MEDIUM itself .... So.

I've taken some online lessons (w charcoal, pen) and that just really hasn't gelled (I'm such a slow, procrastinating starter and get sooo frustrated that I don't have the basic skill level to back up my (arguably(?sp) NOT basic talent level), so now I've got Tom teaching me and guiding me w what I should be working on.

SO! We're starting out in black and white. I've taken the photo of Poseiden here,







And brought it into the digital painting program Procreate. Please keep in mind that the following images are essentially TRACED and thus are total copies and not really indicative of any ability on my part!! This lesson is not about my drawing skills. Having said that,

.... I'm trying to focus on defining Form with Value, so I basically gave myself a limited grayscale and came up with these two pieces.








I think my next assignment is to try to add color to the image, keeping the same value structure. I'm also learning the program as I go, so that's a bit of a challenge too (tho not as difficult as fighting with pastels or paints, at this early stage).

Looking at these now, a few days after I did them, I think my highlights should be just a bit lighter in places ... They each took about an hour.

Then I did a tradition pencil value study (on paper) of the same figure; this took me a couple of hours:




and I am pretty pleased with it. I am again LOST with hair and mustache, but that's a problem for later. I used an HB pencil and, for he first time ever, used a stump for blending, I like it!

I had to stop here, even though it's only maybe 85% complete. Everything I did for this point on seemed to detract from the sketch rather than improving it, so I folded.

Latest assignments

One wouldn't be able to tell from the frequency of posts here, but I've been busy! I'm happy enough with what I'm learning from the Artist's University class so far . . . I do believe I AM learning a thing or three about value. I've also been using quite a bit of soft vine charcoal for this class; I've never done a thing in this medium before, and three or four sketches in I'm starting to get the hang of it and really finding that I like it! Messy, though (have I said this before?)

Anyhow, the next assignment is a shaded sphere. Again, do to convenience, I went from her reference photo rather than my own still life. This time we were to work in pencil. I used a 2H, HB and a B.


I HAD to stop at this point, because every time I tried to touch it, I messed it up. Mostly I think I did very well, though there's a few things odd. It would benefit from a bit more attention to the shading on the lit side -- it's pretty blandly bright white. The cast shadow is off -- I'm learning that I do NOT understand shadows in perspective. Tom is going to help me with this once I'm done with this class (I've got plenty on my artistic plate at the moment! and I'm glad to learn more places I'm missing in these fundamentals). Otherwise, not bad. I've submitted this for review, but haven't received the critique yet because I'm without internet the past few days.

Next assignment is very interesting, in three parts: Subtractive, Additive and Subtractive, and White on Black.  Working from the same still life (reference photo for me), one must:

Put all of your tones down (using soft vine)' then erase (subtract) the high key tones.


My form isn't perfect, but I'm happy with the shading!

Then, working from a gray (neutral) background, add lights and darks.


This one has led to lots of discussion around the camper! Tom has high praise for the thing as a whole, but shows me (again!) how my cast shadow is just a bit off. Now, on my own I was aware of some of this; the left 'shoulder' is obviously waaay off, this I know, but there's more stuff askew perspective-wise, plus the "lightened" reflected light part of the cast shadow is backwards! I feel good enough about it as-is to hand in for critique, but with Tom's wisdom I'm going to make a few changes and see if I can improve it without screwing it up. The changes will only be to the cast shadow. I think the rest of it is pretty damn good!

Edit: Welp, I put the second pic away for the night, and let's just say I NEED TO GET SOME FIXATIVE! There will NOT be any changes.

Ohh, but I also need to work on letting value, as opposed to lines, define my edges.

I haven't done the third yet.

(ps The core shadow really DOES do that little blip around the shoulder)

Feedback!

The instructor got back to me regarding the value study . . . Here's the critique!

http://youtu.be/KkX7Qns4eC8
(someday I'll get around to embedded video)

I'll finalize the piece to her suggestions, resubmit and repost. My first lesson (took hours and hours!) in my other class is almost complete, I'll have another post up soon.

OK, for real now this time

A recurring theme in these posts has been "gotta go start in the beginning" followed by a bunch of color stuff. Clearly, this is not "the beginning". But my lack of foundation skills shows through everything, no matter how I try to kid myself. This I know. So finally, finally! I am taking steps to rectify this.

I've started two classes. The first is a paid online course through the Artist's Network University (hell if I know how to make a link using this mobile app?) entitled Drawing Mastery: Shading. It's a four week, I think four project basic course on shading and values, just my weaknesses! Basically you pay, watch a couple videos, get a homework assignment, then submit that for feedback from the instructor. X4.

The first project was a 5-value study. Here's the reference photo, and my submission:






Although there is quite a bit wrong here, mainly the ellipse of the cup and the placement of the objects, I'm really quite happy with this. It's in charcoal, so,etching I've never worked with before. I liked it, quite messy and forgiving! I can see definitely need to work on form as well, but here I mostly just thought about values. I think I'm starting to get it, just. I'm trying to apply what I've been learning about core shadows and reflected light, cast shadows, local values.

I just submitted it today and have yet to hear the feedback on it.

I'll cover the other class I'm taking in a future post. It's VERY different.

Portrait finished

My first response is, wow! On the surface, I really like it and think it's pretty good for a beginner (well, except for the hair, I have not a clue how to do hair!). I give myself good marks!

BUT ...

There's a lot of problems with it, all of which point to my lack of basic skills which I never bothered to learn. Let's look!

Ok the hair sucks, whatever, I've never done a portrait before, no idea how to do hair, I'll learn.

Anatomy: it's off. The ear is wrong, the pupils aren't centered, the bottom of the nose is a mess (which is why it's cut here) the forehead is quite problematic ( though better than it was; he had a Klingon one for a while).

Value and Color: the real problem. Check back at the reference photo; the left side of the portrait is ok, but the right side is waaaaaay off, he's not in that much shadow and the color is made up in my head I guess, and badly at that. I made it way too dark. The color is off and my pencil technique is without direction.

So. Yay! it's a really good starting point, gauge, what have you. Yay! I can draw.

I HAVE GOT TO LEARN MY BASICS, how many times do I need to repeat that? Just because I can draw doesn't mean I can do it well. Learn something!

So I'm gonna. I've signed up for an online course about shading and values, which I'll start in the next couple of days. Plus I found this free online comp,eye drawing course, with critiques! that I'm also going to focus on soon.

So I'm putting away the color for the time being, and starting at the bottom.

I'll have more stuff, plus details on the courses, up here soon!

Mas Frutas

Cherries! I got bored and didn't finish the stem or leaves. I burnished the hell out of these cherries, with both the colorless blender and the white pencil. I almost certainly overdid it, but am fairly pleased. It doesn't look like colored pencil much. The uppermost cherry is quite off in shading, but the other two are alright. The highlights on the bottom of the middle cherry, also way off because I don't really have the right technique down. All in all, is ok.

Baby steps

So now I've gone and read three or five books on colored pencil, and I'm ready to start laying the rubber on the road. I thought colored pencils were pretty simple; they're not. So I've got quite a few things to learn. I'm working on the drawing of Tom from the previous post, meanwhile it's time to actually go!

So here's two drawings of a mango, from a reference photo. Neither one is anything much, but this was a good go. The second one's better than the first, though the use of green got out of control somehow. This second one featured a lot of burnishing with the white pencil.

Balls be rolling

Ok I'm finally getting my artistic shit together, I think. In any case, I've been doing some drawing and I guess that's the same thing. My latest bit started on a flight and I got my line art on a bit . . .



then I got home and drew some more until I decided I'd better stop ....



I've tried to pay WAY more attention to value, and whilst I know I have room for improvement I do believe I'm making some progress.

I've been really flirting with color lately and am quite intrigued, yet I'm finding just a little . . . overwhelmed? with pastels, it just seems like maybe it's too much? probably just because I'm trying to learn drawing AND value AND color AND the medium of pastels AND other things too, I can't seem to get out of the gate. So I've started to fiddle a bit with colored pencils.



I read somewhere that, like pastels, it's a lot about the layering of colors. I decided, with middling success, to get black by repeated layering of blues and reds. This is my beginning shot. I think perhaps I've erred by using paper that's too smooth; I'm gonna have a hard time getting all my layers in. No matter; I'm discovering I really like these color pencils and I'm barely intimidated by them. I've gotta do it on the right type of paper though.

But first, let me repeat my mistakes for a while! I've taken this cool reference photo (well, HE took it, but):



and made this sketch from it:


and it's good! and I'm happy but I already know I can sketch and this part is easy, it's the NEXT part -- the value color shading thing -- that I get tripped up on but I'm REALLY trying to just go with it and see what happens so I just start coloring it on in ...


... and it's fun and looks good so far! It's a rainy day today and we'll see what kind of progress I make. I've AGAIN started on too-smooth paper, so I have limitations. This is probably to my benefit.

Sketchy

We've spent the past few days at Chaco Canyon, probable cultural center of the ancient "Anasazi" peoples and site of ruins upon ruins upon ruins. Beautiful spot. In an effort to get things moving, a did a series of really quick (10 minutes or so) sketches during a tour we took.

Here's the general look of the ruins ...





and my sketches thereof ...








Then I started drawing people walking around the tour with us.










Ultimately I am happy with these sketches; I've never really drawn people before and am pleased with how these efforts turned out. I've also never really done quicky-type sketches before and liked it!

Today's offering

Perhaps 3 hours all together, from this:

I've been remiss

... in all things artistic, but I'm hopeful that's soon to change. Meanwhile, I haven't been COMPLETELY idle, and have this to offer up:




Which is the barest beginning of a rip-off of this:




Which, in turn, looked much more vibrant in the book I photo'd.

My Picasso

The next exercise in Drawing is to copy a sketch, upside down (both the sketch and your copy). The example given is this Picasso:




I've got an hour. 40 minutes at least. I do it in 20.



This is a mistake. I've not done the exercise correctly, and rushed through it. I didn't spend the time to accurately copy the picture; I just wung it and it shows. It's a mess!

A little while later I sit down and do it again. This version took 1:20, and I'm happy enough with it.



Some of my relationships aren't right. I could've used a bigger piece of paper (or started smaller). I ran out of room, and thus he's a pinhead, scalped! Any spatial problems I created were resolved in the hands and the left leg, which were completed last. These two areas are a bit off. MUCH better the second time around!

Baseline Drawings

I've decided to do the exercises outlined in the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The first task is to do three preliminary drawings: a person drawn from memory, a self portrait, and my hand. I did these this morning:






This is my sister Jackie. I don't think it looks a thing like her! Eyes too far apart, looks like she had a stroke ... 10 minutes






Me. I like the left half better than the right. I think it looks kinda like me, face not long enough, eyes again too big. 45 minutes.






My left hand. I haven't drawn a hand in ?20 years? This is good!

I enjoyed doing these. I'm looking forward to progressing in the book. I feel like my drawing skills are basically ok; I'm ready to improve!

Smoke tree

I'm STILL not taking advice (but will, really!!) and am getting my pastel on. This morning got up early for the light and did this:





This took maybe 25 minutes. I was really unpleased while doing it but after "finishing" I am less harsh on myself and kinda like it!

It's a little too mid-tones in the end, which is why I put "finishing" in quotations ... Tom says it's a great under painting. I might go back in later and put in some more shadows/highlights. I also think revisiting it might fuck it up, so I dunno.

Here's a reference photo, tho I did plein air:

Another value sketch

This one a really quick one, copied from this pastel of Patty McGeeney's:





This took about 20 minutes ...



I dunno if I show any improvement.

Okay okay

I've gone back and finished my tomato value pic. I think I've done MUCH better this time, but still don't have it quite right.




Tom's making me a sphere, cylinder, cube set up to actually start working on value, instead of just reading about it. Unfortunately, we have no white spray paint to get it right, and won't for the next few days.

I've started reading Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and will do some exercises from there. I also have a digital copy of Andrew Loomis' Successful Drawing, and those two should provide enough info to get me going.

I really like the bottom half of this picture, I think I've got the lighting pretty damn close and that bit there might be the nicest/most realistic drawing I've done, ever.

Feeling pleased.

Still over my head

I learn lessons the hard way sometimes. The long way, anyway. Yes, jellyfish on black background is too much for me, do something simple, is what I told myself. Then I went on a run and took this picture and doctored it up in Photoshop and this! simple thing is what I'm gonna try next:




Er, this is not exactly a simple shape, in retrospect. The initial sketch is ok, but sketching isn't where my (current) deficiencies lie . . .




It all sorta goes to hell when I add color . . .



I reach this point (which is really just the beginning, I was thinking I'm just trying to get some color down) and ask husband Tom for his opinion. He takes a look (keeping in mind that he has a degree from Art Center, arguably the best art/design school in the country) and basically tells me what I already know; I'm putting the cart before the horse and need to understand form and light before I put lots of focus on color.

I know he's right, I pretty much said it myself before even starting, focus on the basic skills that you need and Do Not Have!!

I don't think my painting's beginning is all that bad (I had a plan for it and think I had an idea for where it needs to go) but I also think I've got to stick with the idea of keeping things simple to start, for reals, and concentrate on learning basic skills, the lack of which have led to me to my present state.

To this end, I'll file the above aborted attempt away for a few days/week, but I'll be back to take it further!!