Category Archives: charcoal drawing

Elvis the goat!

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Here is the progression of Elvis the goat in graphite pencils; 4H {warm tone}, 4B {cool tone} and a HB Neutral tone. Notice how I only have an outline sketched and not set in stone. When you have trouble sketching a form out start with one shape such as an eye. Work from one eye out, therefore allowing it to be easy to erase an outside form lines. If you try to draw the outside lines first and then go back and “TRY TO FIT” in the eyes in later in an open space it will not work unless you have Mastered drawing and realism drawing. Work from one form such as an eye and work from the eye and outward.

Use the warm and cool tones of the graphite to set form in space; remember warms tones will come forward and cool tones will go back in space to help create form and shape. Without the darks there is no realism.002

In the following picture this is how far I was able to get in two hours.

001I can not stress enough if you are an over-sketcher on cheap paper of 140lbs. or less you are wasting value sketches turned into a drawing on CHEAP paper. You are not doing yourself any favors by doing this. Get yourself a really good drawing paper pad of 140lb or better. Even buy Illustration hot press drawing board this way when your over-sketched  doodle is over-sketched it can become a serious composition because it is on good acid free paper or board. Use the cheaper drawing pads of 140lb. or less for Doodles or thumb-nail sketches. You have better results from the graphite on better paper too. Cheap papers are not made to hold serious artwork.001

Mix mediums.

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This is Elvis the goat in color pencil and oil pastels.

Following directions.

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Here is an updated picture of Joan’s goats.001

 

When you are drawing with graphite, color pencils or any other medium tools always follow the direction of the forms. Look at the following pictures below; notice the direction of the goat hair and draw it in that direction. .001003002

Notice the direction of the chin fur or hair.  Pressing with the “B” graphite pencils such as a 6, 7, and 8 Bs. will allow you to see realism sooner rather than later. If you draw in values of 5,6, 7 H range you will not see realism in your drawing. It will be flat with not much blending of forms and shapes. Do not be afraid of using the B pencils which are cool in tone and will “go Back into” in space. If you are having trouble using the higher B pencil because you are afraid or just do not understand how to use them I suggest practice sketching with a few higher numbered B pencils. For example; use a 6, 7 and a 8 B pencils and draw a few simple shapes such as a sphere, a square, an apple. Use the number 6B as the lightest in the three range. Getting over your fear is the only way to break through to realism.

Being an artist.

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The first mistake is to declare you have no talent! Don’t set your mind and yourself up for failure. With the right teacher you can learn how to draw. You need to start and understand how to draw realistically before you can draw surrealism for example.  Look through my previous post for examples of shapes to start with such as a sphere and then cylinders, squares. I know there are people with different skill levels, but maybe you never were taught basic techniques to start out right. Do not get “Stuck” in using a grid technique. You need to rely on seeing and transferring on your merit. You will not learn proportion, drawing shapes, weighted forms and learning to understand drawing elements.

If you really want to improve your skill level start figure drawing in charcoal. I know that everyone does not have access to a Life drawing class, but most of us have someone who will sit for you for 30 minutes or so. If nobody will sit for you we all have a family member whom sleeps in a chair, draw or sketch grandpa from different angles. One newsprint tablet later you see much improvement. There will be improvement in the way you draw, see objects and form. You ability to transfer from life to paper, still-life will improve. There is No magic pencil, you must practice and press through. My father always said to me, “You only get out life what you put into it”. How true is that? Hard work is hard work, no way around it.

Remember composition. Good composition provides lines taking you through the picture from one point to another. There is movement throughout either with texture, pattern, lines, shapes, balance and lighting.  A composition subject leaves the viewers with emotion and feelings; could be a memory provoked because of your artwork. Your artwork reminds them of an experience from their life therefore making a connection. Subjects that people can relate to; everyday life scenes, children and pets are a common thread.  If your drawing is busy meaning a lot going on you need a resting spot for the eyes. If the paper is completely filled the drawing can become overwhelming to look at for very long and just too frustrating to figure it out.  Be careful how much information you actually need to draw or include in the composition.

A solid title is important especially if you have a subject people need to figure out what exactly you the artist is trying to convey. If someone looking at your artwork does not understand your type of art they are relying on the title for direction. Look through out The Masters and compositions they provide a way out of the drawing either through a window or door in the setting. For a more this century contemporary artist look at Andrew Wyeth and his use of doors and windows in his paintings and drawings. Remember the light source as well. Light will help depict the time of day.

Work on 140 lb. paper or better! Tape a border edge because you do Not draw to the edge of the paper. You need an edge for matting, framing and or presenting.

Drawing skills

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Here are a few pictures of Elvis the goat Joan is learning to draw. REMEMBER and I can NOT stress enough that when you are drawing always draw in the direction of the form. The lines you are drawing should go in the direction of the object [ hairs ] are going in. Look at the beginning of this sketch and the direction even in the start of shaping the form.003

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Joan sketched this out a few months ago and wasn’t able to get to this until now and she was amazed to see how much she has learned and how her drawing skills have improved. If you need help with your drawing skills then you need lessons with me!

watercolor paper

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Much added details added under painting tools in menu!

I wanted to add a thought for thinking…….watercolor is a medium I love to work in and I can use the medium and my skill to paint the level of realism I want to achieve. For awhile now I have been giving myself a hard time that I should change-up my style to use watercolor more expressively or a more watercolor style feel everyone expects watercolor to be. That’s wrong. I have a skill to paint watercolor extremely realistic which took many paintings later to achieve, plus I am happy and satisfied with my results in watercolor.  I have discovered or come to the conclusion I can paint or draw in an expressionistic style in other mediums to satisfy artistic needs. Maybe that’s why I enjoy working on a dollhouse which I have very realistic as well! lol…..startin to see a pattern. My dollhouse does take up one-quarter of my working space studio and I certainly could use the room for more art stuff, BUT……I enjoy working on it even if that time is sparingly these days. My miniature flowers I designs are beautiful to miniature artist. I just need to find a way to make the room work.

It is important to grow as an artist and be exposed to different techniques, styles of course, but you need to be happy with your artwork results which will result in trying new ways to approach different mediums. It is also important to give yourself a break and enjoy creating.  What do you think?

Painting forms.

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When painting break down the shapes and paint them in shapes to start. Look at the tail, paint the shape of the feathers in the common color. Don’t paint all one color and then paint in the feathers. By painting the shapes first you are creating depth and adding texture to forms.

Always draw in the direction of the form.

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In the above picture notice how the direction of the lines are being drawn; hill and valley. When working up a hill shape draw in the direction, in the valley your direction of line is in the curve direction. Remember to treat the shapes you are drawing, shading and creating in a similar direction. Crosshatching lines will come later; learn the value scales in every graphite range pencil first before adding other techniques.
Also remember light or highlighted areas will come forward in space and dark values will sink in space. This is a principle just like gravity, the way God designed it and it can’t be changed. B graphite pencils are cool, softer and will go back in space as H graphite pencils are warmer in tones and will come forward in space as well are harder in texture. Use that fact to help set apart objects in your drawings.

Acrylic painting

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When you are working with acrylic paint remember to add a Slow-dry blending medium to keep the paint from drying too quickly. There is not a lot of time between blending and shading objects. Before you have a chance to re-work a section the paint will dry. In comparison acrylic paint has a faster drying time compared to craft paint.

Another important fact is metallic colors are either transparent or semi-transparent. For example; if you are painting metal, chrome and want a shine paint the object first in gray and gray tones and then once dry coat the object with the metallic silver. metallic do not usually mix well with opaque colors.

[Opaque is solid color or can’t see through. Transparent is being able to see through the color; almost feels watered down].

The following pictures are Rose’s motorcycle painting in process. I will add more pictures as we work on it.

So far the painting looks good. Most details were added and can be finished in a few days. I will show Rose how to finish up.009

It is much easier to work on the driveway before completing the rest of the bike for the simple reason it will be easier to paint in the bike’s edges with a background already in. Adding colors such as the reflection orange in the headlights can be added in a dry brush technique; not a lot of wet paint on the brush and very controlled.

Watercolor study.

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This watercolor study by Joan is fruit and learning watercolor 101. In watercolor there are layers of color in a building process to produce realism. Depending how many layers you add and how controlled the layers are depend on how far you want the painting to be realistic. Here are several steps to reach this point of realism 101. I will add more pictures as this painting develops. Once the background is painted in the colors of the fruit take on a different appearance in hues; look at previous pictures and notice how the fruit colors change in appearance. Adding shadows will ground the work so the fruit don’t look floating in space. The box is a deep purple which plays nicely with the fruits.

Watercolor will usually stay and follow a wet surface, if you wet a section of paper the watercolor should stay in the wet areas as a rule.  Painting on damp paper will give you a bleed mark or the new color will blend into the other. It is important to play around with paint to see how the control works for you. If you stop in mid stroke the color will build in that area and will not be a solid line or stroke. If you want a solid section then keep pulling a one stroke move.

In this final watercolor 101 Joan did a nice job painting. In watercolor 101 there are about four layers of color to build an object. Next watercolor is on the way being drawn and I will post updates.

So far the table grain was made by painting the a warm sepia brown over a damp surface painted in the same color. First paint the common color with a wide brush. If you look in the upper left section in the above picture you can see how Joan was painting from the box, apple and pear  stopping when painting in the sepia on the first layer. If you stop and don’t pull the color all the way through you get a line/band or heaviness of paint. If you don’t want a band of color make sure to pull the strokes all the way to the edge or off the edge of paper.

Now notice the brush in the bottom picture the brush is older and has stiff bristles. Making the paint a bit thicker or same stronger richer hue drag the stiff brush across the surface to make the grain lines . Follow the pattern the first main layer that has been put down.

The grain lines are not in the picture below.  Fuzzing the shadows of the grapes working wet on damp paper will help the shadow blend the edges. The shadows from the objects should ground or start to ground the objects.

************Look at the next two pictures and notice how the color of the grapes change in the following picture compared to the picture after this one. Just adding a background color changes the entire appearance. Think about how and what color will change the environment.

COMPARE THE NEXT TWO PICTURES AND HOW THE BACKGROUND CHANGES THE APPEARANCE  OF COLORS. HOW THE BACKGROUND COLOR WILL AFFECT THE HUES OF COLORS OF THE OTHER OBJECTS. NOTICE HOW THE GRAPES CHANGE IN APPEARANCE AND THE PEAR IS BRIGHTER JUST FROM THE BACKGROUND BEING ADDED. THERE WASN’T ANY COLORS ADDED TO THE FRUIT AND NOTICE HOW THE BROWN WOOD SURFACE EFFECTED THE COMPOSITION. THINK ABOUT AND PLAN A PAINTING AND THE COLORS YOU ARE USING. THE BRUSH IN THE FOLLOWING PICTURE IS #6 DRAG OR LINER. I LOVE THIS BRUSH AND HOW MUCH WATER/COLOR IT CAN HOLD AND THE DISTANCE YOU CAN GET USING IT. IF I HAD TO PICK ONE BRUSH TO PAINT AN ENTIRE PAINTING THIS WOULD BE THE BRUSH!

When starting grapes remember to look at the shapes and placement of each grape. How they are attached to the vine. Actually get grapes and examine how they really look. Paint them as spheres in values as you drawn in graphite. Remember to keep highlights in place to relationship to the light source. This watercolor will end up being wc 101, the next study will be 102 level with much more detail and realism. Each added layer of watercolor usually demands more controlled strokes, even dry brush techniques.