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Day 13 Pulled out a ruler and triangle and couldn’t help tweaking lines. Is it so bad to use “technology” to render symmetrical man-made objects? – For the time being, I’m ok with that approach. I then used a light table to trace the sketch onto “good” paper – the result is the lower sheet in the pictures. I’m cracking up; the line quality is absolutely horrid. I couldn’t see the line I was drawing; it’s way too much pressure and it’s absolutely halting and wiggly. But the picture will be a medium key, so it may not matter. This is just one giant experiment now
Day 14 Goal: use values that create visual interest and represent form and texture. Started rendering; still in ugly duckling phase. Will it turn into a swan or a turkey vulture?
Day 15 Out of town for the weekend, so a break from the flower pots. Reading Alfonso Dunn’s “Pen & Ink Drawing” and practicing some marks, along with an attempt at an orange (ugh) and the end of a stick (better texture match)
Day 16 Not a great day in either focus or output, but I did something rather than nothing. Just some random sketching
Day 17 Back to the flower pots. A bit more depth now. Still lots of work to do.
Day 18 Mostly done, I think. Background turned a bit blotchy – not sure how to get an even light tone in charcoal.
Day 19. Met with my local teacher Robin Cole again. Transferred the line drawing to good paper using transfer paper and a willow charcoal rub. Outcome seems to be comparable to using light table, but my light table wouldn’t have been big enough for this one. I’ve come to realize that during the rendering process things are fluid anyway, and the copied line is guidance more than law. We did a little value sketch (picture taken after Robin prettied it up). I’m learning that at times the mind needs to overrule the eye – it’s not about rendering everything true to observation, but in such a way that it’s easy for the observer to interpret correctly. Quote I’m pondering: “What’s the minimum amount of visual information you need to provide to communicate what you want?”
Day 20 First quick pass at a fool’s cap on top of a squash. Lots of interesting folds that I don’t want to deal with tonight. Will revisit tomorrow
Day 21 Friday Live Figure Drawing, just for fun and general practice. I enjoy figure drawing so much more now that it’s no longer my “official” challenge focus
Thanks for checking out my sketches, congrats on starting your 2nd 100 day challenge!! Love the little potted plants!
Day 22 I got some pretty flowers, and they just begged to be drawn (I focused on a very small snippet). Goal was to practice sight-sizing and drawing accurately from nature. Also, my local teacher has encouraged me to approach the drawing of botanical items as a series of angled lines rather than jump straight for the curve – she things it yields more energetic and more realistic plant representations, so I’ve tried to do that, as well. Then, felt compelled to do a bit of shading for depth. Obviously not a complete render. I should’ve been more strategic in my approach in that, let’s say, pick 3 values and be consistent, rather than my happy go lucky approach.
The sight drawing approach seems to be getting easier for me; at least today.
Day 23 Another flower line drawing exercise. I could’ve benefited from sub-dividing the larger shapes first before getting into the leaves
Then, started on a portrait with France Van Stone’s Sktchy class, which is mostly just draw-along. I do find “real” people’s faces much more intriguing than staged model shots.
Day 24 I’m not sure it’s done, but I’m done with it. It was a challenging reference, angle and lighting wise. I actually think there were several section I should’ve left alone – it initially had a stronger focus on the eyes. Wish I’d done a value matrix before diving in. He Sktchy class is inspirational but not that instructive
Day 25 I’ve come to appreciate drawing flowers as warm up. The shapes are abstract enough for the left brain to cease control to the right brain. Also, there is some “give” in what a natural flower may look like (unlike man made objects or the human body), so the results haven’t felt like a failure yet
Then, started on the next Sktchy portrait.
Will be in the Utah desert for the next 5 days, so probably be able to post anything until I come back, but I’m taking a minimal art kit
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