Graphite – Page 2 – SusieG Studio

A Flower

Personally, I think flowers are a difficult subject to draw. I have a few hundred flower pictures in my archive. When I get ready to draw, I always pull out a flower picture first. It could be the composition that catches my eye or the the colors. Then I put it back in my stack and pull out another picture not related to anything floral.

Today, I decided to grab a flower picture and just draw it. I started with a loose outline of the flower. I then sketched in the darkest values first. The background came next. I could have done more, but less is better. I like how this one came out. My motto: Just Do It!

art_flower_graphite_8853

I left my remaining loose outlines on the paper. That way you can tell where I started from and it also lets your imagination run wild as to how you would finish the flower.

Paper used: Canson sketch paper

Personal Drawings: A Tropical Fish

I’m in a lull where I’m not taking any art classes for a few weeks. I am making a point to practice during the evenings and on weekends. Time permitting. I have a lot of photos that I have taken and I have spent some time going through them. The ones I have selected to draw, I have them printed on my Epson printer on 5″x7″ photo paper. This size paper is big enough to see the details and still small enough that I can stick it on the corner of my drawing board while I sketch/draw. The 4″x6″ photo paper is too small to see any details, but I will print a few of this size for quick references and they are small enough to carry in my purse for when I want to draw-on-the-go.

I have a lot of tropical fish pictures I have taken from my snorkeling adventures in the Caribbean. I thought today would be a good time to get out my graphite pencils and do a drawing of a Blue Tang:

art_blue_tang_graphite_8844

Drawing with graphite pencils is my first choice and favorite art medium to use. I do like to experiment with color and I am still learning to use my color pencils. I am also glad to have had the opportunity to experiment with color pencils in my Drawing Explorations class back in May. I thought it would be a great idea to redraw my Blue Tang drawing in color:

art_colored_pencil_blue_tang_8865

This drawing is still a work in progress.

Here’s another drawing in the works:

art_coloredpencils_still_life_8714

Papers used: Canson Sketch paper

Day 1: Drawing Explorations Class – Rough Sketching

When I arrived at my local art gallery, there were several tables setup with still life objects. A few tables were setup with styrofoam objects (cups, cones, etc). Other tables had gray bottles, pots, and fruits.

Since I was the first one to arrive, I took a seat at a table with some difficult objects to draw. For the first 30 minutes we drew basic outlines of the still life. Here’s my first rendering:

1_art_class_linedrawing_8554

We were then told to move to another table of our choice and do another basic outline of still life. This time I chose the styrofoam objects. Here’s my next rendering:

1_art_class_linedrawing_8555

Still a work in progress. I definitely need to practice every evening and work on perspective drawing. Otherwise my artwork will appear to be wonky. Looking forward to my next class.

Paper used: Canson sketch pad 18″ x 24″

Take away from class: need to work more on getting the perspectives right.

Getting Ready for My First Class (in years)

I’m getting ready to start a class at my local art center. My first art class since early 2000. I thought I would start practicing the basic drawing skills like drawing an object, it’s shadows, and shading. First, I created a value chart for my personal use:

art_tonal_chart — My graphite value charts

The above chart will help me make sure I have contrast in my drawings. I tend to sketch/draw lightly so that everything looks flat. I need to work on being bold and show contrast in my work.

Then I drew the typical ball with it’s shadow and shading or values. I’m getting there. See the contrast?

art_ball_drawing — My sphere drawing showing cast shadows

Then I decided to just practice what I wanted to draw I dug out my vacation snapshots and came across my turtle pictures I took while in Costa Maya. It’s a start:

art_turtle_drawing