Now no further delays...for my new...news, funny choice of words (chuckle to myself).
For
the New Year I have decided I would like to share with you my
process...how I begin, work through and finish a drawing. I have been
asked numerous times to do this but wasn't sure I could put it down in
words but with photos I think it is possible.
Every
Thursday I will publish a new installment of 'Draw With Me' (I couldn't
come up with a clever play of words for this weekly endeavor..darn) I
will post the progression of a new drawing from choosing materials such
as pencils, paper to photographing your subject and of course the weekly
growth of the drawing. I hope you will drop by to see how I'm getting
along.
So to begin I usually gather all my materials in one place...my subject, paper, pencils, tools and figure out what I'm going to need for this particular drawing like in the photo above. I usually have an idea in my mind of how I want a drawing to look but often it will take on a life of it's own as it develops...I love that. The drawing I will be starting is a Heirloom drawing...baby shoes. You can see what this is at the top of my page, centre under the title.
So to begin I usually gather all my materials in one place...my subject, paper, pencils, tools and figure out what I'm going to need for this particular drawing like in the photo above. I usually have an idea in my mind of how I want a drawing to look but often it will take on a life of it's own as it develops...I love that. The drawing I will be starting is a Heirloom drawing...baby shoes. You can see what this is at the top of my page, centre under the title.
If you like please join in and start a new drawing yourself, let me know how it's going...I would love to hear.
If you have any questions about my drawing or materials please ask...I will do my best to answer if I can.
I'm so excited to get started...I'll see you next week and we'll talk about choosing paper.
Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 2
I'm so excited to get started...I'll see you next week and we'll talk about choosing paper.
Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 2
So
here we are...week 2...are you ready to choose some paper? Just to let
you know I am a paper fanatic...but that's another story. (sigh) I
will digress at another time.
From
my experience I have narrowed down the paper pool quite a bit just out
of personal preference and that is what you should do as well. Try a
bunch of different papers...colours, weights, finishes and you will
quickly discover which papers will bring out the best of your work and
which ones you really enjoy working on. This I think is key...drawing is
an experience, something so joyful you must make it the very best you
can...it will reflect in the finished work...it will shine.
I
tend to go through phases...by this I mean extended periods in which I
will use only one type of paper, pencil etc. until I feel I have
exhausted all I can from the experience. This doesn't mean I won't
revisit this whole scenario at a later date but if it's working who am I
to tamper with it?
This
also works if you are creating a series...you want to keep the same
feel, the same energy (there is my word for this year) to keep the
emotion flowing...to bring it full circle.
So
enough about that...on to choosing paper. The best that I have found
that work for my style of drawing is Bristol...smooth Bristol to be more
precise...though Bristol vellum works very nicely as well. My pencil
work involves a great deal of detail and using a smooth surface allows
me to get into the tiniest of crevasses to create shadow or line. The
papers that I use the most are Strathmore 2-ply Bristol smooth (400 series), Strathmore 100lb. Bristol vellum (300 series) and Canson 100lb. Bristol vellum (Foundation series). The vellum tends to have a bit more of a 'texture' to it's look though it remains very smooth.
For
this new drawing I will be using the Canson 100lb. Bristol
vellum...I'll try to show you the texture thing though you may have to
head to your favourite art store (oh darn, such a hardship) to check
them out for yourselves. (as she skips happily to her car)
Any questions please leave a comment or e-mail me directly
Any questions please leave a comment or e-mail me directly
Happy choosing. :)
Sheila
Post
Script: I have done many a drawing on watercolour paper just to have
the texture thing happening and it works fabulously, though a note of
caution...it's a little rougher on your pencils and you may end up
covered in a dusting of graphite and it gets everywhere...but that's
entirely up to you.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 3
PS There are many many more makes of pencils and if you get the chance give them a try and let me know what you think...I'm always up for new experiences.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 4
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 3
So
it is week 3 and as I promised in my last installment we are going to
talk pencils. You can draw with just about anything...as long as it
makes a mark on a surface you're good to go but wait...is it that
simple? Well yes I think it is and I have tried many a drawing
utensil...that's where the fun is.
When
you enjoy drawing, anything will work but (and there is always a but)
not all pencils are created equal. Your every day pencil is usually a
HB and sometimes a 2B. Pencils are graded on their hardness or
blackness. Some think that the B stands for softness but in truth it's
how black the pencil is and for a pencil to achieve it's degree of black
it becomes softer so that is the connection. You can achieve a
fabulous black with an 8B. For me this is huge as I love the contrast
between the darks and light...now we're talking.
You also have H for yes hard pencils and F for fine point (more for drafting). You can buy pencils in sets or as singles.
For
years I used Faber Castell pencils just because that is what my
teachers suggested when I attended Art School...so...they should know
right? Yes, they are very nice pencils...I still use them though I do
use Derwent pencils
now as well...I have obtained a nice drawing set, Graphic Soft 12 tin,
so for this project I will be using them exclusively to see if I find
any differences in how they perform. I like a new smooth, creamy
pencil...I absolutely cringe at a dry graphite or a pencil that has
foreign particles (big shiver)
So now we have chosen paper and pencils...next week I'll discuss erasers, stubs and other tools we made need.
Have a great week...dig out those pencils and dust off the old drawing board we'll be starting soon.
Sheila
PS There are many many more makes of pencils and if you get the chance give them a try and let me know what you think...I'm always up for new experiences.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 4
I'm
sitting in my favourite chair with my quilt covering my legs in the
early morning hours of a Saturday. The house is so very quiet and
still...the time of day I love the most...it's when I do my best
thinking (then and in the middle of the night...sigh).
As
I said last week we'll be talking about erasers, stubs, brushes (yes
brushes) and what ever else we may need to help us with our drawing
endeavor.
As
with pencils there are many types of erasers which have attributes
geared towards different uses. I'll tell you the type of erasers I use
and why.
The
main type I use is the white drafting eraser in a flat rectangle and a
pen type. Both of these are excellent for smooth white paper to lift
most graphite completely off (unless you have been adding layers of 8B
to achieve a deep shadow) the flat for large areas, the pen type for
tighter areas. Electric or battery erasers use the white as
well...these are very handy again for tight areas.
The
next is a knead-able...definitely a must. You know those grey ones
that are like Play-doh. You can shape this to fit in any form and lift
out unwanted graphite or lighten an area to add texture or pattern.
There are many more but these are the erasers I use.
Stubs
are a must for blending and softening edges (I use to use my finger)
and you can get these in different sizes...I prefer the small ones again
they lend themselves well for detail.
I
know I mentioned brushes and yes I use a goat hair brush...Why you
ask? They are fabulous for brushing away those little bits or eraser,
pencil dust etc. Any brush will do but the goat hair is so soft and
gentle...never a problem for you drawing. I have one for graphite and a
couple for coloured pencil. You can wash them up when they get too
soiled to start a new drawing.
Another useful item is the pencil extender. When your pencils get a little short and hard to handle you don't have to throw them away you pop them into an extender and you 'extend' (ha ha) the life of said pencil. . . I like that.
Another useful item is the pencil extender. When your pencils get a little short and hard to handle you don't have to throw them away you pop them into an extender and you 'extend' (ha ha) the life of said pencil. . . I like that.
Now I don't think I left anything out but I will mention things as our drawing goes along.
If you have any 'equipment' you use leave me a comment and I will pass it along.
Happy gathering...Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 5
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 5
I
guess the first thing we need to talk about is what will you be doing
with your drawing. This always is a big question for me. If it is a
commissioned drawing my client determines the size. . . if it is a
drawing I'm doing for myself I have to decide on whether I will want to
make prints and cards to share. You can choose whatever size you like. .
. a square is always nice though a little harder to find mats and
frames.
Many
of my drawings I keep to 9.5 x 7.5 size. This is the size that works
well with my scanner which is a standard scanner though I am thinking of
upgrading to a larger format just to have more options.
Just
a note. When I was in Art School we were taught that you always give
your width measurement first that's why you see that I put longer number
at the beginning.
For
larger drawings you do have the option of using a company that can scan
and print reproductions. I use this option as well though it requires
you to make a bit of an investment, it all depends on the vision you
have for your drawing.
So
let's get started. You have your paper chosen and now lets lightly
draw our 9.5 x 7.5 box. You can trim your paper to 11 x 8.5 to fit your
scanner or leave as is. . . I will leave mine for now (I can always
trim it later) You can either find the centre of you paper and measure
out from there or measure in from the sides. So from the sides I
measure in 1.25 inches from each side and .75 of an inch from the top
and bottom.
And now we have our dimensions measured ready for next week when we will discuss photographing our subject.
If you have any questions I'll be more than happy to help.
Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 6
Draw With Me - Week 7
If you have any questions I'll be more than happy to help.
Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 6
I
prefer to work from photographs. This allows me the freedom to take my
drawing with me and work where ever I please. I'm not stuck to a still
life set up.
I
like to use my camera to help with the composition of my drawing. I
can take from different angles as well as using different lighting
sources to see which provides me with the best detail and contrast. . .
detail is what I love the best.
I
have a fluorescent overhead and two adjustable stand lights that seem
to be just ideal for my props though you can use whatever you have
available. Sometimes a bright sunny window is the best lighting. . .
you need to experiment, different rooms, different times of day. . .
find what works with your vision for your drawing.
I
like to keep the background light so I often use watercolour paper as
my base layer. I then begin to add subjects to the setup. You have
your main focal point (main subject) and then you may have related or
complimentary items. For this drawing I am going to use the baby shoes
and their box (this is the box they came in, isn't that cool) You may
find objects that are related or you can use a single item. . . both
ways work, there is no wrong answer.
So
here we go. I'll take photos from all around the subject then load
them onto my computer to have a better look. Once I find the photo I
like I can then crop, lighten or darken and clean up elements I don't
require. This may take a while and sometimes I leave it and come back
the next day when my head is clearer to take a second look and make sure
that's the drawing I've envisioned.
So what do you think? Not so hard. Any questions?
Next week we will grid off our drawing.
Happy photographing.
Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 7
Hello my Art buddies. . . hope your week is progressing nicely.
So
last week I chose the photo for my drawing, did a bit of cropping in
PSE (that's PhotoShop Elements but you can use what ever program you
have to do your editing) At this point I also convert the photo to
black and white if my drawing is a graphite rendering. . . it brings out
the depth of tone better I find and makes it easier to determine my
grey scale.
If
my drawing is 9.5 x 7.5 I will print out my photo the same size (makes
for less work when transferring my line drawing. If there is a lot of
detail I will make the grid smaller so I can focus in on the detail. I
find when I don't look at the drawing as a whole and concentrate on one
section at a time the shapes reveal themselves better.
So
lets draw our grid. I usually try to use an even number for my grid so
being that I am an old school kind of gal I use inches. . . it's just
how my brain was programmed (hard to teach an old dog new tricks and all
that). I will leave a quarter of an inch at either side and top and
bottom then start my grid from there. I'm using a one inch grid.
Next week we will begin to transfer our drawing. . . make our line drawing.
So here's a little treat for you. The Derwent Pencil company sent me a box of goodies to give away so each week I will be drawing a name to win a blister pack of drawing pencils (this week 4 Graphic Soft pencils). . . isn't that awesome? Leave a comment here on my blog and get an entry. Join my blog ...get an entry. Follow me on Twitter and get another entry. 'Like' my FaceBook page and get another. Easy peasy. You have until Tuesday at 7pm then I will pick a winner. Good luck.
Have a good one. . . Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 8
Next week we will begin to transfer our drawing. . . make our line drawing.
So here's a little treat for you. The Derwent Pencil company sent me a box of goodies to give away so each week I will be drawing a name to win a blister pack of drawing pencils (this week 4 Graphic Soft pencils). . . isn't that awesome? Leave a comment here on my blog and get an entry. Join my blog ...get an entry. Follow me on Twitter and get another entry. 'Like' my FaceBook page and get another. Easy peasy. You have until Tuesday at 7pm then I will pick a winner. Good luck.
Have a good one. . . Sheila
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 8
So
this week we will be transferring our drawing using our photograph as a
guide. We have our grid laid out on our paper or in my case, Bristol
smooth and on our photo. I start with the most obvious shapes. . .
easiest to block in and then I work my way to the more difficult where
the detail is. I use a rough reference (measurement around square) to
position my lines which helps with placement.
Using my Derwent HB pencil I begin in the top left corner (because I'm a righty) and work my way to the right using a piece of scrap paper under my hand to prevent oils from getting on my surface. Notice that my drawing is light. . . just enough to see, don't be too heavy with your pencil.
Using my Derwent HB pencil I begin in the top left corner (because I'm a righty) and work my way to the right using a piece of scrap paper under my hand to prevent oils from getting on my surface. Notice that my drawing is light. . . just enough to see, don't be too heavy with your pencil.
It
takes some time to do this but I have learned over the years that if
you have a good under drawing then the rest is a walk in the park. Take
your time with this process. . . erase and replace if you must until
you are satisfied. . . this is an important step in the development of
your drawing. It's also a nice way to ease yourself into it if you've
been away from drawing for a while.
Be
patient with yourself. . . it's the process that is the most appealing
not the finished product. If you enjoy the process it will most
definitely show in the end result.
Have fun with your drawing. . . next week you will see how much I have got done.
Sheila
PS Congratulations to Danielle Bernier, the winner of the Derwent drawing pencils from last week's post. Not to worry I am having another. This week I am giving away a blister pack of 6 Graphitint pencils from Derwent. Same as last week, leave a comment, share my post, join my blog, join my FaceBook page, follow me on Twitter etc. you get the picture (no pun intended). I will make the draw next Tuesday at 7pm. Good luck.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 9
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 10
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 11
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 12
Have fun with your drawing. . . next week you will see how much I have got done.
Sheila
PS Congratulations to Danielle Bernier, the winner of the Derwent drawing pencils from last week's post. Not to worry I am having another. This week I am giving away a blister pack of 6 Graphitint pencils from Derwent. Same as last week, leave a comment, share my post, join my blog, join my FaceBook page, follow me on Twitter etc. you get the picture (no pun intended). I will make the draw next Tuesday at 7pm. Good luck.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 9
Hello fellow Artsies. . . are you ready to get at our drawing?
So
as I mentioned last week I begin working my drawing from the top left
corner as I'm a righty. . . if you are a lefty you work from the
opposite side. . . makes sense right?
I
start to block in the most obvious shades which gives me a base to
gauge my shades. I like to use my HB pencil (the one I used to lay down
my base line drawing) it's fine enough to fill in the grain of the
paper albeit smooth. . . the darker and softer the pencil the more it
tends to sit on top of the paper. I find it better to create layers of
pencil and gradually build to the dark. If you try to use your dark
pencils too early they are very hard to lift off if you need to. . . the
layers will give your drawing more depth. At the beginning I like to
use HB, 2B, 4B. . . save the 6B and 8B (or darker) until the end.
Also, the dark pencils will smear very easily. . . makes a mess of your drawing and nobody wants that.
Keep working on your drawing and I will do the same and we will see how far we get next week.
Happy Drawing
Any questions? Please don't hesitate to ask. . . I'll see what I can do to help.
Sheila
PS
The winner of the Derwent Graphitint blister pack for last weeks draw
is Heather Williamson of Kanata, congratulations! This giveaway thing
is so much fun let's have another! I will be giving away another
blister pack of Derwent drawing pencils.
Follow my blog, like my FaceBook page, follow me on Twitter, leave a
comment or share a post and I will enter you into the draw. . . simple.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 10
Have
you had much time to work on your pencil drawing? I've been managing
to fit in a little here and there though we have had a little sickness
running through the house so I must say I haven't accomplished as much
as I would like.
I
do have to remind myself and I will tell you too that it is the process
of creating which is the most rewarding for me, not the finished
product . . an important step in your journey. Drawing for me is
meditation. . . I can escape all the laundry, cooking, cleaning etc.
when I sit down to draw and clear my mind even if it's just for a brief
period and I think we all really need that in our day.
I
am still working my drawing from the top left and fanning out wards. I
will often go back into a section and rework as the mood strikes me if I
see something that needs to be tweaked. Something else that helps me
to progress in a drawing is to periodically 'clean up' my white areas
to keep them white. these are areas you have left for highlights. . .
they can become smudged when moving back and forth over the area. Take
your knead-able eraser and form into a point or flat (what ever shape
you need) and lift out graphite. Using your small white drafting eraser
is also helpful.
So continue working your drawing and let me know how you are getting along. I'm here if you need me.
Sheila
Sheila
Happy Drawing
PS The winner of the Derwent drawing pencils blister pack for last weeks
draw is Susan Hemann of Ohio, congratulations! This giveaway
thing is so much fun I'm going to do another! I will be giving away another
blister pack of Derwent Graphitints.
Follow my blog, like my FaceBook page, follow me on Twitter, retweet a Tweet, leave a
comment or share a post and I will enter you into the draw.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 11
Hello
my Artsy friends. . . how are you faring this week? Spring has sprung
around my neck of the woods. . . it is lovely to see the birds return
and to see the snow disappear.
So
we are continuing with our drawing. . . just working away at each
section, reworking and adding more depth with our 6B-9B pencils. It's
the contrast between light and dark that gives you the depth in your
drawing. . . it is where the interesting stuff is, what draws the eye.
As
I work my way around my drawing I begin to erase my grid lines so they
don't interfere with what I'm doing. Really the grid was there just for
placement, for my basic drawing, as I add my detail the grid is no
longer needed.
I
am using more of my darker pencils now, concentrating on leaving the
highlights white and keeping those areas clean (a little bit of a
challenge but if you keep aware of it right from the beginning, covering
areas with a scrap piece of paper as you work will help).
I
hope you are enjoying my drawing lessons as much as I'm enjoying
sharing my process with you. If you have any questions please ask away.
Keep on drawing. . . you're doing a great job.
Sheila
PS Yes, I'll be doing another draw for a blister pack of Derwent drawing pencils
this week but first the winner for my last post is . . . Patti Agapi of
Orillia, Ontario. Congrats! If you would like to be in on this week's
draw leave a comment, follow me on Facebook or Twitter, re-post this
post or follow this blog then I will have a name to put in the hat.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 12
Hello
and welcome my Artsy friends. . . Spring has sprung, how is it looking
in your neighbourhood? We are having a summer heat wave, it has been
just glorious with 27C temps. It's like having a holiday without having
to go anywhere.
I
have been progressing with my drawing nicely, maybe not spending as
much time as I should but I just had to get outside and enjoy the
fabulous weather we have been blessed with. I have completed the toe of
the second shoe, scuffs and all, along with the scalloped detail and
now I will head into the lace detail. . . there's not much left to do
now. I worked the box as I have come along to limit my hand drag over
the shoes themselves.
When
working the shadows I like to set my drawing away from myself so I can
look at the darks as shapes, I get a better idea of where they lie. I
continue to erase my grid as I work and I will go back into an area to
add more depth with my 6B. . . it's all about the details now. . . I
love this part.
We are almost finished. . . keep working. . . you're doing a great job!
Any questions? Ask away. . . I'm here to help.
Sheila
PS
The winner of last week's draw is Rosa Yorke of Orleans. . . congrats!
I will be having one more drawing for this post. Leave me a comment
here or become a member, follow me on Twitter, like my Facebook page,
leave a comment there and your name will be entered in the draw. Good
luck!
I will leave the background white, I want to focus on the shoes. . . draw attention to them only.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 13
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Week 13
Hello
and welcome my Artsy friends, hope you are having a productive week.
Our weather turned cold again so I am back in winter mode though our
snow is all but gone so that is nice.
So
lets jump right into my drawing. I must apologize for not
accomplishing as much as I had promised last week. . . this gum surgery
has slowed me down a bit.
I
did managed to finish the shoe box and completed a good portion of the
laces which takes longer as that is where the detail sits. . . I want to
get them just right, it is the focal point for me. I also have erased
most of the grid lines now as I only need a few on the shoe itself.
I
do tend to got back into an area if it catches my eye to add a little
more shadow or depth but you have to know when to stop to. . . you don't
want to over work it.
It
is good to take a break from you drawing for a period, this will give
you some perspective. Sometimes when you stare at something too long
you loose sight. . . you need to look at the big picture. This also
helps when there is an area that may be giving you trouble. . . step
away for a while, it will be clearer (honest) when you come back.
Keep working, you're doing great.
Sheila
PS The winner of last weeks Derwent Graphitint Pencil blister pack
is. . . drum roll please. . . Wendy of @littlenevabakes in Virginia,
USA. Congrats Wendy! Since I didn't complete my drawing this week I
think I will give away another Derwent Pencil blister pack. Leave me a
comment, follow me on Twitter, like my Facebook page, join my blog page
here and I will enter you in the draw. Good luck.
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Completed
_______________________________________________________________
Draw With Me - Completed
Hello and welcome my Artsies. . . can you believe I have completed my Baby Shoe drawing?
Well
there you have it, you saw it at it's birth, through it's adolescence
and finally here at it's completion. . . I am happy with the end product
though I am never totally satisfied. . . there always seems to be just
that little 'je ne c'est quoi' that is elusive but I imagine every
artist feels that.
Once
I felt I was finished I did go all over my drawing and erase down all
the white spaces to clean it up. . . that's a fun step. . . it's like
sweeping the kitchen floor after the dishes are done and the table is
cleared.
I
will continue to tweak a little more here and there. . . adding a few
more darks to my shadows and erasing my whites but I am very close.
You
can use a fixative spray to help seal up the graphite though I don't
always do this, I don't find it necessary. . . it is entirely up to you,
I do recommend that you do a little research first.
I
hope you have enjoyed my little step-by-step as much as I have enjoyed
sharing with you. I think I will begin another drawing very soon so
stay tuned.
Sheila
PS
The winner from last week's Derwent pencil draw is Laura Daub. . .
congrats Laura. Thanks to all of you who took the time to stop by and
share my little classroom. . . I loved corresponding with you all. I
see more giveaways in the future so make sure you stop by.