My Weekly Themed Sketch and Other Art Works

[snowbear]

You're making me blush. And, from what you've posted, you are good. Maybe I should start a drawing challenge thread.

I've thrown away a lot more than I've kept. I have a few that were started, and likely won't be finished.

 

[snowbear]

For next weekend, I'm going to do another "my steps" series. This is probably what I'm going to draw, or rather, a variation of it.

red wing blackbird.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

 

[terri]

Maybe I should start a drawing challenge thread.

If you start such a thread, I'll play! I might use oil pastels instead of pencil, if I can.

And, from what you've posted, you are good.

Well, that is generous of you - I'm trying. I'm used to playing with my photographs, using alternative photo techniques, so the very idea of making my own drawings is pretty foreign. Frankly, I only picked up oil pastels as another medium to use for hand coloring my photos. A few times lately, I've used my own photos more as references, just like you are suggesting here with the red-winged blackbird. I do find it helpful to have something to pull from, which is certainly different than painting over an image.

I've thrown away a lot more than I've kept.

Haven't we all? The trash can is called "the learning bin."

Here is one I did last month, oil pastels on cheap gray construction paper. I used gray paper so I wouldn't have to color the sky. Kind of a cop-out, but it was more of an attempt to draw snow in trees, which I'd never done. Also trying to show depth in a drawing, trying to fade out the right side tree as opposed to the little one in the foreground.

 

[terri]

For next weekend, I'm going to do another "my steps" series. This is probably what I'm going to draw, or rather, a variation of it.

red wing blackbird.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

I love these guys. As an aside, during the last week or so, a huge flock of them has shown up in my back yard and attacked the feeders like a swarm of locusts. I had 2 feeders stuffed to the brim - and within 48 hours, they were both empty. Eating me out of house and home! But they are a sight to see when they take off in a flock, those wings flashing. Gorgeous birds.

 

[snowbear]

That's a wonderful drawing, Terri. I've seen a couple RWBBs around here, but not many.

The narrower DoF is something I started trying when I was at Maryland. We got fussed at for not putting in the background when we were drawing models, so I started experimenting. I found I liked it best when I included some facial features of the first row of students beyond the model, then just barely added the rest (ovals and squared for heads and easels).

 

[terri]

Thank you. I never had a classic art class like that, with models and such. My brain is wired now to look at my drawings as if through a viewfinder. If it's not quite there, I know I didn't do a good job.

 

[snowbear]

A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series. I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.

1. The reference photo. I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.



2. Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them. Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.


3. Define the lines. I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance. Well, adult coloring books are popular!

I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet. The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.


Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.

 

[jcdeboever]

A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series. I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.

1. The reference photo. I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.



2. Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them. Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.


3. Define the lines. I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance. Well, adult coloring books are popular!

I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet. The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.


Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.[/QUOTE

Colored pencils?

 

[snowbear]

A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series. I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.

1. The reference photo. I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.



2. Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them. Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.


3. Define the lines. I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance. Well, adult coloring books are popular!

I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet. The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.


Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.[/QUOTE

Colored pencils?

A possibility. I also have a big box of Crayola crayons with the discontinued "Cornflower".

 

[Gary A.]

I'd just print it.

 

[snowbear]

I'd just print it.

Well, it's a little like you and your back yard . . . "I'd just go to the grocery store."

 

[vintagesnaps]

Very nice. I'd probably go more bold than pastel with the bird being black and red, maybe acrylic. I usually test on a small piece of paper and see, maybe you do that too.

 

[snowbear]

Very nice. I'd probably go more bold than pastel with the bird being black and red, maybe acrylic. I usually test on a small piece of paper and see, maybe you do that too.

I'm leaning towards color pencils or pen & ink for this one.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I like B&W but I vote for color! lol or maybe not... it actually looks good even as a pencil sketch.

 

[jcdeboever]

Very nice. I'd probably go more bold than pastel with the bird being black and red, maybe acrylic. I usually test on a small piece of paper and see, maybe you do that too.

I'm leaning towards color pencils or pen & ink for this one.

Pen and ink would be cool but very difficult unless you chose pointalism. Color pencils or pencil watercolor would be a wise choice as it could expedite the render and offer a fair upgrade in separation of the subject and melting of background.