Back to my robin

As some of you will remember, back in January I began a drawing of a robin, which I've dug out, dusted off and restarted work on. I actually got on quite well yesterday afternoon and the robin is complete. However I'm now going to attempt to add a tree stump from a different reference photo and a soft background. I hope it works and that I don't ruin the whole thing, I want this for one of my Christmas cards this year and I also hope to put it in my cp group's Christmas theme. If you want to see the other works in progress for this piece look in January.

Taking shape

After today's work I feel that she is beginning to take shape, though I'll admit it's only an approximation of my reference photo. Today I made a direct comparison on the pc (overlaying the photo onto my drawing and shape wise it's pretty good, with just an error in the depth from under her nose to her mouth however the colours aren't good. Photo realism is something I would love to achieve but I'm a long way from there! Considering that this is my first drawing for about 9 months (and that I never finished the last one), I'm reasonably happy with my progress.

A wildcat evening

I wasn't very happy with this morning's scan, I knew there were bits that really weren't right. So here's an update with some changes and additions. It's a little better, I think. How I wish I had someone to stand over me and say what it is I do wrong when I am attempting to depict fur! Working on drafting film is certainly very fast, simply because I can't add many layers. I know from the work of other artists that this needn't be a disadvantage if you know what you're doing, trouble is I don't, lol.

Wildcat progress

As you can tell by two posts in two days, I am spending a lot of time at my drawing board. I wouldn't say I'm entirely pleased with how it's going, I'm already struggling with the fur both rendering and colour choice. I will keep going, this is after all a learning curve and I must expect difficulties after so long without practice. I am happy with her eyes and nose! Here is scan number two. There are bits that I will almost certainly have to change, one good thing, erasing is easy on this surface but it also smudges horribly if I get my hand on what I've already done.

I'm back, with a wildcat!

Ok, I know it has been many months since I've posted and even longer since I've done any drawing. I finally decided to have another go, this time attempting a scottish wildcat, done from a photograph that I took back in May on a photography day at The British Wildlife Centre. I'm doing this drawing on drafting film, my first time using this surface. There's things i like about it and others I don't. The surface doesn't accept many layers and I'm used to adding loads of layers to give depth and definition. On the other hand the pencils (I'm using prismacolors) glide on effortlessly so it isn't as hard on my hands. Anyway, here is the first scan, I've done it with black paper behind though that may not be how I finally present it.

A little work on my robin

Just a quick post to say I have begun the robin at long last! Not much, the light has been dreadful today and an hour was enough to give me a bad headache - I really must get the lighting situation sorted or I can see me giving up again. I'd also like to know if anyone reading this has any experience of optivisors (magnifiers which you can wear over your eyes). I have been thinking of one for a while but good ones are quite pricey & I don't know if one will help me. I do know that many crafters and artists use them but that's about it. Meanwhile here is the little robin after todays effort, obviously still a long way to go.

At long last.......

........I have started my new drawing - I've only done the line drawing but at least it's a beginning, getting me out of the rut. I hope now that I can get on with it quite quickly though as I still haven't finished the memory book I won't get much done this weekend. I'd like the memory book to be finished and ordered by tomorrow night and that's going to take all my time - fortunately Clive is away this weekend (in Pontsticill) motorbiking with some friends, so I am free to spend all day on it and forget about cooking etc.

Anyway, here is the line drawing - I have enhanced the lines for your benefit, they are actually very faint. My thanks to Jan for allowing me to use her lovely photo.

African Journey has ended

I finished it today! I have to say, I'm glad it's over and done with - I wasn't really enjoying it. The final result isn't bad but certainly not as good as I'd like. When I started on all that awful grass I knew instantly that I wasn't going to get a really realistic result so have settled for just an impressionistic one - and I seem to remember I said that at the start!

I doubt that I'll have much time for art or blogging over the next week or so - first we have visitors from Belgium (my hubby's relatives), then on Friday I am off to sunny (I hope) Blackpool for three days with Taivas. I shall be thinking what my next project should be so I can get started when I return. Anyway, here are the elephants - comments, good and bad, will be appreciated!

The elephants make progress at last!

Yesterday I had masses of bookkeeping to do but I promised myself that I would make time for some art late afternoon so I could update my blog in the evening. So I spent some time drawing and took some photos - only to find our server was down and I couldn't get online. My husband was worried that I would get withdrawal symptoms LOL! Better late than never though, here is an update of African Journey. I think it's just ok, no more than that - I'm really only continuing with it because I do learn something from every piece. And I don't like giving up on things! There's still a lot to do - I am not looking forward to all that grass - but it is slowly taking shape.

An elephant update

At last! I have finally done a little more to my elephant drawing. I'm not so happy with it as I was, it's becoming a bit too much like hard work. Doing these elephants has made me realise that I much prefer drawing head studies - they are more difficult to do but I prefer the amount of detail I can get, particularly in the eyes, which show so much emotion and the character of the animal. Anyway, here are two pics of it - the full drawing and a closer crop.

Cat from a tutorial

Still no elephants! I hope I'll have time for some drawing today, I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. (LOL) Meanwhile here's my first ever cat drawing, done from a brilliant internet tutorial by Gayle Mason (it's on Wet Canvas). This tutorial taught me so much about drawing eyes, so many very light layers to get that glow - still had difficulty with the fur, it's what always lets my drawings down, I think. Mine isn't anywhere near the brilliance of hers - not bad for a start but it also shows me I've a huge amount to learn. See her original here (bottom right of the page) http://www.gaylemasonfineart.com/up_close_and_personal_-_macro_cats.html

Elephants at a standstill

It doesn't look as though I'll have much time for art this week. I didn't get to draw at all yesterday, (time again to do some wages paying bookkeeping work) and it doesn't look as if there'll be time today. Of course I could be drawing instead of writing this! My recent book sale has just ended so I have books to pack up and get sent off, need to do that asap to get some much needed funds to cover my recent spending spree!LOL I'm off to a dog show tomorrow, so have to groom Taivas this evening, then a committee meeting tomorrow evening, dog walking and shopping for a camera case on Thursday and somehow I've got to fit in a haircut. Phew! So if this space is a blank until Friday you'll know why!

I'll leave you today with a drawing I did about three years ago, my first and only horse. I guess it's not very good but I was pleased with it at the time. Btw it was done from a book of tutorials by Lee Hammond.

Elephants update

My elephants are making slow progress - This 'African journey' is turning out to be a long one LOL! Today I redid the background tree - though you can't actually see it on this crop - and did quite a lot of work on the first elephant and a tiny bit on the second one. I'm reasonably pleased with how it's coming on, though didn't appreciate the comment from my husband who came in just as I put the finishing touches to elephant number two's tusk and said "why is he eating a banana?" I hope it doesn't really look as though he is!

My new toy

No update on the elephants this morning for the simple reason that yesterday I didn't pick up a pencil! That was because my new camera arrived and I spent each spare moment having a little play and getting to know it's basic functions. I think I'm going to be very pleased with it. Today it's raining so I won't get a chance to go out and experiment, so maybe by this evening the elephants will have made some progress! Meanwhile here's an earlier picture for you. This is Rosie a dear little dog that lives near me.

Background problems

I have discovered the reason that I do not do backgrounds - I am hopeless at them! I shall try and improve on what I've done before the drawing is finished, at the moment it looks terrible. The sky isn't too awful but my feeble attempt at grass and trees, well you take a look! I'm sure you'll agree. Sadly, there's a lot of foreground grass to do. I think it will be back to head studies for me after this. Well, I can't put off the moment any longer - here it is!

African journey wip two

I've done very little on my elephants today but I'm going to post an update anyway, mainly because I realised after posting yesterday that you couldn't really see him clearly at that size. So today I've cropped it down just to the part I'm working on and will upload it at large size - you should be able to see it - including the imperfections! I'm thinking I should take a leaf out of another artist's book (yes that's you, Wendy) and get working on the background before I do much more to the elephants. The thing is, I don't really do backgrounds! Or at least only ones that are one colour. Grass and sky will be rather a challenge for me LOL.

I'm really liking working on mountboard, I can see I will use up the small supply I bought quite quickly. It's a lovely smooth surface and takes the colour easily.

I have so many future projects planned that I think I have enough for the rest of this year - and into next! In no particular order - a robin (thanks Jan), a New Forest foal, a meerkat, a kookaburra, a zebra (can't you tell I've been to the zoo recently) and my Ashley! Plus I have a possible commission or two which I take on purely as more practice, I don't charge anything for them. (Or not yet anyway, she thinks hopefully!)

African journey - wip one

Hooray! Today I've finally started on my elephants which I think will be titled 'African journey', though that may change. I'm only at the very beginning, but I'm enjoying and liking it so far. It probably won't have the detail that my dog drawings do, I think it's going to be a bit more 'impressionist' - if that's the right word, mainly because it's difficult to see the fine details in the photo reference. Btw the photo has been supplied Sue, my friend who has just been to South Africa to compete in an Iron Man competition. Anyway, here's the first work in progress shot.



I spent yesterday afternoonon on a shopping expedition to check out some cameras and I'm pretty sure I've decided which one to buy and I'm quite excited at the thought of having a camera that has full manual controls - even though I'll probably take a lot of terrible shots to begin with!
I had a beautiful walk this morning (with Mary from Forest walks blog) at Shatterford, I could have done with that new camera as we saw a small group of deer. Luckily the dogs were on leads so we got to take a good number of pics before they moved on but they were just too far away to get anything really good. I posted the best one on Flickr plus several lovely foal photos and a great capture of a pony having a good roll.

Finished Ducky and feeling old.

Ducky is finished! I am surprised how much quicker it was working on black paper - even though I didn't really know what I was doing LOL. I did him much faster than usual so perhaps I will use a black surface again sometime.

Yesterday while walking we saw a heron, he flew in to land quite near us (sadly not close enough for a photo) and a group of about twenty deer moving across the forest in the distance.

Today is my birthday and after a hectic week I am feeling old, but not as old as I will next year when it is the big five zero! I opened some presents yesterday as I was out to lunch with friends - what a lucky girl I am. Three pretty tee shirts, a 'Radley' purse, David Gray cd, Winnie the Pooh socks (no, I will never grow out of Pooh), a book (about a dog of course), a beautiful orchid and a book token. Then I have more to open today, a luscious chocolate cake and a celebration this evening!

Next week I am planning a trip to look for a new camera, perfect timing for a birthday present to myself!

Now here is my completed little duck, quite nice I think. I now have to get down to planning my next piece, I am going to attempt elephants! This will be on mountboard - you remember I bought some this week - and will be larger than usual so I will have take photographs rather than scan it for the w.i.ps.

No art today!

I had very little time for drawing yesterday and consequently I have no progress on my 'Ducky' for you. I was frantically busy all day, walking dogs - taking dog training class - shopping - walking dogs! Then when I finally had some time in the evening I ws getting ready for todays craft fair. It's only my second attempt to sell the cards I make, mainly from my art and photographs but a few crafty ones too. This time I am also taking along some mounted prints of three of my pictures, see below. I bought some lovely art silk and art matt paper to print on and they do look beautiful, especially the one of Taivas. By this evening I will either be happy and chirpy or gloomy and doomy, depending on how the day has gone. LOL

Nice weather for ducks

Taivas & I had another wet walk in the forest yesterday morning, with Mary and her flatties, Raffles & Missy. We went to Pig Bush, always one of my favourite walks so it was pleasant despite the rain but I couldn't take any photos! Still I suppose that saved me some editing and flickr-ing time and gave me more time to spend on Ducky. I did get quite a lot done yesterday so I'm hoping you'll be impressed - LOL - though I think the hardest part is yet to come so I could still ruin him! I've begun to add a soft, blended background - I hope I'll be able to deepen the colour of this a bit more.