I wanted to do something quick and easy before dinner, and i found this photo taken by Nexus of this beautiful sculpture by Henry Moore. I haven’t seen the full extends of the sculpture, but i really like this framing of it.
It was neither quick, nor easy!
The user paintbynumberparents gave me a suggestion here about using a blending stick for getting better gradient tones, but i couldn’t really get it to work.. It just doesn’t really smudge the graphite.. I don’t know if it’s the paper, the stick or me who’s the problem.
Anyway – as usual, if anybody has god some tips, suggestions or comments, don’t hesitate in commenting.
And thanks to everybody commenting, Nexus for lending me the photo, and to Henry Moore, by whom i didn’t ask permission !
…nice one, set of pics coming soon; otherwise see google images
Blending sticks are total crap. Get a set of pencils that has a wide range of soft to hard lead. Like 2b-8b (they also have 2h-(some number)h which I never use but I know exist!) Make sure it has the darkest- ebony. As a beginner do the sketch in the lightest pencil, shading it spots lightly as you go. Also, important- draw the whole picture at once. For example, don’t start at the top and travel to the bottom. Draw a little bit of the top, move to the side, to the bottom and then connect everything. This is difficult but it’s the best way to train yourself. So use the various pencils for various degrees of dark shadows in the pic. (Play around with them first to get a feel) As you get more experienced, you will throw out most of those pencils opting for a very light one for quick sketching and the dark graphite/ebony. Your hand will learn how much pressure to apply for light, medium to dark and be able to make a perfect blend without that atrocity they created : the blending stick!
And don’t forget the most important rule of drawing that all artist amateur or professional must keep reminding themselves:
Draw what you SEE not what you KNOW
Cheers!
Thanks for your comment! – I actually use a lot of different pencils from 4h to 6b.. But even the 6b just doesn’t get black enough.. I don’t know what it is. I try to draw everywhere on the page silmultanously – this way i get a more correct form – noticing that the proportions are wrong when you reach the last corner is so frustrating !
8b is the darkest. Go get an ebony pencil or graphite pencil/crayon. Prepare to fall in love with the depth of darkness and……prepare to get very messy and people laughing at u for having it on your face ,)
Then again you could go w charcoal.
I think it’s looking great and you can see a gradient difference already from your other work. You got almost all the values you were looking for and did the most important thing you could… left the light part in the middle blank. if you’re still worried about the line marks add more graphite and smudge… however you choose to do that. Try taking an exacto-knife and shaving some of the tip of your pencil onto the work and smudging it with your finger… sometimes the oil on your skin helps move the graphite around too. Just keep experimenting with everything… sticks, paper towel, finger…. Murphy’s Third Law: If something’s stupid… but it works… then it isn’t stupid. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for your comment! I Will try scraping off some of my pencil and getting my fingers dirty. I never heard about that law by Murphy, but that’s a great way to concider the experiments!
analogrevolutionart, the other day i leaned in over my table while doing aquarel and didn’t notice that i had put my hand flat on top of my white pigment block.. It actually gets quite sticky when it’s just a little wet.. I’m all for getting messy !