Learning curve

Three siblings on the beach

I finished my first panoramic-style pencil drawing today. (Normally I only do portrait close-ups in pencil, which was why this was different.) This was a learning experience, but as I look back over the project, I should have seen some things coming.

I wasn't expecting it to take me that long. If you look at the image, it seems fairly simple at first glance. It's just three children standing on the beach. No big deal, right?

Wrong.

Just as in the picture I did of my nephew who was getting his first serious hair cut, I underestimated the portions of the picture which were loaded with details and texture. His face went quickly. Everything else took lots of time.

It turned out the same in this image. The three figures were fairly easy and went quickly. Even the water wasn't too bad. It was the sand that was trouble. At one point, my mom asked me if I was drawing the grains one at a time. Upon reflection, I decided that, although it was bad, it wasn't quite that bad.

I'm happy now that it's done. It's always a relief once it's finished and safe in its protective sleeve, probably because drawing a picture is like labor. Tons of work, not always fun, but always worth the end result. I hope my client thinks so, too!

Something new

Thought I'd post my recent work-in-progress. It's not my usual thing, and I don't know whether I'm happy with it yet or not. There's a lot left to do, and unfortunately most of the undone portions are water and beach, but I'm plugging away at it until it's finished.

This wasn't a very good photo of it (sorry) because the reflection from my desk lamp washed out the left side and cast a shadow on the right, but you get the idea.

The moral? It's good to try things (pencil landscape with three kids) that aren't what you do the rest of the time (close-up portraits).

If you could see the look on your face

What's the joke?

I love to draw people. I don't know why. In college it was a way to pick up a little extra cash by drawing portraits of girlfriends for guys. There was still a big learning curve there, and I wince at the thought of some of those efforts, but it was good practice. The only bad thing was that I had to use whatever picture might be on hand for a portrait. The poses were generally stilted and traditional. You know the kind: a smile directly for the camera.

Now that the mechanics of drawing comes more easily, I've discovered that much of the success of a portrait is due to the picture chosen for the project. I try to avoid traditional poses at all costs. I want something different: a moment caught rather than a pose. The best photos are like this, too. It takes time to catch a picture like that to work from, but it's always worth it. I ask myself, "Would Norman Rockwell want to paint this? Does it make me smile?" If the answer to these questions is yes, then I'm certain that I'll enjoy drawing the picture.

With that in mind, I hope you enjoy my latest portrait created from a moment caught.

Do you like to draw? What subjects do you enjoy the most? Are there images you'd like to draw but are afraid to try?

Recent drawing

My very cute nephew.

And the drawing in progress of my very cute nephew.
His expression reminds me of a mischievousness embodied.

Landscape gallery A

Acrylic painting: Dad and his tractor

Waterfall I

Acrylic painting:  Wooded path

Jenna's cat trio

Jenna's Cat Trio

Finished the cats today after getting the new (and finally correct) crow quill nib holder in the mail. : ) Great customer service with Dick Blick.

Update on the cats in progress

News flash. Fur takes a long time to draw. It's further than this now, but this is my most recent picture of how it's going.