Allison, work in progress
 

I guess I can call this a "Commission", as long as the definition has nothing to do with monetary compensation. This is the daughter of a woman at my office. She wasn't the least bit interested in letting me take my own photo. The best I could do is get a picture of Allison that didn't have a big smile.

Not finished yet, but comments and critiques would help.

The cross hatching in the face seems to be exaggerated in the scan. It looks smoother in person.

I'm working on those darker darks that were suggested in my last critique. This was done in 6B pencil in a sketch book.

Here's the reference photo. I was given a small print, and I scanned it at high resolution so I could sit at my computer and draw (and so I could return the original). The hi-res scan let me zoom in for the details. Much better than straining my 43 year old eyes on a little photo.

Hi Jeff,

Just a quick first impression: double check the hand in your drawing. The face/head is coming along strongly, but the hand really stops me as being off. Even in the source photo (you did not take this picture and can't be sure of the level of distortion without other references) the "praying hand/arm" looks too distorted and would need to be addressed.

The drawing is still in different stages of development. The hand is still being blocked in. I spend so much time practicing faces, I'm stumped when I have to do hands. I've re-drawn the lines a few times, and will keep at it until it looks right before developing it any farther.

I need to spend some time drawing nothing but hands.

Thanks.

Jeff--

Two things, quickly:

I'm big fan of high-key drawings, such as Ingres, Holbein (the younger), etc. If you push the darkest values such as hair, shadows on the back, etc. up into a middle value, the mid-light to light values also need to move up the scale somewhat toward lighter values. Put more simply, the halftone and light values in the face are somewhat heavy for the value of the shadows at this stage, thus flattening the effect. Some of the lights in the face need to be established with paper tone and no pencil modeling. You'd do yourself a favor if you look at Ingres pencil portraits--they're breathtaking.

Though it's discussing oil painting, John Sanden has an excellent video on hands. Two points he makes are: keep the lines between the fingers lighter than you think you need, and to paint what the LIGHT is doing playing across the forms, rather than overstressing the anatomical details such as knuckles, veins, etc. The key to success with hands is simplify, simplify.

I realize this is a work-in-progress. Why not re-post when you think it's finished for more feedback.

Good luck!

Jeff,

I don't have much to add to the above excellent observations.

I would like to encourage you to leave the lower half of the drawing pretty much the way it is. The whole piece has the feel of a drawing, not-over-rendered. I like the sense of a range of finish-sketch in drawings - personal preference perhaps, but I think it is working very well for you here.

Best wishes,

I got an email asking about "WIP". I thought I had picked up that acronym here, but a search proved me wrong.

It means "work in progress". Sorry for any confusion.

Jeff

Administrator's Note: The title was changed to eliminate the WIP in the tile to avoid confusion.

After reading the first half of Tony Ryder's book, I decided to start over, with the lessons I learned. I started with the envelope, and broke it down into incrementally more precise shapes until I got to this. It's not completely developed. I need to make several adjustments yet.

Ryder teaches the development of the form to a very precise line drawing, which is then shaded. I've never had luck adding shading to a line drawing. My most successful shaded drawings are developed with line and shade simultaneously. I'll read the second half of the book and see If I can do it his way.

My fear is that I'll end up with a precise, but lifeless portrait. But that's in my hands. If nothing else, I will get good practice.

Tom,

I was hesitant to ask, but what do you mean by "high Key"? Are you talking about the level of finish, or contrast? Or both?

I admit, I've heard the term a few times, but never known for sure what it meant.

I've got the shading well under way. It just seems to look coarser in the scan. I tinker with the settings, but I can't quite match the original drawing.

From the line drawing posted yesterday, I made a few adjustments, then carefully lightened the whole thing with a kneaded eraser. Since I wasn't certain how well I'd be able to shade it, I sprayed fixative. That way, if I had to erase the shading, I wouldn't lose the drawing. It has proven to be an unnecessary step... so far.

Still a lot to do. I wouldn't want to spend this kind of time on all my drawings, but I'm getting good practice. To me, a sustained drawing has always meant a couple of hours.

Oh, by the way. I decided not to include the hands. My skill level just isn't there yet. Practice, practice

This is coming along nicely Jeff! :thumbsup:

That's coming along very nicely, Jeff! Off to a great start I would say. You are definitely on the right track. Keep it up.

Jeff--

"High key" means all values are compressed toward the lighter range of the value scale, that is, it's a "light" drawing tonally.

"Low key" would mean that it's a "dark" drawing, that is, that all tones are compressed toward the darker end of the value scale.

Usually, this would mean that the contrast within each would be less than in a full-range drawing, as the work extends over fewer values in the scale.

A full-range drawing in terms of values would be stretched mostly over the whole value scale and might possibly include a full complement of values from 1-9. Very dark darks and very light lights. Lots of contrast, in other words.

Jeff,

Just a question, are you still using the same reference photo? The eyes in this second drawing are not looking up as the eyes in the photo.

I think the second drawing is much better than the first. However, the curve of her eyes and the direction of her gaze in the photo adds youthfulness, which you don't want to lose.

Yes, I'm using the same picture. If you look carefully at the photo, you'll see that the eyes look up only slightly. There's a very subtle difference between looking up and looking forward. At least, in this pose. I considered this while drawing her eyes, and I figured that without the praying hands the eyes didn't need to look up.

With minor changes, they can look upward again. I'll give it a good long look when I get back to work on it.

I found a great book a number of years back by the inimitable George Bridgman, called "The Book of a Hundred Hands." If it's still around it'll help a lot, and it's in paper to boot, so it won't break the budget. Published by Dover, I believe.

Also, see Steven Sweeney's comments in another post, on the drawing "Arlie in High-Key." It's another very thorough explanation/observation on high- vs. low- key drawing, and says it better than I.

I completed the drawing, stood back, and was appalled! UGH! Back to the drawing board.

Here's the THIRD attempt. I'm starting to believe that you people really earn your money! This ain't easy.

Persistence
 

Keep at it, Jeff. Sometimes, when things don't seem to be falling into place for me, I start a different project so I have two or more going at all times. Then when I burn out on one, I can leave it and work on something else for a while. When I come back to my "stuck" one I have a fresh eye, and am not so hard on myself for making an attractive person look like an ape.

Your values are improving and you're learning new techniques. All the time you're doing this you are training your eye. As I've said before, I'm no pro, but I admire your perseverence.

Jean

There's a term in multi-stage (multi-day) bicycle races that seems appropriate here: abandon. Of course, it has a noble edge to it, as riders in the Tour de France tend to "abandon" when they crash and break their collarbones, or worse.

You might want to abandon this attempt; the resource photo is problematic, distorted, lit by a flash, all the things that make rendering your interpretation of the subject more difficult than need be.

Have you found a local group that meets and works from a model? I cannot stress how much more you will get out of studies of live objects. Have you attempted another self-portrait after absorbing some of Ryder's lessons? You can also find local statuary (at churches, museums, even cemeteries) to do academic studies from.

I guess what I mean to say is don't get hung up on one exercise, especially if it's from a poor photograph. It will slow your progress.

Jeff--

You're getting a real nice feel for rendering volume and mass as it relates to tonal values. She really has weight and presence.

Quickly, one thing I've noticed consistent in all three drawings is that the edge of her neck is creeping forward. If you drop a plumb line vertically downward on your reference (use the edge of a card or piece of paper), you'll see it ends directly below the edge of the colored part of the eye. Any farther forward than that and it makes her neck too thick, and her head too small.

Hang in there, man, you're getting better. Progress in art is often incremental.

Doggone it!

I thought I had that neck placed exactly right in the block-in. I didn't realize it had shifted until you mentioned it. I guess head size isn't the only thing that gets out of hand. You can't just check it once and forget about it.

Actually, I think it may have stayed put, but I had placed it too early, before the width of the eyes and mouth were finalized (Like you, I used those landmarks to place the neck). I was wondering why she kept looking thick. Thanks.

Mari,

Yes, there's a group that hires a model. They're not an organized group, and they tend to socialize while drawing, but it's better than nothing. The university art dept. also has open studio. The semester just started. I need to go there regularly. Plus, I draw myself in the mirror, and Janice posed for me this weekend.

Jean,

Excellent advice. I'm going to draw Norm's cat today! :)