In this series we will be creating a detailed pencil sketch from an urban subject. In this session we will be laying in general tones to start arranging the values across the drawing.
In this series we will be creating a detailed pencil sketch from an urban subject. This first session will be spent lightly placing all the major elements of the scene in an easy manner.
In this exercise, you will be creating a sphere, but the same principles apply whenever you’re drawing or painting any form in a representational artwork.
Use the diagram below or watch the accompanying video lesson as a guide when you create your own sphere.
Materials
Paper
Pencil or charcoal
Eraser
Process
Determining the Light Source
1. Draw a circle on the page or canvas, this will be the basis for your sphere. Then draw an ellipse on the ground plane, this will be the shadow cast from the sphere and determine the direction of light.
2. Draw the ‘bedbug line’ (the line that divides light from shadow) onto the form.
Establishing the Shadow
1. Fill in the the shadow shape with an average shadow value (about a 7 on the value scale).
2. Next, fill in the cast shadow on the ground with a similar value.
Adding Variations to the Shadow
1. The shadow isn’t usually evenly dark, because in most cases, light will be reflected into the shadow after bouncing off other elements in the scene. This will cause the centre of the shadow to lighten, becoming darker towards the bedbug line (the ‘core shadow’).
2. The shadow will also become darker where two forms meet one another (like where the sphere meets the ground). This is called the ‘occlusion shadow’, it is dark because neither direct light or reflected light reaches it.
Adding Halftones and Refining the Form
1. Begin adding halftones from the bedbug line, these are the ‘dark halftones’. As the halftones move further away from the bedbug line they will receive more light, and begin to lighten as a consequence.
If you are painting on a toned panel, at a certain point you will reach a value that matches the canvas. When this happens you should stop adding dark halftones and start working out from the lightest values. You will find these values at the part of the sphere that faces the light source. Once you’ve added all the lightest halftones, they will meet the darkest halftones.
If you are drawing your sphere you can just keep adding halftones gradually. The further that halftones are from the bedbug line, the lighter they will be. At some point you will just leave the white of the paper.
In stronger, direct light, the transition from the bedbug line will be more harsh.
In weaker, diffuse light, the transition from the bedbug line will be more gradual and softer.
2. Now that all the halftones have been added you should have a roughly correct sphere. At this point you should spend time correcting value relationships and neatening up your painting or drawing.
In this one off lesson, I will be showing my approach for painting a miniature (part of my own practice). It will be an alla prima piece – which means that I will paint the entire piece from scratch all at once.
In this series we will be creating a soft pencil sketch from a cat reference. You can use your own reference or work from the same one as me using the link below.
In this series we will be creating a soft pencil sketch from a cat reference. You can use your own reference or work from the same one as me using the link below. In this session we will be adding in the cat’s markings and beginning to develop the fur textures.
In this series we will be creating a soft pencil sketch from a cat reference. You can use your own reference or work from the same one as me using the link below. In this session we will be lightly establishing the main shapes and features in the drawing.
In this series we will be making a pet portrait in oils. In this session we will be using halftones to develop smaller forms, while adjusting and enhancing the colours.
Begin by seeing if there are any colours that are a bit (too dull perhaps).
If there are, mix up new colours and test them, once you’re happy you can use these colours as you develop the smaller forms (killing two birds with one stone).
Develop the forms using a smaller brush and mixing up halftones (more values between the shadows and lights)
Work your way around the chosen area (in my case I focused on the head).
Look for all the medium and smaller forms, once they’re in place you can leave the piece to dry.
In this series we will be making a pet portrait in oils. In this session we will be figuring out the basic colours in the piece and patching them on in a loose manner.
In this series we will be making a pet portrait in oils. We will begin this first session with a wash drawing – using burnt umber and solvent over a toned canvas.
In this series, we will be creating a rendered drawing of a broken shell using a mix of graphite and carbon pencils. In this final session we will be refining the texture of the shell and make some final adjustments to the tonal relationships.
In this series, we will be creating a rendered drawing of a broken shell using a mix of graphite and carbon pencils. This session will be spent darkening the shadows and the darker halftones using gradual passes of tone.
Begin by adding in the darkest shadows using the carbon pencil.
This will give you an idea of how dark the darkest parts of the drawing can be (thereby show the range available between the darkest sections and the lightest).
You can then use the old bristle brush to smooth out the charcoal and soften the edges of the shadows.
Once you’ve laid in the darkest parts using carbon, switch back to graphite pencil and start laying in gradual passes of darker halftones.
Start with the darkest parts first.
It’s always a good idea to work from dark to light and preserve the white of the paper for brighter highlights.
Keep adding more and more passes of tone until you’ve roughly matched the reference.
In this series, we will be creating a rendered drawing of a broken shell using a mix of graphite and carbon pencils. This session will be focused on getting the basic shapes and shadows of the shell loosely sketched in.
In this series of lessons, I will be showing you how to make a watercolour painting from a bighorn sheep reference. In this session we will be adding final details and washes.
Following on from the penultimate lesson (Part 4) we will be continuing to add fur details using a smaller brush.
You should try to focus on getting as much variation in colour as possible (within reason).
You may also need to adjust some larger regions of colour and or tone as well as the relationship between different areas.
Think about the overall value statement across the whole artwork at this stage and make any necessary corrections (I had to darken the lighter part of the neck for instance).
It is best to finish by punching out the darkest notes (and background) to get the image as defined as possible.
In this series of lessons, I will be showing you how to make a watercolour painting from a bighorn sheep reference. In this session we will be using a very small brush to add more details in the fur and horns.
In this series of lessons, I will be showing you how to make a watercolour painting from a bighorn sheep reference. In this session we will be adding transitions and textures in the halftones.
In this series of lessons, I will be showing you how to make a watercolour painting from a bighorn sheep reference. In this session I will be showing you how to lay in some darker tones / colours in order to separate the shadows and lights more clearly.
I would begin with the background as this will help separate the bighorn from its surroundings.
Use a fairly big brush for speed (and to avoid adding too much detail too quickly).
If there are any suggestions of shapes or colour shifts, you can go ahead and suggest them – in a fairly blurry manner ideally (using wet into wet brushwork).
Once the background is in place you can start washing darker tones over the subject in shadow.
Colours may vary; the horn shadows are much yellower and warmer than the cooler tones of the fur in shadows for example.
You can finish by swapping to a smaller brush and adding some more specific dark notes and define the shadow edges more definitively.
In this series of lessons, I will be showing you how to make a watercolour painting from a bighorn sheep reference. In this first session we will be going straight in with a watercolour wash.
Begin by using extremely diluted watercolour with your biggest brush.
It doesn’t matter what colours you use really, as this initial pass of paint will be so light.
Try to keep your lines simple as you feel out the proportions.
Make sure to correct anything that is wrong as soon as you notice. The fewer proportion mistakes at this stage, the easier it will be to continue with the rest of the piece.
Once the general shapes are blocked in, you can use the diluted paint to start massing in the darker shadowy regions of the piece.
Then you can use the smaller brush to start developing more specific details across the piece.
You can make the paint less diluted for this stage (not super dark – just slightly darker than the first pass over).
If you have got pretty good proportions from the first two stages, you should find it a bit easier / more relaxing to start laying in details.
