People Practice 12

This one is difficult because of the angle, the flash, and my drawing skills. One day I will get it right.

From my photo album.

People Practice 11

Gotta' practice drawing more! If I spend too much time on one drawing, I need to remember to break away and draw something faster so I can practice more.

From my photo album. (He's reading.)

People Practice 06

Hmmm ... there is just a tad of a similarity to the original photo, though the expression is very close. I might be able to get it right if I ever try it again.

The wavy shadows on the left are from scanning my "people practice" sketchbook that I've already stated that I don't like. It's a Hand-Book, and I know many people like the sketchbook, but I don't. It's fine in size for practicing people sketches, but I don't care for the paper, and the pages seldom open flat (reason for wavy shadows). The good thing is that it's nice to have a sketchbook just for practicing sketching people. Once I'm satisfied with my results, I can move on to nicer paper. *lol*

From my photo album.

People Practice 03

This is from a high-key, black and white photo, so some lines were lost to white on white. It is similar to the original, and I'm happy with that.

From my photo album.

EDM #79 - Draw An Ear

I did better ears in this sketchbook when it was first started. These ears are all too wide, or too short. I've noticed this problem before, but here it's very obvious. Just something to correct as I do future drawings.

Photo Album Sketching

Pulled out my photo album and found some hands to sketch in pencil. Bored. Decided to do the whole person. Not going well. Decided to use the roller pen with which I had so much fun on the index cards. Pen skipped and blobbed. It did not like the Moleskine paper. I didn't like anything, but it's more practice and experience under my belt.

It's a Flower

I tried to put a yellow flower on a cream background. Even with the inked outline, I wasn't sure which petals were pencilled. Though I've only tried gouache once before, I decided that it would help to have a dark green gouache background. It really didn't help with the fact that putting yellow on cream doesn't work for me. Maybe daylight instead of incandescent light would have helped. Ah well, I won't try that again. Meanwhile, the petals on the flower closed before I could finish!

Disappointment

Left, Pencil. Proportions are so hard for me on a face, and this one proves it. The short nose is the worst problem. My dyslexia kept trying to turn the head to my left, not right. Originally I had some light shading before spraying it with fixative. It was then too late for corrections, but since I really need to learn to shade, more shading was added. It's probably the best I've done on people shading, but I'm disappointed with the drawing.

Right, Ink. Proportions are better, but since I was already in a downhill mood, I decided to try ink. I know I can't handle ink, so I quit before making a mess. It might be wise for me to do some practices with hair.

Picture from my photo album. The right-hand drawing is similar to the photo, but not close enough. There will be a future try.

Gargoyles

Well, so much for trying to loosen up with my pencil sketches. The first one is amazingly tight. It's odd trying to draw such distorted figures. I don't need help with distortion, thank you. These were done from photographs I found online.

EDIT: I decided to scribble in some colored pencil:

I'll wait awhile before trying more gargoyles. They are fascinating, but dyslexia and gargoyles do not go well together.

From Photo Album Sketches

I keep trying with the garden statue on the left. The girl on the right is similar to her photo.

My initial sketch lines are always spastic, but if I leave them alone awhile, it's easier to tame them. Since I'm aware now that I'm somewhat dyslexic, I can feel the lines going in opposite directions when I'm tired.

More practice is needed for my drawing skills so pencil sketches may be the way to go for now, though I will continue with watercolors for my EDM challenges.

Quick Sketch from Photo Album

Aren't photo-album models the nicest! I only wish I had more candids like this one. So many of mine have the subjects looking and smiling at the camera, though I'll get to them eventually.

From Photo Album

Based on a photo of a friend and her newborn son.

Raiding My Photo Albums

My photo albums will be a good source of material to sketch.

The image to the left is from a natural light photo by an office window. The shadow side is too dark for details in the photo, but there are other photos I can use for detail reference. I hope to do more with it some day.

The image below is from a photo taken in a lounge where the customers took turns entertaining the others with their vocal talents. Telephoto lens.

Mo' Practice

More pencil practice. The second portrait looks amazingly like the photograph from which it is taken. I need to practice more because I am noticing my eye-hand coordination is improving.

A Baby

From a photograph. Pencil with a little watercolor pencil in the face. Need to try this one again, but it does look like a baby.

Been Practicin'

Yes. I've been practicing, and I need to keep practicing. Boring ...

Dolls Are Great Models

A doll will patiently pose forever, and it will take me that long to learn to do a decent drawing.

There was too much fabric drape and lace for my skill level. Just her face would have been a better starting point. Then her hands. Then maybe the whole doll.

I never learned to shade so the fabric folds are a major problem.

Tomorrow I'll try something simpler.

Moleskine sketchbook and pencil.

Bad da Vinci Copies

Practice sessions copying da Vinci drawings.

She looks nothing like the original.

The oak leaves were drawn and shaded from the top down without blocking in the total sketch. I'm surprised the leaves and acorns landed in so close to where they should be. This was done in a small sketchbook, not the Moleskine.

Return to Artistic Endeavors

It has been years since I have done any drawings, but I once enjoyed it and thought now would be a good time to try it again. Getting my hands and brain coordinated again is interesting, and so much has been forgotten.

These are in a small Moleskine sketchbook. Small is non-threatening.

The pencil sketch of the bunny bank did okay, but I was awfully stiff with using an ink pen. Coloring in the design with colored pencils was fun and relaxing.

The ink sketch of the statue in the garden shows I need a lot of practice with my drawing skills, and I really need to loosen up.