Field Mouse in Hand Graphite Drawing WIP 8

The months have been flying by.  I went full time at work as of October 1st and have spent the last month training for a new task at my work place.  The past weeks have been a little crazy on my mind with  going back to learning a position from the ground up, but the trade off was a set daytime schedule.  It brings a sense of calmness to my life.  So presently, I am ready to throw myself into finishing this drawing and getting on to some ideas that I would like to try.

 

At this point, I can honestly say that I am tired of working on the dark background.   The layering required for a dark background tires my hand out.  Although, I did start using a Prismacolor Turquoise pencil about half way through and was amazed how easy the graphite adhered to the Bristol. It made me wish that I would have grabbed that pencil to begin with! ;)   The darkness of the background needs to be smoothed out, and there are still some lighter details that need to emerge with the help of a handy eraser, but there is no hurry.  I am going to start looking through some promising photographs and start laying out the next project.  A little overlapping of subjects will do me good. :)    

 

Field Mouse in Hand Graphite Drawing WIP 7

As you can see, the 6b has been put to work on this drawing.  I am in the process of layering it and will add the lighter objects after by pulling them out with an eraser.  Looking back at the progress of this piece, I contemplate background vs. plain Bristol.  Although the stark blank background would give the piece a bold-charged impact of a human hand projecting off of a blank sheet of paper, I like the continuity (my nemesis yet best friend) of the darkness grounding the subject and giving it a more meditative feel.  After all,  this is suppose to be a portrait of sorts.  Hmmmm... Just thinking out loud. ;) 

  

 

 

Click to Enlarge 

Field Mouse on Hand 6

A little more graphite blended onto the hand and here is the progress on the drawing.  It will still need some refining before the decision is made about the background.  There has always been debates on how my backgrounds should be handled.  Many of my peers think that it should be left blank to add to the effect of the hand coming off of the page.  I have always opted to put the background in.  After looking back through my blog, it is obvious where this technique has been successful.   It is equally obvious (to me anyways) on a few compositions where a background left out might have been a slight improvement.  I guess that I am just not sold on celestial free floating objects.  It seems that I need to ground my drawings to the world that they are associated with.  :)  

 

Field Mouse in Hand 5

 

The field mouse made his entry into the composition this weekend.  It was a pleasure to work on such a small area of fur.  I had to make sure and keep my eraser sanded, so his light hairs would be tiny, sharp and clean.  Here he was at the beginning of the weekend...

 

 And here he is now...   His foot is the last area to be completed.  I am leaving that until the finger underneath has been rendered.  A background is necessary when creating the light hairs.  :)

Field Mouse in Hand 4



The wrist tends to be the area of the composition that is so busy.  I intentionally crop my photos to leave a portion of the wrist and arm.  The area is vital to give that extra push of dimension to the hand that is being rendered. It is also the most interesting part for me to draw.  The skin is usually richer in depth as it recedes into the background.  The hair being present is such a wonderful contrast to the texture of the skin.   Most importantly, the wrist is the area most influenced by what lies under the surface of the skin:  muscles twisting, bones pushing, and the subtle shades of the underlying vascular system.   I cannot express how important it is to the impact of the composition for me to have this area present.   The complexity of the wrists sets off the simplicity of the hand in such a strong way.

 

As you can see, the graphite has been worked to the mid point of the palm.  I decided to stop in that area, so the focus can turn to the little field mouse.  This will leave me enough blank area to the right of the little critter to rest my drawing hand without smudging the details. 

 

For those new friends arriving to Sketches, the you will notice that I edge the corner of my drawing with tape.  It is a special non acidic drafting tape.  There mustn't be erasures to the area that it is being applied, or the chance of damage to the Bristol is greatly heightened.  I find that this tape works very  in keeping my edges crisp and clean. 

 

 

Baby Field Mouse in Hand 3

I've had a lot on my mind this week, and there is no better place to sit and think than at the drawing board.  Solutions to every day problems come to me a little bit easier in the midst of sculpting a figure on paper .  The issues of the day are smoothed out with the layers of graphite and dissipate into the air.  It makes me a little ashamed of my tendency to take my art for granted in the fact that it will always be there waiting... 

 

Moving on... Here is the progress on the hand.  The depth of shadows are about where I want them to be.  The decision of the background hasn't been decided yet.  It will be either left the color of the Bristol or will go black like the photo.  I am leaning towards the black... We'll see.

 

 

 

 

The next portion of the composition to be shaded will be from the wrist to the little critter.  Then, the mouse will make his appearance.  The last two fingers will be the finish to the figure drawing.  After that, the background will be drawn in or not. ;) 

 

The composition is moving along steadily.  Usually, after being absent from the drawing board for a period of time, I have to regain my bearings.  Thankfully, this was not the case.  It felt as though no time had passed.  Just like reminiscing with an old friend... ;)  



Baby Field Mouse in Hand Cont.

The hand is transferred and underway.  It is always a little difficult to find the right depth in the beginning to separate the shadows, so I apply the graphite lightly and will work to add several layers after the original blending.  If I go to dark with the graphite application in any area, it will muddy the blending stage.  When that happens, a kneaded eraser can be used to pull out the excess graphite. Sometimes, the graphite embeds to deeply into the grain of the paper and a white eraser is needed (sparingly).  When the clean up looks to be a major project, it is just easier to start over than to deal with problems that can arise from using a more harsh eraser.  Over time I have learned the hard way to resist making a strong initial layout, it is always better to sculpt the image in graphite using layers.      

 

 

 

 

Baby Field Mouse in Graphite

A baby field mouse is the subject of my next composition, and the drawing will be 8 x 6 inches when completed.   The photo was taken out of one of my own from last year.  I really like the positioning of the hand and the little mouse perched on it.  I will take this initial drawing and transfer it to Bristol Board.  All of my initial work will be based in 2b lead with a mechanical pencil.  By the looks of the background, the 6b wood cased pencil will definitely be put to use, too!  ;) 

I have been getting handy with the jigsaw as of late.  This drawing is mounted on my newly resized drawing table.  The lift to this drawing table was heavenly, but the width was a devil to maneuver and very heavy to tote.  So... I searched through my son's tools and found the correct ones for taking the hardware off the back.  The drafting bar on the front had to go, since it had only been used for resting pencils on.  Then after a little measuring, I cut a fairly large portion of the board off.  As you can see to the left, I sealed it with black paint and made a black line down the side to make it appear nice and straight.  The jigsaw and I took a few wrong turns! :(  Now the paint is dried, the hardware is reattached to the back, and viola my new and improved drafting board.  :)

Did I ever tell you the story behind this drafting table?  I bought a few of these in various large sizes off of EBay for pennies on the dollar, after I put my large drafting table into storage (hopefully to reappear once my new studio is constructed. :) ).  The tables were listed as scratch and dent returns.  I cannot say enough about how wonderful they are.  The surfaces on mine were all ready to draw on.  There was only one that had a tiny dent in a corner that my hubby repaired with filler.  The best part of the purchase was that I didn't sink a lot of money into them, so it makes them perfect to modify to my own specs. :)   I love shopping EBay!

Baby Otter Finished

While finishing up this drawing, I remembered why I fell in love with the photo of this little guy so much.  Not only is he small and fuzzy, but he is in the process of being hand fed.  It represents humans interacting with nature in one fine moment.  Is there anything better than lending a helping hand to someone in need? 

My pencils were put away about an hour ago, and the photograph below represents the finish to a much neglected drawing...  There may still be some final touches over the next few days, but he is complete enough to be introduced to my blogging friends. ;)

   

I decided to start the 2013 year with this finish, instead of my usual New Year's post.  (That post will have its turn next.)  I believe that this little guy has waited long enough!  ;)    

Happy New Year! :) 



Baby Otter 7

Here is the proof below... The drawing board is still in my studio! ;)  I have spent a couple of nights getting the fur mapped out on the rest of the baby otter.  As you can see by the photo comparison,  I definitely need to go darker on my little guy's fur and work on the tone of the background.  I've started working my 6b wood case pencil's rich graphite into the composition but have not begun smoothing it in yet. 

The image is a little washed out on this pic...  But, you can see by the mapped areas the flow of the fur by the negative representation of the shadows.  These are carefully placed markers to the layers that will follow and to the highlights that will be chiseled in with the clic eraser.  The 6b is showing up on the rest of the fur and will fan out as the tortillon works its magic.  The transition from the mussel out to the nose should give some much needed dimension to the otter's head.  I think that will give the little critter balance in its own right versus the detail in the hands.

 

Baby Otter 6

Between filling in for vacations at work, tractor pulls, and gardening, I find that summer is quickly slipping by...  *sigh*  My mind gets preoccupied with all the new things happening in life, and the beloved drawing board and pencils sit patiently waiting in the studio.  As always, my stress levels start to climb due to the shift away from my artistic outlets, and I begin to fret over the small details in life... a miserable feeling trust me.  :(   I am now finally able to recognize the warning signs, so this last week saw a long awaited return to the little otter.  It is amazing how a mechanical pencil and a piece of Bristol board can improve my attitude and my outlook on life.  Art has always been a big part of my past in some shape or form and will be a huge part of my future... It is the one constant in this crazy thing called life where I feel that I belong... :)

Onward to the update...  The one hand is finished, and the face of this little critter is starting to take shape.  The areas being worked on are staying squared off.  With such tiny details in the fur, it is better to keep close to the grid in these tightly detailed spaces.  I brought in a touch of 6b wood cased pencil for a few of the deep shadows.  The edge of his hair on the background needs to be sculpted in and blended-- It is a little sketchy right now.  The hand is bouncing to the front nicely in the composition with the addition of the otter.  I look forward to finishing up the fur and getting the shading balanced.  :)    

Baby Otter 5

The little otter has acquired some more graphite on its fur and completion of one eye.  The hand on the left side of the composition is beginning to be developed, also.  The fur was coming along nicely, but the hand kept grabbing my attention.  I worried about the smear factor to the bottom portion of the otter, if I went back to working on the left side of the drawing.  So, I broke out from my usual method and decided to keep going on the top portion of the otter's head, while moving  from left to right on the bottom part of the composition.  The trading off should break up the monotony, and the darks can be adjusted simultaneously in the whole composition at the same time.  I have already done a little deepening of shadows in the finished fur. It photographed a little on the washed out side tonight, but you should be able to see where the piece is heading.  :)

Baby Otter Graphite Drawing 4

I did a little more mapping after the last session and decided that it was a big enough area to take to completion.  So, I began the process of blending and removing graphite with a white eraser.  After the fur was defined, more graphite was added to the heavy shadows, followed by some more blending, and finished with more defining of the dark shadows.  My Tuff Stuff eraser stick went into action to pull out a few long whiskers, and the kneaded eraser worked to blur the areas of fur that were out of focus in the composition.  The background was darkened slightly on the left to enhance the light fuzzy fur.  This is the most exciting part of the process for me...  It is the first glimpse of how the little critter is going to look.  :)

Baby Otter Graphite Drawing 3

The weather has been gorgeous in Northern Illinois, and the month of May has been a busy one!  Flea markets and town garage sales galore making for some fun weekends of running.  Schools are closing for another year, and my son is now a college graduate.  Where has the time gone?  *sigh*

I started mapping the little otter's fur a few hours ago and kept going until my hand started to cramp.  This small format can be harsh on the fingers!    My schedule will pull me from the board this afternoon.  I hope to get some more time in tonight. :)

Graphite drawing of a Baby Otter Cont. & A Special Thought on Maurice Sendak and Those Berenstain Bears

Where have I been?? ;)  The last three weeks have been a change of pace to say the least.  Two weeks were spent working full time as I got my training in for a new job.  Last week, my hours were reduced to part time and will stay that way unless one of the other employees decides to take time off.  So, I am happy to say that I have made my way to the drawing board again.  Whew!  It  feels good to be back!! :)

Below is a photo of the progress from last night.  I used my light box to transfer my sketch onto smooth Bristol board.  Since this little guy has a lot of fuzzy hairs protruding from his thick fur, I decided to get the background in place.  As with most of my drawings, the shading may go a little deeper, but it will work perfectly for pulling out the fuzz and tiny hairs with a white eraser.  The edges of the background had been lined with special pH drafting tape prior to being blended but was removed upon completion.  My next logical move would be map in and blend the little guy, since he is centrally located.  The hands will be so much easier to smear than fur, so they will be sketched in last.  :) 

I wanted to take a few moments to give a small tribute to a fabulous artist, Maurice Sendak.  As those of you that have followed me know, my love of children's books is enormous.  About a month ago, my Mom purchased an oversized book at a thrift shop entitled "The Art of Maurice Sendak" that she read and passed along to me.   It chronicled the work of this famous children's book illustrator and author from his beginnings through the late 70's.  I was completely thrilled with the content about his family, the influence of his childhood and other illustrators on his work, and of course the abundance of drawings lent to showcase the evolution of his style.  The book itself was written by Selma Lanes and published in 1980.  Amazing to think that there would be 32 more years after this book of new Sendak drawings!

I began reading this book at the end of April and set it aside to focus on training for my new day job position.  In one of my few moments on the computer, I learned that on  May 8, 2012 this wonderfully talented man passed away.  There would be no more of his magnificent pen and ink work with the intricacy and details that made my imagination take flight.  It was a sad day, but also a day to celebrate a man that made such an enormous contribution, both as writer and illustrator, to the genre of children's literature.

Many may recognize his name as being synonymous with his book "Where the Wild Things Are" -- which is just one of several splendid books that showcased how in tune he was with his feelings from childhood.   I first fell in love with the carefree style of his illustrations in the Miss Piggle Wiggle series!  My admiration has only deepened for him as I now continue to read on about his art and career.  It's fascinating to read his thoughts about childhood and the influence that other illustrators had on his ever evolving style.  So much so, that he also was a collector of children's books and other illustrator's original art.   Definitely a man that I would admire! ;)

           



And as a additional acknowledgement, February of 2012 brought the passing of another great woman in the field of children's literature, Jan Berenstain.  She continued on the Berenstain Bear legacy after the passing of her husband Stan in 2005.  Their autobiographical book "Down a Sunny Dirt Road" is one of the best reads in town, and I highly recommend it.  :)  I have collected their Bears in books, on DVDs, and on fabric!  They were an admirable team, and I am absolutely thrilled that their boys are carrying on with more tales from Bear Country. 

Where would we be without all of these wonderfully talented people??  *Sigh*  :)

Graphite Drawing of a Baby Otter ~ Work in Progress

The next little critter to grace the drawing board is a darling baby otter.  This one is definitely for me! ;)  The drawing will be on a smaller scale and should finish at 6 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches.  For those that are new to the Sketches blog, I will be working with a 2b graphite lead in a mechanical pencil, 9b wood case pencil, stumps, tortillions, and my trusty vinyl and  kneaded erasers.  This graph sketch is on transfer paper for easier erasing.  The final support will be on Bristol smooth.    

Gord the Hamster Complete

What?  LOL  Yep, the little guy is now forever immortalized in graphite.  Whew!   My son and I discussed the options, after my last post.  Due to the light box throwing off the intensity of the darks in the hamster, my son still wasn't 100% sure how it should be finished.  But once he viewed the original art in natural light, he was adamant that the drawing should have the background added.  (He worried initially that the dark lettering would over power the main focus.)  We both felt that the added letters would or should push the central focus forward... We were not disappointed! :) 

As I finished up the details this morning,  my son ambled into the studio to see the progress.  His facial expression was the same as when viewing the "Dani" drawings.  I knew then,  this composition had been completed to his satisfaction; although, I still agree with my initial feelings and blog comments that this drawing could have been just as effective with or without the background. 

This is just a fine case of familiarity bringing a personal touch to a drawing.  Even though the hands were distinctly my son (by far my favorite hand model), the sweatshirt brought him into the composition in a stronger sense... for him and even for me too.  This feeling was all wrapped up in his choice of apparel. ;)  The shirt was bought on his first major trip without the rest of the family.  It was purchased right before graduating high school and not long before acquiring his first two pets (the little hamsters!).  After giving the situation many hours of thought, in a serendipitous way, the shirt represented the hamster's owner just as much as the hands.  Just one of those quirky things, I guess. ;)

This brings another interesting question floating into my thoughts.  Had my son wore a plain or raggedy work tshirt, would this discussion be taking place?  I seriously doubt it.  After reading the comments left by fellow artists in the blogosphere, I am even more certain that it would not have taken place.  That is a main reason why I do not list original photos with the work.  It keeps my followers from becoming tainted by a preconceived notion of how the finished work should look.  In a sense this is unfair to my viewers, but I am lucky to be in a group of very talented individuals that will speak their piece when different scenarios are played out.  I am forever grateful to have their opinions.  The day that I stop listening to their thoughts is the day that I no longer grow as an artist.  I hope that day never comes! :)

Many thanks to the comments from Andrew, Sally and Teresa.  Their sites can be visited by clicking their names in the comment section of my previous posts.  And before I post this up for view, I will be putting a blog roll to the right side of my page.  Each of their sites will be listed for viewing, along with some other talented people that I like to follow! :) 

Gord the Hamster Still a WIP

My son was not much help.  Although with my observation skills on high, I noticed that he did not exude the usual excitement at viewing one of his pets in graphite.  His eyes kept scanning the drawing.  It is a familiar photograph to him, so I am sure the lack of writing made a difference... just speculating here or being paranoid. ;)

So after losing more time to mulling it over, I thought of another approach to the dilemma.  As you all know, my drawings begin as a graphed sketch on transfer paper.  The premise behind this is to have a preserved sketch on file in case of an aborted start or the desire to put a subject into color at a later date.  Well... Why not use the sketch to see what the drawing would look like with lettering?  It may not be as dark as original work, but it will at least offer an idea of the finished piece.  It was worth an afternoon of laying out the lettering, just to see a glimpse of an alternate ending to this subject.  

Below is the updated  transfer paper sketch.  I wasn't really seeing an answer, so I darkened the lettering with a marker and pulled out my trusty light box. :)

The light washes out the drawing to a degree but leaves enough of the shading to allow me to see a little bit of dimension.  It was actually kind of cool to see the lettering appear, and it's nice to know there is another plus to starting my sketches on transfer paper! ;)  The Washington lettering will be dark thread, and the larger DC lettering will be in a very light thread.

Since I am messing around with the idea anyways, a little 2b pencil was used on the transfer paper to slightly darken the Washington lettering for a little more effect.  My hubby walked in during the process and said that he liked the composition both ways.  How's that for decisive? ;)  After seeing it up on the screen (even though it is washed out), I am kind of liking the lettering; although, there are times that I worry my backgrounds could be distracting.   A lot will be going on for a composition that measures 4 3/4 by 6 1/2 inches.  I'm giving myself until tomorrow to make a decision.  Maybe, my son will get home early tonight and have some input.   But... I am really liking the lettering the more that I look at it! :)

Gord WIP Not Sure Yet if This is a Finish??

Have you ever had one of those days when your mind doesn't want to take a break and for some reason logic waits to step in and make it stop?  LOL  Well, that is how my day went this morning while working on this drawing.  I've spent most of the last week reworking areas of this composition.  First, the minute area of the shirt at the bottom between the hands was smoothed in.  Unfortunately, it seemed to pattern ridden.  The variations were true to the photo but did not translate well in graphite.  Another drawing session was needed to correct the problem.  Then with the appearance of the dark cast shadows, the hands had a look of being washed out.  Next session was dedicated to correcting that problem.  Finally, the background made its appearance.  Again, the hands needed to be darkened in the shadows... Ugh!   Now, I believe everything is semi cohesive... Or is it??

The background is threatening to be a little blah... at least in my opinion.  In the reference photo, there is dark embroidery of a name on the shirt behind Gord.  I made the decision to omit it from the drawing.  My apprehension was that it would distract from the central focus of the drawing.   My mind is still telling me that it very well might.  But for some odd reason, the adventurous photo realistic side of my brain is wondering how the composition would look if the letters made an appearance.  It made me nearly crazy this morning while thinking about it.  Then, it occurred to me that maybe this doesn't have to be my problem.  After all, this drawing was a request from my son.  So as far as I'm concerned, the decision is in his lap.  Whew!   

After walking away from the drawing board completely frazzled in the head, I went out to do some serious yard work.  Believe it or not, we are having some unimaginable warm temps for March... with even warmer temps to come at the end of this week!  I take care of a few lawns in the neighborhood and thought that today would be great for raking up the leaves.  Plus, the workout would get rid of all the frustration over this piece.  Which was a win - win in my book! ;)

Oh... and I have to add, this photo was taken with my old digital camera.  Notice the familiar discoloration  that it picks up from the lights... Yuk!   It occurred to me, while hunting for my new camera, that I had left it on a table at work.  Not the smartest move on my part since that side of the building houses resale items.  Duh!  I raced to the phone to make a quick call and was lucky that it was still there.  My worries weren't so much over the camera but the memory card inside it.  I did back it up a month ago but am sooo happy that it will be safe at home again. :)  Lesson learned on that one!

The next post will reveal the fate of this drawing and a new photo.  I am anxious to hear my son's opinion.  Of course, his Dad will have to throw in his two cents on the subject... I have no doubt! ;)

Gord the Hamster WIP 4

We have some smooth highlighted fur! ;)  This drawing is ready for its background and some fine tuning.  Today has been dedicated to getting the right depth, putting in the whiskers, and adding some fine dark hairs.  I am probably not completely done with the fur but am not going to risk over working it.  Sometimes, it is best to have a cooling off period. :)