Draw With Me - Week 11

Hello my Artsy friends. . . how are you faring this week?  Spring has sprung around my neck of the woods. . . it is lovely to see the birds return and to see the snow disappear.

So we are continuing with our drawing. . . just working away at each section, reworking and adding more depth with our 6B-9B pencils.  It's the contrast between light and dark that gives you the depth in your drawing. . . it is where the interesting stuff is, what draws the eye.

As I work my way around my drawing I begin to erase my grid lines so they don't interfere with what I'm doing.  Really the grid was there just for placement, for my basic drawing, as I add my detail the grid is no longer needed.

I am using more of my darker pencils now, concentrating on leaving the highlights white and keeping those areas clean (a little bit of a challenge but if you keep aware of it right from the beginning, covering areas with a scrap piece of paper as you work will help).

 

I hope you are enjoying my drawing lessons as much as I'm enjoying sharing my process with you.  If you have any questions please ask away.

Keep on drawing. . . you're doing a great job.

Sheila

PS Yes, I'll be doing another draw for a blister pack of Derwent drawing pencils this week but first the winner for my last post is . . . Patti Agapi of Orillia, Ontario. Congrats!  If you would like to be in on this week's draw leave a comment, follow me on Facebook or Twitter, re-post this post or follow this blog then I will have a name to put in the hat.

This Week In The Studio

Hello Art lovers. . . we put our clocks ahead over the weekend, you know spring ahead. . . how does it affect you?  I find morning a little difficult, it seems so much earlier. . . funny how your body/mind notices these things.

Nothing too exciting going on in the studio this week. . . I think a little Spring cleaning is in order, it's always a great thing for me to tackle periodically to regroup after the long gloomy days we've had over Jan/Feb/Mar.  Some of you may find it crowded, some may find it messy. . . all I can say is it works for me.  Do what works for you.  I love to see where creatives work. . . it gives me a sense of the person.

To give it a new look and a fresh start I will often move furniture and zones to change it up a bit. . . you know what they say 'A change is as good as a rest' this often inspires me.

You can see my work table, drafting table and my large oak desk where I store all my paper. . . I gave it a little cuteness by adding a polka-dot silk curtain to hide the storage underneath.

I think it's good for the soul to take a break from the regular and take stock, see where you're at. . . for me a fresh space makes me love my studio all over again.

Take care and have a lovely week

Draw With Me - Week 10

Well hello my drawing buddies. . . how goes the creating?

Have you had much time to work on your pencil drawing?  I've been managing to fit in a little here and there though we have had a little sickness running through the house so I must say I haven't accomplished as much as I would like.  

I do have to remind myself and I will tell you too that it is the process of creating which is the most rewarding for me, not the finished product . . an important step in your journey.  Drawing for me is meditation. . . I can escape all the laundry, cooking, cleaning etc. when I sit down to draw and clear my mind even if it's just for a brief period and I think we all really need that in our day.

I am still working my drawing from the top left and fanning out wards.  I will often go back into a section and rework as the mood strikes me if I see something that needs to be tweaked.  Something else that helps me to progress in a drawing is to periodically  'clean up' my white areas to keep them white.  these are areas you have left for highlights. . . they can become smudged when moving back and forth over the area.  Take your knead-able eraser and form into a point or flat (what ever shape you need) and lift out graphite.  Using your small white drafting eraser is also helpful.

So continue working your drawing and let me know how you are getting along.  I'm here if you need me.

Sheila

Happy Drawing

PS  The winner of the Derwent drawing pencils blister pack for last weeks draw is Susan Hemann of Ohio, congratulations!  This giveaway thing is so much fun I'm going to do another!  I will be giving away another blister pack of Derwent Graphitints.  Follow my blog, like my FaceBook page, follow me on Twitter, retweet a Tweet, leave a comment or share a post and I will enter you into the draw.

This Week In The Studio

Hello my Art loving friends. . . hope you had a fabulous weekend.

We've had a bit of flu/sickness in the house over the last couple of days so I've been laying low/taking it easy and popping my vitamins in hopes it won't catch me. (crossing my fingers)

One thing I have been doing though is continuing with the Right Brain Business Plan. . . this has been a great guide for me.  Now the author, Jen Lee, is hosting a summit that companions her wonderful book.  She is having guest speakers giving tips for your business.  Great info if you are a right brainer like me.  If you are looking for more direction in your business check out this book.

I'm continuing with my Baby Shoe drawing for the Draw With Me series and I will have the draw for the Derwent pencils Tuesday evening so get your name in.

Have a great week of creating and exploring.

Sheila

Draw With Me - Week 9

Hello fellow Artsies. . . are you ready to get at our drawing?

So as I mentioned last week I begin working my drawing from the top left corner as I'm a righty. . . if you are a lefty you work from the opposite side. . . makes sense right?

I start to block in the most obvious shades which gives me a base to gauge my shades.  I like to use my HB pencil (the one I used to lay down my base line drawing) it's fine enough to fill in the grain of the paper albeit smooth. . . the darker and softer the pencil the more it tends to sit on top of the paper.  I find it better to create layers of pencil and gradually build to the dark.  If you try to use your dark pencils too early they are very hard to lift off if you need to. . . the layers will give your drawing more depth.  At the beginning I like to use HB, 2B, 4B. . . save the 6B and 8B (or darker) until the end.

Also, the dark pencils will smear very easily. . . makes a mess of your drawing and nobody wants that.

Keep working on your drawing and I will do the same and we will see how far we get next week.

Happy Drawing

Any questions?  Please don't hesitate to ask. . . I'll see what I can do to help.

Sheila

PS  The winner of the Derwent Graphitint blister pack for last weeks draw is Heather Williamson of Kanata, congratulations!  This giveaway thing is so much fun let's have another!  I will be giving away another blister pack of Derwent drawing pencils.  Follow my blog, like my FaceBook page, follow me on Twitter, leave a comment or share a post and I will enter you into the draw. . . simple.

This Week In The Studio

Hello my fellow artsies. . . hope you have big plans for this week.

I think they have decided on the final design for the Tai Chi shirt. . . there were just a few minor adjustments that were made. . . that's how it's done.  It was so nice when the idea is given to me, I can just run from there. . . it's the idea that can sometimes be the most difficult to come up with.  I have it hanging on my idea board over my desk. . . it gives my inspiration.

I attended the reveal of the Extreme Makeover Kindness Edition on Saturday, what a wonderful space that Sonya and her team created. . . these kids now have a fabulous place to tackle their homework.  You can see Harley hanging out over one of the work stations in the photo above.

I have two drawings on the go now, Draw With Me - Baby Shoes and the Old Chevy, but that's pretty standard for me just like I have a few books I'm reading at the same time. . . keeps my mind fresh.  I don't want to get too far ahead on the Baby Shoes, I want to be able to share my progress slowly.

You have an awesome week. . . stop in on Thursday for Draw with Me and see how the drawing is coming along, hopefully you will feel like joining in.

Sheila

Draw With Me - Week 8

Hello drawing friends. . . hope you are well.  So glad you could drop by.

So this week we will be transferring our drawing using our photograph as a guide.  We have our grid laid out on our paper or in my case, Bristol smooth and on our photo.  I start with the most obvious shapes. . . easiest to block in and then I work my way to the more difficult where the detail is.  I use a rough reference (measurement around square) to position my lines which helps with placement.

Using my Derwent HB pencil I begin in the top left corner (because I'm a righty) and work my way to the right using a piece of scrap paper under my hand to prevent oils from getting on my surface.  Notice that my drawing is light. . . just enough to see, don't be too heavy with your pencil.

It takes some time to do this but I have learned over the years that if you have a good under drawing then the rest is a walk in the park.  Take your time with this process. . . erase and replace if you must until you are satisfied. . . this is an important step in the development of your drawing.  It's also a nice way to ease yourself into it if you've been away from drawing for a while.

Be patient with yourself. . . it's the process that is the most appealing not the finished product.  If you enjoy the process it will most definitely show in the end result.

Have fun with your drawing. . . next week you will see how much I have got done.

Sheila

PS  Congratulations to Danielle Bernier, the winner of the Derwent drawing pencils from last week's post.  Not to worry I am having another.  This week I am giving away a blister pack of 6 Graphitint pencils from Derwent.  Same as last week, leave a comment, share my post, join my blog, join my FaceBook page, follow me on Twitter etc. you get the picture (no pun intended).  I will make the draw next Tuesday at 7pm.  Good luck.

This Week In the Studio

Welcome my Artsy friends. . . welcome to the studio.  I have some neat things to share.

A wonderful and talented designer friend of mine, Sonya Kinkade spearheads an ambitious project as lead designer on EXTREME MAKEOVER KINDNESS EDITION for the United Way Ottawa.  Each year a well deserving organization is chosen for a makeover.. . this year it is the Foster Farm Family House Homework Club.  Sonya designs with a team of talented women who co-ordinate donations from local businesses to create a new space.  I am very pleased to be able to donate to such a wonderful project. . . I have donated a framed graphite print of 'Harley' the cat. . . I thought the kids might like him, he has a friendly face.

To learn more about this check out Kind Ottawa.

Another wonderful thing this week is I received a parcel in the mail (I love to get things in the post) all the way from Cincinnati thanks to my thoughtful cousin Marilyn.  It is ink made from the backyard black walnut tree by Elizabeth W. Schott.  I am looking forward to experimenting a little though it has been a while since I dabbled in ink. . . should be fun.

So that's a good start.  Take care and have a wonderful week creating.  

Stop by on Thursday to find out who won last weeks draw for the Derwent pencils. . . and not to worry I'll have another draw for this week.

Sheila

Draw With Me - Week 7

Hello my Art buddies. . . hope your week is progressing nicely.

So last week I chose the photo for my drawing, did a bit of cropping in PSE (that's PhotoShop Elements but you can use what ever program you have to do your editing)  At this point I also convert the photo to black and white if my drawing is a graphite rendering. . . it brings out the depth of tone better I find and makes it easier to determine my grey scale.

If my drawing is 9.5 x 7.5 I will print out my photo the same size (makes for less work when transferring my line drawing.  If there is a lot of detail I will make the grid smaller so I can focus in on the detail.  I find when I don't look at the drawing as a whole and concentrate on one section at a time the shapes reveal themselves better.

So lets draw our grid.  I usually try to use an even number for my grid so being that I am an old school kind of gal I use inches. . . it's just how my brain was programmed (hard to teach an old dog new tricks and all that).  I will leave a quarter of an inch at either side and top and bottom then start my grid from there.  I'm using a one inch grid.

Next week we will begin to transfer our drawing. . . make our line drawing.

So here's a little treat for you.  The Derwent Pencil company sent me a box of goodies to give away so each week I will be drawing a name to win a blister pack of drawing pencils (this week 4 Graphic Soft pencils). . . isn't that awesome?  Leave a comment here on my blog and get an entry.  Join my blog ...get an entry.  Follow me on Twitter and get another entry.  'Like' my FaceBook page and get another.  Easy peasy.  You have until Tuesday at 7pm then I will pick a winner.  Good luck.

Have a good one. . . Sheila

This Week In The Studio

Hello and welcome to the studio. . . I hope you had a lovely weekend.

I've been working on a few adjustments to the drawing for the Tai Chi t-shirt design I showed you the other week.  That's part of the process. . . you start with an idea, that idea turns into a visual and then we just tweak till we get it right.  This is something I will try to finalize this week. . . I think they would like to get these t-shirts approved and printed.

I am moving along quite nicely with my Draw With Me segment every Thursday, I hope you can stop by to check out my progress.  This week we will be cropping our photo and setting up the grid.  I will also be having a give-away for the next couple of weeks. . . a blister pack of Derwent drawing pencils.

I am contemplating a new drawing that has been swirling around my head. . . an old 1954 Chevy truck that lay in ruins.  I managed to get a few great shots of it a while back so it has been calling to me. . . I guess it's time.

That's it for me though I guess that's enough isn't it.

Take care and look in on me on Thursday. . . this will be part of my Heirloom drawings.

Sheila

Draw With Me - Week 6

Hello my drawing buddies. . . are you ready for this weeks topic?  Photographing our subject.

I prefer to work from photographs.  This allows me the freedom to take my drawing with me and work where ever I please.  I'm not stuck to a still life set up.  

I like to use my camera to help with the composition of my drawing.  I can take from different angles as well as using different lighting sources to see which provides me with the best detail and contrast. . . detail is what I love the best.

I have a fluorescent overhead and two adjustable stand lights that seem to be just ideal for my props though you can use whatever you have available.  Sometimes a bright sunny window is the best lighting. . . you need to experiment, different rooms, different times of day. . . find what works with your vision for your drawing.

I like to keep the background light so I often use watercolour paper as my base layer.  I then begin to add subjects to the setup.  You have your main focal point (main subject) and then you may have related or complimentary items.  For this drawing I am going to use the baby shoes and their box (this is the box they came in, isn't that cool)  You may find objects that are related or you can use a single item. . . both ways work, there is no wrong answer.

So here we go.  I'll take photos from all around the subject then load them onto my computer to have a better look.  Once I find the photo I like I can then crop, lighten or darken and clean up elements I don't require.  This may take a while and sometimes I leave it and come back the next day when my head is clearer to take a second look and make sure that's the drawing I've envisioned.

So what do you think?  Not so hard.  Any questions?

Next week we will grid off our drawing.

Happy photographing.

Sheila

This Week In The Studio

Hello and welcome my Artsy friends. . . so glad you stopped in.

I was very fortunate to be able to get out and do a little supply shopping last week and have been exploring and playing with my new finds.

I don't know if you have had much of a chance to try or use Copic markers.  These are fabulous pens for colouring and blending.  They come in 358 wonderful colours. . . alcohol based ink, permanent, non-toxic and dries acid free.  If you are interested check out their site for more info.

I have started collecting the 'Sketch' markers which are double ended. . . one chiseled end and the other a brush end.  The tips are replaceable and the ink, refillable.  They have drawing pens and if you know me I have many a different type of pen. . . I have a thing you see.

I generally use Pigma Micron pens by Sakura for my ink drawings though I found that they smeared a little on the smooth marker paper when I applied the Copic colour so I am so pleased that Copic has their own pen for fine line work.

So I will be doing a little more experimenting with these markers this week.

I hope you have a fabulous, fun filled week of exploring. . . that's what I'm doing.

Sheila