Drawing again

After making a resolution to not go so long without sketching/drawing, i went over a month. Finally did a wetcanvas challenge today. A portrait, which is definately a challenge for me. The poor girl turned out looking more like a boy, but when i tried to polish the drawing it got worse, so i stopped before things got any worse. Charcoal on 14x17 sketch paper.

Took a Break

Well, i seemed to have taken a break over Christmas, without really meaning to. Didn't even do any sketching. I will make a New Year's resolution to not go so long without sketching again.

I did this pastel sketch today on 9x12 colorfix paper. Its a study for an oil painting that i want to do. I'll leave it now for a few days then come back to it to see if i like the composition.

This 6x8 oil i did before my long break, just never took a photo because the weather was mostly overcast. Same subject that i did a pastel sketch of earlier. I think that the background could be a little more uniform.

Eggs

The drawing challenge this week on wetcanvas is a photo of eggs on lace. I attempted it using charcoal on 14 x 17 paper. Never can get my eggs as smooth as i want -- i need to find a better way of blending than a blending stump or gauze. Now that its done, the shadows don't seem to agree with each other. Well, if i get inspired maybe i can correct the shadows and add more detail in the lace.

A Pastel Sketch

Couldn't come up with a subject for last weeks pastel sketch for the longest time. Finally birds were suggested, and i decided on a reference photo of a woodpecker. i think the body is too big for the head, but here's the sketch.

Something Different

I was totally bamboozled today in painting class by a landscape i've started on, so i came home and decided to do something different. The pastel sketch was done on sanded paper made with brush-on-yourself pastel ground, so the texture of the brushstrokes showed through the pastel. Although somewhat crude at least its recognizable.

Skewed Lighthouse and Another Fruit

This weeks drawing challenge on wetcanvas was a lighthouse. I gave it a try, but as you can see it wasn't too successful. The lighthouse is skewed and the fence looks dilapidated, and then there isn't much contrast or much in the way of darks. This is where i gave up. I think that i would have to start over to do any better. Charcoal on 14 x 17 paper.

I also have a small oil painting to show you, 6 x 8. Just one pear, on perhaps a too bright background. I guess i overcompensated for the apple on a boring background.

Second Try

It took me two tries, but i finally have a pastel sketch to post. The first one was on paper that i coated with golden pastel ground. the resulting textured background didn't do well with the floral subject. i also didn't crop it as closely, resulting in the lily pad and the water overpowering the image. and i plain didn't do the flower as well.

So here's my second try. Pastel on 9 x 12 art spectrum paper. still not a great example of what pastels can do, but better than my first try.

Remember my unsatisfactory palm tree? Well, i got some comments from wetcanvas that enabled me to offer this improved version.