Helen's Drawing / Sketching Blog

One of the big mistakes that I see inexperienced artists making when they draw animals is the choice of a poor reference photo. Before they even put pencil to paper, they've made work hard for themselves and limited their chances of success. It is easy to do: I look at this photo and see my cute puppy. It doesn't really register as a bad photo. But it would be really hard to make it work as a drawing, with his paws disproportionately small and his tail seeming to grow out of his head. This article on pet photography has some tips on taking and choosing the right photograph.

More on Photography:
Great Pet Photography
Animal Photography

More on Drawing Pets:
Sketch a Dog
Draw a Cat
Horse Step by Step

Preston Stone has written this beginner tutorial on How to Draw a Manga Character Head for About.com readers.

This lesson is the first of a series, so you can follow along each week and learn to draw different aspects of Manga. This week's is an easy face. Preston has kept the tutorial simple so that younger artists will be able to draw it.

For more on Manga comics, artists and culture, visit Deb Aoki's Manga site at About.com.

I'm currently working on the drawing glossary, editing and adding.... I think it's an eternal work in progress! I particularly enjoy researching pigments and foreign terms that have come into English vocabulary. The glossary is still very small so I'd love to hear your suggestions for words that need to be included. Do you remember being stumped by some odd word when you first got into drawing? Had an assignment for some technique that sounded like something out of a French cookbook? Add them to the comments below and if I think they're remotely suitable, I'll add a definition!

Portrait of Paul Newman by Eddie Smyth

Thumbnail sketching is basically small, quick, simple sketching that you use to jot down an idea, record a detail or figure out a composition, among other things. Thumbnail sketches don't have to make sense to anybody else - though they can be creative, they are really a visual shorthand, a note-to-self.

Subtitled "Ramon and Christie's crazy adventures in painting, drawing and everything in between". What caught my eye initially was the URL - "highonturpentine" - it reminded me of my art school days, when I'm fairly certain I always smelled of mineral turps and printing ink. The 'Painting Fanatics Locked in an Attic' blog turned out to be well worth the click - in fact I don't think I've ever seen such a lot of really good painting and drawing on one blog. Aspiring art student Christie, and Animation student Ramon draw and paint prolifically, and there's some fantastic work on the blog - really solid drawings, three dimensional and confident. It's a proper artist's blog - more images than text! There's some ink sketches that are just bliss. I've bookmarked it to read at my leisure, when I can go back to the beginning and follow their progress.

Do you dream of being a professional artist? This 10-point plan lays out the basic steps you need to follow to to turn your dream into reality. Of course, this plan assumes that you are already doing a fair bit of drawing, and have some basic skills that you can put to use. If you are a raw beginner, you'll need to start off with some basic drawing lessons before you can build your portfolio. This doesn't mean you can't plan your career! If you are keen, you can take steps towards building a professional career - such as identifying potential employers or galleries, or choosing competitions to aim for - even while you are learning.
You might also enjoy Six Steps to Accomplish Your Goals by About.com's Human Resources guide, Susan M. Heathfield.

Many beginners ask how they ought to hold their pencil - and while some people say it doesn't matter, the way you hold the pencil can in fact make a big difference to your drawing. There is no one 'right way', but some methods suit different styles of drawing better than others. Perhaps you get tense about drawing, causing a vicelike grip that tires your hands? Or perhaps you are using an overhand grip that someone has told you to use for drawing, but which doesn't allow enough control for fine work? The best grip for drawing is the one that allows you enough control and enough freedom, without tiring your hands. You may find that you'll change grips for different stages of a drawing. This article, How to Hold a Pencil, shows some options to try.

Last time we talked about pricing your art, readers had some thoughtful comments on the matter. Some of you mentioned that you'd hoped for more exact guideline - some actual figures would be helpful! So I've done a bit of research and come up with a few numbers. It's important to realise that there are a lot of variables, as I mentioned in the previous post. You need to make a realistic judgement about your work.

First of all I'm looking at prices for a commissioned realist graphite pencil portrait, of a single pet or person, approximately A4 size. The cheapest 'real' price for artwork of an acceptable standard is $50 US. The standard at this price is competent, but not highly detailed, nor with any outstanding artistic flair.

The majority of artists are charging $150 to $220 US. Works in this price range are detailed and accurate, usually of face or head and shoulders only, on a clean white background. Some are less detailed but hve a creative element, utilizing hatching or visible linework for effect; only a few artists seem to choose to work from life.

Artists charging the upper end or higher demonstrate a flair for composition, using superior reference images and exploiting the full tonal and textural possibilities of photo-realist style. Some artists offer moderately priced Giclee prints of their artwork for as little as $30.

Artists charging $350 and up are well established, usually with very professional websites, offering a range of sizes and often including prints and other merchandise. Print prices were around $90 in this group. The artwork in this price range was very solid, with artists clearly masters of their craft. Every artwork invites you to look more closely, and you would pick no faults in composition, with perfect proportions and flawless rending of textures and skin tones.

Artists charging $800 to $1200 'in demand' or developing a reputation. Again, these artists have professional sites and extensive portfolios, including giclee prints. Most portfolios in this price range include high-profile comissions, such as sporting portraits, with artists specializing in one or two areas and establishing a reputation in that genre. Some artists of this calibre publish limited edition prints with price tags from $100 to $300, open edition prints being cheaper - of popular decorative themes. Artwork of artists able to command this sort of price for a moderately sized portrait must be outstanding. Their familiarity with their medium means that they are able to compensate for any problems with the source photos and create a completely convincing illusion in graphite. Most commissioned work in this price range was highly realist rather than creative or expressive.

In the over $1500 price range we see a shift towards working from life (sometimes supplemented by the artist's own photography). These artists usually have training and are very experienced, with multiple awards and prizes in their C.V., and are well represented in many collections.

Some artists charge as much as $3500 for portrait drawings. These artists position themselves as high-end personal and corporate portraitists, represented by galleries or dealers and with a highly professional approach to their work. Successful artists in this price range usually have an Academic, Classical Realist style.

Juliette Aristides' book, Classical Drawing Atelier, won't teach you all the techniques of classical art, but will certainly inspire you. Aristides is explains why the classical artist uses line and tone the way they do, and how it functions in a drawing.
Read the review.

For a painter's perspective, read the Classical Atelier Review by our Painting Guide, Marion Boddy-Evans.

Related reviews:
Charles Bargue Drawing Course
The Natural Way to Draw
Drawing from Line to Life