Drawing Tip: Fools Rush In.....
I've a feeling I've said this before, but I'm terrible at taking my own advice. Do a sketch and test your medium BEFORE you embark on a big piece. I've been working on this A4 drawing of a horse, using Graphitint on Stonehenge paper. I did light layers of graphitint - the first one coming as a bit of a surprise when I'd muddled the Russet and Autumn Brown pencils and put loads of red wash where I wanted light brown. (the colour on the end of the pencil is an earthy terracotta, not the hot pinky red it gives when wet). And of course, on the absorbent Stonehenge, there's no erasing. But I hoped that I could allow the colours to work as an undertone and continued. So now several washes and lots of shading later, I've realised that this drawing is past saving. Mistakes with darker washes have meant that I can't put highlights where I want them, and the effect of the water on the paper has coarsened the grain and made it difficult to shade. All up a disaster. If I'd done a few more small, practice pieces first I would have figured all this out without wasting a drawing.
I think part of the problem with the drawing is that I was trying to use them as I would a graphite pencil (which is erasable, while they are less so, especially when wet), and not being careful enough to reserve the whites (because wetted, they behave like watercolor). Also, the color is far more intense when wet. The washed colors also tend to evenly tint the paper, so that there is less reflection between the particles of graphite, giving a dull surface - useful sometimes, but not what I wanted in many ares of the drawing. Graphitints also have a soft core that feels like a 4B pencil, so I'll choose a less toothy paper for them next time.
So its back to the drawing board, both for the horse, and for the graphitints! Separately, I think....
Comments
Thanks Helen for sharing your experience with using the pencils but otherwise it is an excellent drawing and composition.
Never mind Helen, in the world of an artist, a horse(or anything)can be any colour
Thanks! I guess it isn’t a total waste - I learned something about the medium. Actually the small version here doesn’t look too bad - but up close the surface isn’t pretty.
I don’t think I’d choose hot pink for a horse! A nice iridescent peacock blue perhaps?
I really like your horse. I think perhaps because it is unique-looking, and not the conventional colors, but the ones you chose work well. Besides, aren’t we always our own worst critic?
Hello there.
I actually really love the red effect in there, it give it a unique taste and I have really grown to love it. Good work!
I don’t know how it looks on the big canvas, but scanned and resized for the web, it doesn’t look bad at all. Donate it to webgraphics.about.com with a link back over here! Then you not only get the visitors, but some amateur web designer will love it!
i think that the drawing of the horse looks good but i like a lot of art that the makers don’t like. For some people your art still looks good even if it doesn’t look the way you expected it to.
I like that horse. The red makes it glow warmly like it’s lit by a setting sun. Maybe not the effect you where going for but still, a valuable accident.
Helen, you just illustrated for us what we have all known (but not taken full reckoning of) all along. The correct practice and familiarization with the material, technique, and subject must be part of a studied effort.
This is far more prevalent, however, in the world of photography where the costs of experimentation are significantly less in maaterial, time and money. I used to teach photography, and it was always difficult to get students out of the “we’ll just push the button and see what comes back from the drugstore” mode.
And those of us who love horses will generally take them in whatever color they happen to be.
Helen, I very much like the color that showed up.. it gives another layer of feeling or reaction that wouldn’t exist. ..which is much more interesting. Makes one think about what has been happening to the horse.
If you don’t like it I can take it off your hands for you.. I have the perfect spot!
Thanks for the compliments! I’m going to try and ‘finish’ it soon….
By the way, I can’t take credit for the composition, I’m afraid - its a direct copy of a photograph by kind permission of Sue Byford - I must add a credit. When I’m demonstrating techniques I’ll often use a photo to save time - there just isn’t enough hours in the day otherwise!
Sorry Helen but I fail to see your problem???…… Just leave it as it is and title it… “an embarrassed horse”.
Yes! “Practice pieces” or “studies” are a great way to prevent (most) mis-steps on the “real” picture. A wonderful way to learn about your materials (especially wet Stonehenge!) I finally learn not to put any fluid near Stonehenge, it’s wonderful for colored pencils and many CP artists use it. Thanks for your forthright confession! It is this type of thing that helps us all so much! Helen Scott in North Carolina