Friday 8 October 2010

Not Just Any Dog


Not Just Any Dog


Well yesterday I did as so many of you have said time after time; I made a start on another drawing with my new pencils. I spent a fair bit of time on it but hoping that I get some advice from you experts.

I am aware that I need to work on the blending between the darks and the lights. This dog is black and white but just leaving the paper white seems far too harsh?

I have already been told that it will look better once I begin to bring it all together and that the eyes will help also.

Now with the eyes should I stick with just shades of black and white or add the beautiful big brown eyes this dog has?

When I paint abstracts I never feel the need to ask myself too many questions about what I am doing it I just do it. When I paint landscape or seascapes I do not seem to worry over the colours I use or what I put in or leave out. It all just seems to happen.

This is what makes this both frustrating and yet exciting. I am sure I will never be good at this but it is mind consuming and that has to be good.

If I was doing this dog in pastel I would be working on black paper and would be using only white pastel. This is like working negative for me. Does that make any sense at all?

I feel like a lost soul in a sea of questions.



This blog is linked to my other where I am talking about. The Judgement But Not Of Solomon.

7 comments:

  1. The 'sea of questions' stage comes right before the 'eureka' stage. Keep working!

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  2. Why not take a separate or scrap sheet and sketch the eyes - one set black and white, one set brown and white. See which you prefer!

    Love the sketch so far; don't be afraid of the 'whites'.

    Congrats on great start

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  3. Ralph, you are at that stage now that is sort of like in between the good and the really good.
    I absolutlely do the eyes the very first ... If the eyes are looking good I'm happy to go on .. for me it would be all pencil (eyes too) . It becomes 'real' .. the fur will come along but does take patience and time... blending, lights and darks, ... and no you don't have to leave the paper stark white.. just a little light pressure on the white and then blend it to a barely there/ gray.. (using my finger) I know thats suppose to be a no no. because of the oils on your hands. but I was never one to conform ... now if you get to a point that you just are stumped. let it sit for a while,,, then look at it... and look at it

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  4. Keep going! As you work the pieces will fall into place. Good for you working in a new media ... and out of your comfort zone... that's where the new growth is!

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  5. I like Barbra's suggestion for the background; just a light smudge. This one looks like a master piece in the making. I can't wait to see more. I'll be back after my trip to check on it.

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  6. Ralph, by the looks of this I say your left-handed.?..maybe not but I always have found that left handed artists are better.. me? I'm right handed. Remember others can help, advise etc. but in the end it is YOU who creates it.
    good luck I think with patience this will turn out very well.

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