Week 18: CursedGirl, Don & KM

 Some more mythological animals!

Cursed Girl

This week CG has created a Centaurides (female centaur) for us. Using white card and 2H and B pencils she has drawn this image in a Japanese manga style using outline alone. Her work features many of the common manga style techinques, large eyes, small and pointy nose, small mouth usually just a line and expressive hair. She has worked this image up from imagination and without any reference materials and has done a good job. The construct of the anatomy is believable. I think the foreshortening of the right front leg could be worked on further - I know CG has improved it but it is still a little too long. Overall a fun image and a nice mythical work.

'Centaurides' by CursedGirl

Don

Don has complained to me that the mermaids at Mordi beach were not around this week, so he has referenced some ideas from online. He has created this lovely rendering in 2H to 4B graphite pencils in the Windsor Newton 200gsm smooth visual diary. 

Don, you have done a wonderful job here with this fantasy piece. I like the way you have created a fish skin texture with a scrumble technique. The flowing hair works well - maybe could have been a bit 'weedier'? And the combination of smooth tone and line work on the skin is effective. The fish tail has a lovely flow.

The background has been created using soft pencils and a pencil stump. Don has asked me for tips on different ways to create backgrounds - I think that might be a class or six once we can meet again! There are many different ways to do this depending on what your image foreground is. From blends like you have done, to layering, crosshatching, soft circular fills, lines, suggested foliage - endless possiblities. Let's hope we can get back to the classroom in 2021! Until then, you are doing very well. Perhaps you could soften off the edges of this background to blend out to white?

'Mordi Mermaid' by Don

KM

The Celtic Tree of Life is KM's choice this week. The myth is that the tree reaches to both the underworld and the sky with the treetrunk being the connection between the two worlds. The tree is the conduit to the gods. KM has used a circle border to represent the world with the roots and branches touching the circle and connecting to it.

KM is working with pastels again this week and she has used a 160gsm pastel paper for this work. Building on what she learned last week, KM has used more layering techniqes rather than trying to blend. Good work KM, this has a nice stylistic feel to it. Very Arts & Crafts style of design. Did you consider trying a Celtic Knot in the roots? It almost looks as though you have. You should be pleased with this design.

'Tree of Life' by KM