Covid #6 Challenge: White on White continues

 Great to see a couple more of you giving this difficult challenge a go!

Special mention to JMcG - who has really embraced the challenge and explored the depths of working with white. As well, she took my suggestion to improve the quality of paper she has been doing these on and I feel it has made a difference to how she has handled the graphite. This is an A4 sheet on 220 artist paper - JMcG sent through her photo for me to view as well.  She says she closely followed the steps in my instructions and I do think her first effort worked well - the flower shape in particular is very good -  but we both agreed that more depth in the darks was needed and the addition of waterdrops would lift the work:

Original photo and first submission of White Azalea by JMcG

I sent her a worksheet on drawing waterdrops (you can ask for this via the contact form right), and she went away and worked some more of the piece. You can see a big improvement in the work - a greater tonal range and development of the darks in the leaves which really sets off the flower. This also helps to make the stamen and pistil pop. The addition of the waterdrops help as well, adding interest and creating form. Perhaps a little more tone can be still added to the center of the flower to make the interior elements stand out more. You could use indenting here, even at this stage, in the stamens if you are concerned about losing those whites. 

This is a good work JMcG, and your willingness to go back and improve it is commendable. So often students are afraid to push a work further, so well done you!

'White Azalea' by JMcG

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

EM has done a rose for us - but she has used her own image. EM has drawn this rose previously in color so to challenge herself even more, she reversed the image! That would have been a bit mind boggling to work out while drawing. This was drawn with Faber Castel Graphite on 210 gsm paper that has a bit of a tooth. Her image did not have any leaf surround so she chose to use a flat dark background which works well to set off the white of the flower. Good shapes and tonal variations set off the rose nicely. Perhaps a little more dark tone gradient is needed in some of the petals where they meet the interior areas, but overall a very pleasing rendering of this rose.

'White Rose' by EM