Inktober 2021: #5 Raven

 A few to show this morning, scroll down below mine to see. FYI, I post these in the order they are received after my last post. So if you would like to be shown first, get your work in early!

'Raven' by Linda Weil

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

This is a very witty submission from DH. Read his notes carefully:

'Suit' by DH

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

EM has sent in the first four days of Inktober all at once. For her colors she used watersoluble Caron d'Arche crayons and an aquash brush.

'Crystal' by EM

'Suit' by EM

'Vessel' by EM

'Knot' by EM

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

And JMcG has drawn this lovely 'knot' ring. Celtic knots are very tricky to draw! She has used ink with touches of graphite to add additional shading.

'Knot' by JMcG

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Inktober 2021: #4 Knot

 I chose to do a version of a Celtic Knot for this one.

Knot by Linda Weil

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

KM has done two prompts in one! A clever drawing combining Knot and Crystal. Really creative idea and good execution.

Knot and Crystal by KM

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

JMcG is embracing ink! This great vessel drawing was done with black ink Sharpie pen and Inktense pencils. The perspective in the buildings and ship is very well done.

Vessel by JMcG

Inktober 2021: #3 Vessel

 I decided to try to draw The Maelstrom in ink.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Some of your Inktober works, starting with JMcG who says she has never used ink before! She has drawn her crystal ring holder. Nice sharp edges and blacks setting off the crystal. I can really see all that circle and oval practice has paid off here. Nice bit of cross hatching too. Pretty darn good for a first foray into ink!

#1 Crystal by JMcG

SW brings back Mr. Blobby in these two delightful pieces! She has used fineliners, brush pens and dye based watercolors.

#1 Crystal by SW

... I love her clever take on #2 'Suit'

#2 Suit by SW

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Remember, anyone can join along. Just check the prompt list - if you cannot commit to a drawing a day choose one from this week's list (first 7) and have a go!

Inktober 21: #2 Suit

 Got your pens out yet?

'Sir Vaccs: Suit of Amour' by Linda Weil

Covid #6 Challenge: Inktober 21!

 Today is the first day of Inktober!

I have decided to delay another White on White challenge until November (I hear you all cheering). Instead I want to do some Inktober drawings with you and hope you will join along. Click the link in the headline above to see the official website - but basically the idea is to do an ink drawing a day using a supplied prompt throughout October. The prompt list is:

I am not going to be too pedantic about this - I may not manage a drawing a day. And I might use a bit of pencil or watercolor wash here and there. But the majority of any drawing will be ink. 

You can use any sort of ink - dip pens, fineliners, Inktense pencils/blocks, ballpoint pens, whatever you like. I also suggest you do them all in one drawing book/pad. I am using a cheapo MontMarc visual diary I had kicking around. It's not the greatest paper but it does the job.

And if you don't think you can manage a drawing a day, then just do one a week for me. Send it to me at the usual address (or use the contact link on right) and I will post them up. Or if you really want to get involved and are on Instagram check out #Inktober or #Inktober2021 and see what a worldwide community of inky artist create.

It's lots of fun! And my first drawing for Inktober is 'Crystal' - one of my silver spoons that has an amethyst  on the finial.

'Inktober #1: Crystal' by Linda Weil

Hope some of you join in!

Covid #6 Challenge: White on White... and a request

 Good morning, and thank you all who responded to my previous post and email regarding the now online exhibition of Spoons at Tacit Gallery. If you have the chance, please 'like' me on the Tacit Facebook or Instagram pages for this exhibition.

...getting back to White on White, KM has sent me a very nice drawing of a Lily. I am in a bit of a quandary over this work, because I really love it ... but ... it doesn't quite follow the brief as explained in the original post. The request was to use the background dark to assist in creating the white shape of the subject, as stated: 'the technique of using the darks surrounding an object to define the shape.'

KM has instead used an outline technique with minimal tone and no dark background at all! So not quite as the challenge requested, but DARN IT, it is such a good drawing I have to show it anyway. The lily she has drawn has an elegant shape, with free flowing and expressive lines. The linework uses thicks and thins in almost an ink-like way from dark tones fading to lights. This has created a beautiful, somewhat sensual drawing of the subject. So while KM has deviated from the original brief I still want to congratulate her on a lovely work.

Sometimes as an artist is pays to work to your strengths!

'Calla Lily' by KM

Tacit Online Exhibition: Spoons

 
Linda Weil's solo exhibition Spoons was foreshortened by the current lock-down and will be unavailable when we re-open. So for those who did not get the chance to see it up close and personal in early July - HERE it is.

"No one really knows when the spoon was first invented, though archaeologists have found fossils that suggest the Neanderthal created spoon-like instruments of seashells and animal bones. Our ancestors used shells or animal horn attached to sticks. Spoons were carved from wood; the word spoon comes from spon, the Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'a chip of wood'. Shell, bone, pewter, bronze, copper, and silver have all been used to create a handy tool for transferring food from a bowl to our mouth. 

My fascination with spoons began when I was looking for a drawing subject for my students. I wanted something that had a familiar shape, allowing a form interesting enough for both a novice or more advanced student to draw. It also had to reflect light and give a wide range of tonal options for graphite drawings. A variety of design within a common form was another a desire. And finally, as I needed many of the objects, it could not be too expensive to supply. Spoons fit all my criteria. Some I already owned, and the local Op-shop supplied more in a variety of styles and design at a mere $1 each. 

As I cleaned and polished my collection I began to wonder about each spoon's history. Where was this spoon made, when and by whom? Who bought it and why? Each spoon seemed to tell me a story. Every spoon drawing in this exhibition comes with a history. Some stories required a little research and are true, others are family traditions and may or may not be totally true, and the rest are pure imagination. None of my spoons are worth much in dollar value, but the stories and history they tell are priceless."

Linda Weil 

Click on link at the top of the page or click here to see exhibition in full.

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

Covid #6 Challenge: White is challenging!

So, I guess I scared off a few of you with this one! Yes, white on white is confronting and 'negative' drawing can be tricky. But once you have tried it a few times and begin to understand how it works it becomes an invaluable technique in your toolbox.

I am pleased to see JH's challenge drawing. She chose to duplicate the white rose I created, using my photo and the step by step work sheet to assist. Great to see, and I hope it helped some in understanding the process JH. A bit like a Great British Bake Off Technical Challenge, my step sheets don't give a lot of detail. Just enough to show the way and let you develop a work in your own style.

JH's rose is nicely formed, good darks and lights with plenty of tonal variation. She has a very painterly style with pencils that suits the subject well. My only suggestion would be to have less of a hard edge to the surrounding background by fading it off more. A lovely rose, JH, well done. 

'Rose Study' by JH

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

GW took the challenge as well, creating a good drawing of a Corella, one of her favorite birds. The background and dark roof set off the shape of the bird well - the shape is also well drawn. Features on the bird are nicely observed, although you have turned the head a bit away compared to the photo reference you sent me, GW.  You have not really done much tonal work in the feathers but I like the way you have created a mosaic like feel to them. The feet could be better, but you told me you are aware of this. It is good when you can see this sort of error yourself without me pointing it out! I would suggest that you try drawing the feet alone on a separate sheet of paper just to experiment and learn more about them.

Overall it is a good drawing. One thing that I think could make it more effective would be to consider doing more with the background surround. A bit like JH's above, it ends rather abruptly. But with your drawing, this edge suits your style, so why not develop it further? Maybe create a silhouette tree edge and extend it more to balance the work better. I did a fiddle in Paint to show you what I mean (below).

'Corella' by GW

Background suggestion for GW's Corella. GW could also 'square' off the edges of the background and the roof line to create a more finished appearance. Either with the pencil or by using a mat.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

I am currently working on the next challenge piece and it will take the weekend to complete. Warning, it will be more white on white! And it would be helpful to you if you did this first challenge before attempting the second. So you have a couple more days to play around with this. Have a go!

Covid #6 Challenge: White on White

I am often asked how to draw in graphite white subjects onto a white paper. There are many different techniques and I will look at one today. I will be focusing on using negative drawing to create positive/white areas.
Your challenge is to draw a white object in graphite on white paper.

First, are some important things to remember about using white in your graphite drawings.

1. Remember to always retain the white of your paper - keep it clean. This will be your whitest area and highlights in your drawing. Don't rely too much on erasing to achieve this because;
2. Erasing can leave marks and doesn't always remove all graphite leaving dirty smudges in your whites.
3. If you like blending with tortillion be careful as once you blend you can never get the white back no matter how much you erase as the blender will push the graphite into the paper fibres.
4. Your darks will always define your light tones.
5. Finally, remember just as Black is never totally Black, White is never completely White. There are always tones and gradients.

Negative drawing is the technique of using the darks surrounding an object to define the shape. Mike Sibley has a very excellent introduction on the ArtInstructionBlog. Click this link for some very useful information and exercises.

"It (negative drawing) permits you, when drawing spontaneously, to quickly create white objects on the paper by simply drawing the shadows between the - hair and grass, for example." Mike Sibley

Observe this drawing of an Iceberg Rose I created for this post. Note carefully how it is the dark surrounding leaves and hatching that create the 'white' of the rose. Observe also how I am not afraid to use dark tones within the white of the rose to create interior depth and cast shadows. Below the completed drawing is a 'step by step' image that shows you how this work developed.

'Iceberg Rose - Graphite' by Linda Weil©

'Iceberg Rose - Step by Step' by Linda Weil©

Now it's YOUR turn! Select an object or photo where the white object is surrounded by a darker background. If you do not have a suitable image available you are more than welcome to use the shot I took of my neighbors rose that I used for this exercise. If you use my image you can use the above 'steps' to assist you in your drawing.  Have fun!

Iceberg Rose - photograph by Linda Weil©