[quote name='Laura01' date='Apr 13 2007, 09:39 AM' post='18765']
Ernest,

Did you use a grid for this? I ask because I'm seeing what looks like indentations from grid lines in your first picture. This can happen when we use to much pressure laying down grid lines. My suggestion for grid users is to use an H pencil when laying down your grid...this will leave a light line and also use little or no pressure when laying down the grid...pretty much just the weight of the pencil in your hand...you can either erase the grid as you go or it will be covered by softer lead or blended away if you blend.

Laura, I know you were talking to Ernest but I use a mechanical pencil sometimes and I let my lead get too short. The metal of the tip makes little marks in my paper. I don't notice it until I try to shade the area real dark and they show up then. Grrr!

I've really need some1 to critic my sketches! Hearing it from fam just doesn't do it!

this is my brother on 9" X 12" (22.86 X 30.48) - 70lb. (113.4 GSM) paper, drawn in a Extra Black Layout pencil. I drew a first start sketch then went back and fixed it! the first one just looked to old for him, now I think it's looks better. I dont have a referance photo that I drew from, I did it while he played a game. I was trying to make it look realistic. I din't shade b/c I'm very bad at it, & didn't want to ruin it!

Daisybug! Wow so very productive today!

The eye is just perfect in my opinion. I know I tried that one a long time ago, made a mess of it and never tried it again! I'm not at all good with crosshatching so I can't really comment on that but you seem to have done a pretty good job of it on the ear.

Nice still life! As Ernest said, try to avoid the outlines. Lighten them up or work them into your darkest values. However you got the lighting pretty much spot on, maybe try to put in a couple of highlights on the eggplants to the left of picture. Also, if you make more of a distinction between the background and the flat surface on the foreground, your reflections would work better I think.

Your doing great Daisy - keep it up!

OK, well, let's see. The major thing I see is that some of the features aren't really where they should be, and that's all I'll mention here. The eye is positioned much too far back on the head, especially if this is a pure profile. If he's turned a little bit towards us, then it's not quite so bad, but it's still significantly farther back than it should be. The eyes are also a little too close to the top of the head; they should be about halfway from the top of the head to the chin.

The ear is a little too far to the back of the head as well.

Eyebrows are on the front of the head, and the inner edge is somewhere near the bridge of the nose; in a profile, the inside half is pretty much perpendicular to the page (you're looking at this half "on end.") You've drawn the eyebrow over the eye, as you'd draw it in a frontal view. Look again.

Thanks so much! I'm going to try to fix the things u suggested!!! nowthat I look at it, ur so right!!! It always helps me when someone shows me what I did wrong, that way I can try to make it better!!!

What about this one??? I did it b4 the others! done on same kinda paper but with #2 pencil. he played his guitar 4 an hour just 4 me 2 draw him, "i'm so grateful". he looks alot older n this 1 also! i couldn't find out why!!! I think it might b cuz his features r to sharp, I thought maybe i could round them a little to make them boyish. what do u think??????

OK! think I may have got it, but then again not sure!!! just put simple lines n b4 I actually comit to useing them! I want to c if I got what u were talking about! I also had trouble putting n the pupil! cant findout how to put it n!! What do u think Ernest???

Lesson P02- Claudette is side view of a face. Check that out. I do think you are getting closer. Depending how old your brother is, is part of why it is hard to capture his youth. We start as baby's with all our features close together and they spread(?) on the face as we get older. Check out Brenda's age progression lesson as well.
Paulette

Thanks Pauletta! He's 13. and looks bout 16 by the way. He also has extreme eyebrows...lol...though they do kinda make him look older I guess.

Thanks Rose, Thanks Ernest, its not easy! doing crosshatching. I am working on that still life and trying avoid the outlines. see later, Daisybug

[attachmentid=4352]Howdy, Well, this is my attempt to do a face. this was in my lessons Manisha it doesn't look like her at all. For being my first time not bad, but not good. I do need help on the mouth,nose and the teeth. what's up with that. lol Daisybug

I like it -- you did a great job with the shading!

What I see when looking at the nose and mouth area is that in the lesson, the head is being viewed from about eye level, or slightly above, so you're looking down on the nose and mouth; but in your drawing, I get the impression of looking up at them, as though the viewpoint is more at chin level. It's a pretty subtle distinction.

Hair is really hard and you've done a good job here. I'm struggling with hair myself these days. Two pieces of advice: first, try to use a larger range of values -- darker darks, brighter highlights -- in your hair. And second, remember that you're not drawing the hairs -- you're drawing hair. A pencil stroke is not a hair! When you draw a lock of hair, make all your strokes go together, for the most part.

You will probably hit me if I point out that outlines of some features haven't been fully absorbed by the hatching, and still show. So I won't mention those

I had this in the portrait thread and am moving it here instead. Comments welcome.

Judyvan

Hi Judyvan, I think you have done a fantastic job of this so far.
It looks like the original photo, the hair is great, just a little more shading needed particularly on the right side of her face (her right or our left looking at the picture).
Well done, looking forward to seeing the finished picture!

Andrea

Judy - Andrea said all I wanted to say. You have a good likeness. A little deeper shading on the viewer's left side of the face, along that side of the nose, the cheek crease on the viewer's right and under the chin would give you more sculpting of the face and more depth.

Well done.

Thank you Andrea and Rose. I will do as you both suggest and post it again soon.

Judyvan

Does this look better?

Judyvan

It's a real good likeness, Judy, and the shading is looking good! My 2 cents: I think you could go darker with the hair, the irises/pupils, the upper lash line (and add some lashes, but be careful!) inside the nostrils, and the shadows under the chin and around the collar; all together these would give your drawing more "punch".

The stripes on the shirt are nicely done, but the shirt would look more real with some shadows. For example, under the hair, and on the back of her right shoulder are some diffuse shadows visible on the shirt.

Thank you so much Earnest, for you comments. I am having trouble going darker. Maybe it is the paper. I will try my 6B pencil. I will post again with the adjustments.

Judyvan

Remember that sharp pencils draw darker than dull ones because the sharp point can get down into the "tooth" of the paper.

[attachmentid=4449]

Judy,

Have to agree with Ted and Ernest...push those darks!!!! But I must tell you....Look how much you have improved!!! You should be so PROUD of yourself!!!!

Laura

Ok, this is the final revision. The scan is lighter than the original and I did go darker with the hair, upper lids, etc. Thanks for all your support. No on to the next one.

Judyvan

It's beautiful!

Excellent work Judyvan.

here is a pic i did of a pup i had that died of his brain swelling....he was so sweet...[attachmentid=4484]

Awww Laurie what a cute lil shihtzu puppy!! I remember when mine was that cute and small, now he is grown and dumb..like kids I wish they stayed babies.

Well done Judy, and that's a cutie Laurie. ;-)

I did the sketch below in cheap color pencils. I would buy some more expensive ones but I'm afraid they will not improve my poor skill. I don't like the texture most of all. You might not be able to see it but she looks like she has the measles.

I would appreciate any advice, even if it is, "Stick with graphite Bob!"

It's only about 5 x 7 inches.

can you post it larger .. its small and I cant see it well but what I do see is very well done love the angle .

I posted a larger scan and edited my post above.

Bob, don't you dare throw those colored pencils away. I think it is just lovely.

Judyvan

I see it bigger now thank you .. well the only thing I would say is lighting seems the babies cheeks are missing light ....is this your first color pencil try ?

I've tried maybe three pictures with these pencils. They seem too hard and the paper doesn't take the colors evenly. It seems that I am having to press too hard, but I don't know.

bob.

what kind of pencils are they ? I use mostly the prisma pencils .. and I find if I stick with the same brand I do fine its when i pull out the crayola lol and try to layer over the prisma .. I get almost nothing at all .

I know and what you mean, Bob.
If you press harder the pencils scratch and if you don't press hard enough it seems that the paper is made of wax - takes nothing of the colour. They are mostly made of too much wax because they are for children who always press harder. And mostly make a lot waxblooms too.
It seems it is not possible to make a even layer.

I think especially for you and your great ability in portaits drawing cheap pencils are noot good enough and more expensive pencils work better.

Have you ever tried the "Polycolors" of Koh-I-Noor? They cost half of Prismas but work excellent.

Hey Bob, I just love that picture. I think it looks great! Hey if that was my first time I would give myself a pat on the back. I haven't try color pencile before. Maybe I would give it a try. Daisybug

The skin in the reference picture seems to glow. I'm sure I could capture that glow in Oil paints. I might have to do some small portraits in oil and post them. Usually I do them no smaller than 16 x 20 inches. But I have done a few smaller.

Bob,
I do not know if you are an ebay shopper or not but I and my husband are. If you try searching for different colored pencils such as Prismas, Derwent or whatever (the better quality) pencils, you can usually find a great deal on ebay and much cheaper than at art stores. I just made a purchase today as a matter of fact off of ebay for a mix of 300 prisma color pencils, and mind you there are going to be alot of duplicates of colors but with being a colored pencil person and knowing they go fast, it is not a problem. Stay away from cheap pencils if you want good quality colored pencil work!!! Just a thought I would share.

I spend a lot of time on Ebay and I have a paypal account, but I've never looked for art supplies. I've even did fairly good at selling painting on Ebay. I want to post some of my sketches there soon. So thanks for the tip.

Yes Venus is a ebay junkie ... lol Venus I am glad you were able to get the ones you wanted .
she is right the better the pencils the better they lay down .. i always go highlights first then work around those and alot of blending the colors in .. I bought a blending stump .. but with lead it makes a mess or i am doing it wrong ..so i stay away from that kind of blending .
I talked to Jeanette and we thought opening up a new Critique thread would be a good idea being this one have a few pages so please feel free to post your new work there .

kim by blending stump do you mean blending pencil for color pencils? thats what i use is a blending pencil for color pencils- i have to blend. i have tried hatching and it doesnt work for me. but the blending pencil works really good for me.
Lori

Kim...Ohh I never clarified with you yet, I didn't buy them for me, they are on their way to your house when they are sent by the seller.....

OMGosh ... Venus .. why are you doing that ? you crazy girl lol did you ask brian .. ? Is it because of the poser programs Van sent you ? he said not to worry he was doing it cause we are friends hun . ok just wait until I see you online lol .

oh and Thank you but you did not have to do that .

Lori ....mine are called blending stumps for charcoal , pastels and graphite. if that helps .

Kim...I know I didn't, but I did..anywhooooo....I believe Lori is talking about the Colorless Blending pencils that Prisma has for their colored pencils. They work alot better with the blending than the paper stumps or tortillions do, which ia just another name for it. I bought two of them last time I was at micheals and use them now...they are awesome when working with colored pencils.
Also, I tried a suggestion someone else told me here and forgot who it was but q-tips work very well too. I was told q-tips and alcohol but have yet to try the alcohol.