I'm appreciating this site more and more every day. What a great way to get motivated to do some drawing! Now I'm motivated to share a work in progress with you. I hope you like it?

I decided to do a train waiting at the station. The first step of this WIP is the planning. I found 4 reference photos of the same train. Unfortunately I don't know the origins. But since I'm just doing this for fun, I'm sure the authors of the photos won't mind.

For the planning, I decided to use a 100lb (260gms) Vellum Bristol. The size of the paper is 11x14 inches (~28x35.5 cm). The drawing will be fit on the paper with 2 cm margins. This makes it easy for me to cut my own "pass par tout" and use a simple off the shelf frame.

In studying the photos I can see that I will need to use a 6B, 3B, 4H, 6H 2mm leads (I use Caran d'Ache clutch pencils) and because of the fine detail I will use a .5 mm mechanical pencil. Mine is a Pental GraphGear 1000. Sounds more like a car than a pencil but I like it.

I have a portable drafting board with a slide ruler that I use to get the measures done. I know the measures because the drawing is loaded into the opensource graphics program GIMP and I use the measurement features. This is great because I can scale a drawing to any size. Leonardo would have loved it believe me!

So I'm ready. Let's give it a go!

This detailed sketch took 3 hours with the .05 mm mechanical pencil. I started by getting an outline then key reference points and then started putting in more and more detail. Normally I wouldn't have put so much detail in the sketch but this train is pretty complicated and it is best to get as much detail as you can before starting the shading.

I have a funny little calculation that works for me to estimate the time to complete the drawing. I just multiply the sketch time by ten, give or take 10%. So this one will take between 27 and 33 hours. Are you sure this is ART and not science?

I will work through the drawing from left to right protecting the paper with a hand guard as I go.

So wish me luck and hope that I have some free time over the next few weeks.

I expect to give you a first look this week so see you soon.

I am very excited about this -- I will keep a front row seat! Thanks so much in advance.

I have questions already:

I've never seen 0.05 mm leads -- 0.3 is the smallest I'm familiar with. My goodness, that must be delicate! Where do you get that gear?

Can you get GIMP to give coordinates directly in inches/cm? I can only get measurements in pixels, and even then it's differences. I end up just printing and using a ruler instead.

Hi Ernest,

That was a miss type on the pencil it is actually a .5 mm pencil. I'll edit my first post.

For GIMP you open the Toolbox and use the Measure Distance and Angles tool (compass). On the bottom left you will see the zoom percent in the status bar just next to it is the PX measure click on it and scroll down to see the options for other measures.

Thanks for joining in.

WOW! RJ, it looks absolutely amazing already, i cant wait to see the finished piece.

This is great. Can't wait to see more.

Here is a first look at how the graphite is being laid on.

I started with a 6B at the bottom to get the darkest value. Then I tried the highlights and worked to get a feel for making the top area look like iron with sun reflecting off of it. The highlights are 4H. The way I do it is to lay down the darker values and then the lighter ones. I just keep layering until I get the effect I'm looking for.

Now that I have established the layers and work needed to get the effect I will move to some of the detailed areas and start defining the techniques I will use for them.

This small section, about the size of a deck of cards, took 2 and a half hours.

See you soon and don't hesitate to jump in with questions, suggestions, critiques or maybe your own techniques to do the same thing.

Hi RJ,
I love watching a WIP and seeing how other people do their work.
How do you lay down graphite? Circulism, hatching???
Do you use a very sharp pencil or a dull one?

I will use both techniques depending on the effect but in general I tend to use circulism with a sharp point.

When I planned the drawing I felt that the Vellum paper combined with circulism would give the best result to get the train to look metallic.

You can see how the metal looks pitted in this close-up but you can also see how the tooth of the paper can be completely filled as well.

Hi,this is my first post on this site but i had to say i am very impressed with your work and i can't wait to see the end result.

Wow, RJ.. You know I have always been a fan of yours, so I am thrilled you are walking us through such a detailed wip.
I see right now that one of my problems is slowing down. I have never done anything that has taken more than about 4 hours and you spend that much time in one little corner.

I guess I need to pay more attention to you masters here on Drawspace.

Thank you for sharing this. I have already learned a lot.

RJ, Thanks for sharing your technique and explaining this process in such detail. And letting us know how long it takes to produce a good drawing. Like Cyn, I need to slow down. I think I am anxious to see what it is going to look like. Maybe, with a little more experience, I will have more confidence that what I am doing will actually amount to something, and then can slow down and enjoy the process--and probably wind up with a better drawing!

Thanks for the inspiration! I am really enjoying this.

Firstly thanks for all your remarks. It is nice to know that sharing this WIP is being benificial.

As many of you may be wondering, "Where does he find the time?" It's easy when you don't watch TV. Did you know the average person spends around 20 hours a week watching the boob tube?

This image represents 11 hours of work. Based on this I'm pretty much on schedule for the original estimate. This is a point where I need to be careful to take breaks and not rush things. It is tiring to do 4 hour sessions and the drawing can suffer if I get bored or too tired.

Although the sketch was pretty detailed I still need to spend a lot of time trying to figure out which way and where things go. I like it this way because it allows me to invent things as I go and solve problem areas without loosing any realism.

I also added a few more layers of graphite to some of the dark areas. As I progress I will often go back to areas already drawn and work on a small area and make corrections and try to add more detail. For example the wheel has some problems. I'll go back to this 4 or 5 times until it looks right. Have a look at this area in the next post and you should see that it has been improved.

Heading for the middle section of the train. It shoud be tough. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Rj This is really amazing. and just what I need. WIP seeing how it comes alive. I feel I am always in so much of a hurry to get things finished. goodness knows why...
Thank you so much for sharing your technique. It will be interesting to see the progress to completion.

dors

Hi Dors, I'm glad you stopped by.

16 hours into it and I’m still as motivated as I was in the beginning. The problem is not to get too anxious to see the end result. I follow Mike Sibley’s advice and draw as if I had all the time in the world.

I worked on the wheels and started on that middle section. I refined the first wheel and I’m just about finished with the second. I’ll usually wait a day before going back to something to refine it.
The grooved part of the second wheel, where it comes into contact with the track, needed to look smooth. To get a smooth effect I went over the area 2 times with 3B. I then applied the darker areas in the center with a 3rd layer of 3B. It is important to layer. Layering protects the fibers of the paper. If you were to press hard to get the dark values you would flatten the fibers making it difficult to add more layers and even more difficult to remove the graphite. In fact I used the kneadable eraser to get the highlights at the top of the wheel. I then burnished or blended with a 4H lead using a circular motion to fill the tooth of the paper giving it a smoother look. I use the 4H because at the same time I went over the highlights to tone them down a bit. As I said, I'm just about finished with the second wheel. I will go back to it later and try to get more definition.

Did you notice that I added something personal to the train? It's not easy to see, but let me know if you find it.

Be back soon,

Looking good!
Is that an RJ that I see, right about dead center?

You got it Paulette, the check is in the mail!

Here's the close up.

Wow! Just Wow! I have a lot of learning to do. Thanks for sharing.

Debby

This is really amazing !

I wish I had so much patience, and time...

Your drawings are very nice.
Slim

Thanks for the comments Debby and my neighbor in France Endymion.

I agree with you SLIM Endymion has a great gallery going.

This is the seventh edition of the drawing (19 hours).

I started the drawing before I decided to do the WIP so I've been spending about 3 hours per day on it. Not always in one sitting. I usually try to break it up and not spend more than 2 hours at a time.

I intentionally left out some detail in the middle section because I knew from my planning that I would be adding some steam to this area. I won't add the atmospheric effects before I finish the train and the platform.

What I have found tough at times is dealing with the perspective. There are no circles only ellipses and sometimes it is difficult to get them to look right.

I expect to have the locomotive finished for the next post. Then I will start the platform, the sky and finish with some background elements in front of the train.

Thanks again for following and like I said, "Don't hesitate to jump in with questions, suggestions, critiques or maybe your own techniques to do the same thing".
[attachmentid=7445]

Thanks

RJ The train is looking great. I can imagine the hours put into a drawing like this. I have read lots in Mike Sibley's site.. there is so much to learn from these artists.
I keep stopping by to see how your WIP is coming along. Look forward to seeing the next stage.
dors

Hi Dors, I'm glad to know that you are following this. I saw that you are getting some requests for a WIP. I hope you do one. You can count on me to follow it.

23 hours and counting.

I'm not quite ready to show you the whole train yet but I did decide to have a go at the steam. It's not quite right yet but you get the idea.

What I do is draw in the tones normally and then, with a kneadble eraser, blot the areas where I want some atmospheric effect. I then go over it with some 2B to give it more dimension. You will see later that I will be doing some clouds using a similar method.
[attachmentid=7464]

As a side note I wanted to show you my latest aquisition for my studio. As you may know I've been working with a portable board. The problem with this is two fold, too small for anything bigger than A3 and not stable enough for fine detail. Well I'm lucky because I know a guy that is director of a technical school and they don't use drafing tables anymore. So I asked if he had one kicking around and low and behold he gave me one. The last one infact. This thing is huge but I don't care it's great!
[attachmentid=7463]

My sincere hope that all you artists here are having as much fun as I am!

This is amazing, so detail and I admire your drawings. I can't find the word to express your drawing.
Thanks for the step by step information.

lily

Thanks for your kind words Lily.

26 hours to get to this point.

I have finished the overall drawing of the train. I will lay down a nice tile for the platform so I can play with some reflections and light. Then I will go back to the train and build on all the tones, make some adjustments and bring back the detail on the front where I put some steam. I don't like that.

I have estimated 2 hours for the platform and 2 or 3 hours for the sky and landscape in front of the train.

I expect to post a finished work in my gallery Sunday night my time (GMT+1)

I'm really motivated now that I'm approaching a finished work! 29 hours up to this point.

I got the platform done and worked on the overall tone of the drawing. It was important to get the tone right before starting the clouds. That way I can just spontaneously draw the clouds and tone them to match the reflections in the platform and the toning of the train.

It took less time than I thought to draw the platform. I used pointilation using a sharp 3B 2mm clutch pencil. This gives the tiles some texture and a somewhat dirty look. That works well with the dull reflection. It is a reflection and not a shadow because the light source is behind us as we look at the drawing. The sun hits the side of the train and throws the reflection onto the platform. I used a 4H lead to blend the platform. There is no blending with a tortillon or other smudging type tool. The only place I will blend with a tortillon is in the clouds and that will be with a very light touch.

RJB
Whoaaaaaa, when I was much younger, and just beginning my work career, I had about 9 years on a drafting table just about like that. Memories. The first company was a big motor mfg co, the second made the world famous D-104 microphone.
Slim

Well I WHIPPED through that WIP in less days than I thought.

The timing worked our with my personal formula of (sketch time X 10 = finished drawing) in this case 30 hours 10 minutes and 34 seconds. Of course that's just an approximation.

The Clouds are just spontaneous drawing although I did intend to have a dark sky in the distance with it being a bit clearer over the train. This helped to explain why the drawing had light coming from behind the viewer.

To do the clouds I used a 3B lead and with circulation added the darks.
I then used the the same pencil and lightly using just the weight of the pencil closely hatched the entire sky.
I then went over it a third time changing pressure on the pencil to create tone throughout.
I then used my kneadable eraser and pulled up some light spots.
I then went around the areas and picked up shapes and gave them definition by shading the edges of shapes.
I then went over the whole thing with a 4H to blend it all together.

The final step was to blend with tissue. To do this I take a bit of tissue, about an inch long, and roll it very tightly. I then insert it into a 3mm clutch pencil. This gives me a small blending tool with a lot of control. I very lightly blend the clouds until I get the effect I want. When the tissue is full of graphite I just pull it out a little and trim the edge. Works great!

I sprayed the drawing with fixit and it is ready for framing. I will frame it the same way that I cropped the upload here.

I also added my time sheet if you're interested.

So there you have it, an RJ WIP is now an RJ Drawing. I hope this was helpful and thanks for your kind remarks.

That is just incredible!! Thank you so much for the WIP. It really helped to have your thorough instructions.
I understand so much more now. I can't do it, but I understand it much better.

[quote name='rjblanchette' date='Oct 6 2007, 09:31 PM' post='27008']
Hi Dors, I'm glad to know that you are following this. I saw that you are getting some requests for a WIP. I hope you do one. You can count on me to follow it.

Thank you rj . I am starting my very first lesson this week.

I really enjoyed watching your WIP come together.. Amazing work. Thank you very much for sharing your talent with us. so many good tips too.

Great for you to have the drafting table so much room to spread out... no wonder you are having so much fun.

Having fun here too
dors

Great Job! I have so much yet to learn. I'm with Cyn on this one. I understand, but still can't do.

Debby

awsome job on such small detail .. very impressive

Very good/impressive indeed. :3

Magnificent work RJ I love the smoke. The paper you use is Bristol smooth correct? Ive heard good thinks about that paper i might get it soon because my sketchbook has way too much texture in it! can't really critique this it's just too good and i would need to see the reference photo if i wanted to. Anyways awsome job thanks for the WIP!

Wow, what a great drawing! I am so impressed with your detail, the treatment of the various surfaces, and your technique.

Thank you, RJ, for this wonderful WIP! I didn't attempt to follow along, but you provided so much helpful information and pictures that it did make me feel that it might be possible for me to try something like this. I did a quick sketch of a small part of my shiny silver flute (not unlike a locomotive in certain aspects), and thought hmm, this has potential. Thanks for being so encouraging.

I'm happy those of you who followed this WIP found it informative and enjoyed the resulting drawing.

Your remarks are very much appreciated.

Just a note on the reference. I don't show the reference photos that I use. The reason being is that I don't think it is useful to compare my work to a photo. I prefer that the critics are on the drawing and not how well I copied a photo. But if you're curious I inadvertently took a picture of the reference when I showed you my drafting table.

Remember a Work In Progress (WIP) is fun to do but is not intended to be a course just a nice way to follow someone's work and pick up a few pointers.

Thanks again and maybe I will do another next month.

Very well said RJ... and thank you again...
dors

Well done!

Another next month!!! Can't wait! I think you should show us how you do your portraits ! I'll be counting the days! lol

Hi Sparky,

Any subject in mind?

What about another self-portrait?! Or some celebrities or just random people on the web, but i dont really have a subject in mind.