here a drawing I made this week during 2 evenings TV-programm ... as told my first one on portraits! but I have to tell you that I copied the head and eye positions
so this is my "solved hair-problem": Jean-Luc Picard !!

[attachmentid=9315]

any advices what to look for the next time to get better are very apprechiated

Excellent way to solve the hair problem. I love it I have been struggling with hair too, so I sit with a notebook while I watch TV, trying to practice on hair. It still looks awful. But one of these days, it will just all of a sudden, almost look like hair and I will be thrilled.

Hey I tired to dodge doing hair while painting a while back in the same way! Wanted to do wild life but didn't want to do the fur, so I painted this Seal Pup BUT IT WAS HARDER THAN FUR!

Any way on your portrait, first thing the hit me is that pesky outline! On the up side, I knew exacty who it was, even just looking at the thumb nail.

To remove the second attachment, click on the edit post and go to full edit. You will see 2 line for the attachement at the bottom of the post, just remove those lines

one may have no skills - but you have to have ideas
I am just trying to get better on the squirkling-things .... don't look like brenda's ... - but I keep trying! - the most problems I have with the first laying - almost getting too dark ...
cyn, thanks for liking my way to solve the problem !!! how do you like the whole pic? do you know patrick stewart ??

hi airscapes!
thanks for liking it (I hope you do ...)
what is a "pesky outline" ???
you mean you knew whom I was drawing before looking at the pic? also a trekki ??
- and thanks for the help with the second pic - made it now a second time and it worked.

Yes I do like it!
What I ment was the dark outline around his face. This seems to be a common issue with pencil drawings that have no background. "Pesky Outline" meaning the outline that is hard to get rid of and keeps showing up in lots of drawings.

What you could do is erase that line and bring your background shading over where the line was then blend into the face tones so you have a line of ligher to darker but no LINE.

Yes I knew it was Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc! I am a Trekki from all the way back to the beginning!

another trekki !!! (love you more for this than before *ggg*)
I know what you mean - but don't ask me if this is normal or not ... my first try ... therefore I wanted to make a background but I had to make it before I think ... ?!?! this was also a reson why I put this in here for discussion. also my thought was on the outlines ... there has to be a way to avoid this - but which ?? on this pic I made the background afterwards - this is also the reason for the "white lines" between the face and the background.

- I read in an other thread that you search for methods to make a background for pencil-drawings - this is my way: make some grafit on the paper, take a kleenex and make round and big circles on the surface. it's getting darker and darker with more layers of grafit. takes not a long time and with a knealed eraser you can make nice things. but you should think of making the drawing still darker than the background - or you are going to work vice versa. also nice. tried it the first time yesterday on a small piece of paper. (next thing I have to train ...)

but back to jean-luc: I don't know if I will try to erase the outlines. I think I prefer this on the next drawing - I am now beginning with spok. now I am searching for a way to have a background like told above and afterwards still seeing the outlines ... results until now: ???????

When I do a charcoal or painting, I normaly trace out the subject and any background very lightly so it is just visable. Then start with the background and work forward in the picture. This way you can work your background up to your very light reference line. Once you start the main subject you work the shading out to the background. Your very light reference line disapears. You can also use your kneaded eraser to lighten the refernce line to the point is is just visable. Using the qtip or tissue to work the background upto and over refrence lines if you have to, then erase back from inside subjed to where the line is..
Does this make sense?

yes, makes sense. up to the point where I shade upon the outlines ... how can I see the lines than ???
I have to try how it works on new pics. on picard there will be just some corrections but no tryings on the background - to shy to risk the whole pic! it is still my first one

and maybe some other readers do have an idea about the outlines ?!?

Yes, I knew as soon as I saw it. Patrick Stewart. Great actor. I try to watch anything with him in it. He also does some outstanding Shakespeare..
You captured his look quite well. It was good enough that everyone recognized him. So, congratulations on that.. People are hard to draw.. Good job..

cyn:
oh yes, I agree completely on the "great actor"! the scene where he is "playing" shakespeare on the bridge to save trois mom - I LOVE it !!! seen it ... let's say more times in english - beautiful!
I also like him in this movie where he is a ghost (don't know the name).

something on his face is still not correct. I will try to correct it. (and as told: spok is next)

Very nice. . . an an excellent idea to get around drawing hair for a first attempt

I saw your pastel flower in your gallery. . . I have some pastels that I got with a box of art supplies that I got from someone who didn't want them anymore and gave a try with them this weekend. Mine wasn't great. Does anyone here use Pastel blocks? Any tips on a good site. Would be cool to use these since I have them.

Thanks.

hi rainy!
thanks for your comment !!
about pastells - I have until now some german pages ... sorry. but I have nearly the same story and same problem about them - since last weekend :-ooo
the flower was just a test how I like them - until now I have NO idea how people can do such wonderful pics with this ... "things". - if you find something please tell me (vice versa !)