Hello,

I'm your host for the week. I hope you like my choices for this challenge. I have some wonderful photo's of my trip to the renassance faire that happens annually near where I live. Please send any comments if you have any questions.

All levels of drawing are encouraged to participate!

The goal of this thread is to enable and encourage individuals to practice their drawing skills, learn new techniques and have fun! If you just want to sketch that’s fine. If you want to create a complex, detailed drawing, that’s great too. You will get out of this what you want. The references used are from my own personal reference library of images that I have photographed and I release them here as not under copyright, meaning you can use them as you wish for drawing.

You will be challenged by some aspect of all references most likely as you all will have different strengths and weaknesses in your ability to translate the images to paper.

Reminder:

This is a DRAWING challenge. Therefore please confine your artistic endeavours to some form of drawing: graphite, coloured pencil, pen and ink or charcoal.

There is no ruling on what size your final drawing or sketch should be. Smaller, sketchbook sizes will provide a smaller file size which is easier for loading onto the thread.

If you would like assistance or advice, please ask for it and I will be more than willing to try to guide you.

This challenge will last for one week. At that time, all challenge drawings should be submitted to this thread.

I have offered these reference images to choose from. The images are also provided in greyscale. Seeing the images in black and white gives a better sense of basic values.

I have kept the images to simple shapes that still provide challenges. Block out your basic shapes first then work the details into them, rechecking proportion and measurement against other reference points in your drawing.

If you have an interest in hosting a challenge, please see the list in the pinned area of general discussions.

great pic choices gilbert..i hope to be able to participate this week..at some point..

Thanks on the pictures. I'm sure we will talk some time this week.

awesome pics. I love them.... going to have fun doing this weeks challenge

hey i chose the helmet to start with..a very deceptive piece..it looks super easy (and to most probably is) but those of you who know me know how discombobulated i can sometimes get with perspective

so anyway..all those little spiky cones are good for perspective learning, i have rotated them pretty well but that one on the nose piece..that looks right at you..is very HARD for me..wow..i have erased that lil bugger at least 15 times already..and it still dont look right..the others i seem to be doing semi ok with

also great for shadows cause of all the little rivets; and those spiky things are not going to point in the right direction without the proper shadow..

this is a very good picture for beginners..

The lights reflection on the metal was one of the reason I liked this picture. I saw it as something that would be interesting to draw. Good choice.

By the sounds of your progress, you are well on your way to working out the challenge.

here is my helmet attempt..charcoal black and white, on a soft grey charcoal paper


Click to view attachment

Wow, Kay!! That's incredible.. It's beautiful.. It sure doesn't look like you had a hard time..

tyvm cyn..it was more challenging than it appeared to be to me and for me..

I agree with Cyn, wow that is amazing charcoal work Kay,


here is my attempt at the Eagle statue in pencil, I think I need a new shipment of erasers now, and more time to practise.

Great selection this week lancruz, thanks for the challenge.

Brian.

Kay you absolutely done a fabulous job on the helmet.

thanks guys..and brian good job on yours too..

i seen someone used brown charcoal..i did not know that was a choice..i love sepia colored drawings so i shall have to get me some brown charcoal.

Kay that is an incredibly well done drawing.
Brian your eagle is excellent - I hope he is kind to Woodstock.

Excellent photos Gilbert, I tried the torso.

Click to view attachment

thanks tam..and that is one incredibly well done torso there yourself..

Lovely choice of photos Lancruz

wow I'm impressed

Tammy I love your statue, great lines and values

Brian what a lovely eagle, and lovely woodstock had to be there as well

Kay, what a nice shiny helmet, how do you do that???????now I'm embarresed to post mine

here is mine, 2.30 hours with pencils, HB2 and B4

Click to view attachment

most excellent clara..the details of your rivets is great..and certainly your drawing is wonderful.. i should have used a sharper pencil for finer lines..oh well..live and learn..lol..

Thank you Kay and Clara.
Clara your helmet is also very well done.
I didn't have the courage to even try it.

Wow! The helmet is awesome. It is very striking. You did a great job on this one.

Regards,
Gilbert

Awesome eagle! I recognized Woodstock too. Thanks on the selection for this week.

Regards,
Gilbert

You did a great job on the torso. You captured the light perfectly.

I think the helmet is a hit! Your helmet came out great too.

Regards,
Gilbert

Kay,
wonderful job on the helmet. I love the shading, and over all it is a great rendering. Good work!
Trish

Brian,
Good job on the eagle statue, love your personal touch of Woodstock

Trish

Tam,
Nice work on the torso. Proportions are good and all of it nicely done.
Trish

Clara,
Great job on the helmet.
Trish

hey guys

not sure if i am going to post this week... i have put pencil to paper and have hit one of my blocks... feels like i cant even draw a stick figure...

fantastic drawings everyone, they are all great

Hi Guys

I'm feeling very hesitant in uploading my attempt but here it goes! Nice work from all of you guys

Please take into account I'm very much a newbie to drawing of any sort. Been following the lessons on drawspace veeeery slowly.

hesitant! sheesh...newbie?...wow! that is a really great drawing..very very nice work

great drawings, everybody.Too challenging for me though.I still have a jet lag.

Hi Riq,
Very good job. I can see you are going to be a wonderful graphite artist.
Trish

Never hesitate my friend, if you do not post you will never know others opinion!!! And let me tell you a secret...I would never tell you are a beginner!!!...WONDERFUL JOB!!


and thank you all for the nice coments on my helmet!!

wow great drawings everyone, and here are my attempts at them. Do give ur feed back.

1-8 you are an artist! Love your drawings.

Hey oliverandjazz!

WOW! I love your helmet! You truly got the essence of this! Very impressive!

Fawn

Nice work on both of your drawings.

Thank you for the kind words everyone Will be posting everything I draw from the lessons as I go along shortly.

I'm already psyched to see what next week has in store for us!

fawn thank you very much for your nice words of encourgement..

Rig..Clara (kaly) is right...please share...dont hesitate..we are all in our own stages of growth and love to encourage each other..no one will ever say a mean or negative thing to you here.....and your drawing is so awesome!

1_8 i agree with elena..a wonderful artist you are..those are both very impressive and beautifully done..

everyone has done some great work..it is always my favorite part..to see the same picture done by so many different artist in different stages, in different mediums, styles..in the end...the drawing is always awesome and each one the exact same ONLY SO MUCH DIFFERENT..that is my favoritest part

Kay, yes it is exitng to see the same subject drawn by diferent artists!!

Riq, that is the spirit!! you can also add your challenge drawings to your gallery most of us doo!
I just noticed you are from SA, well gues where I was born Joburg!! But I havent been there for a loooong time, when I left you weren't even born...dam I'm old!!!! just kiding I don't feel old at all, I think I never will, I'll be 90 like my grandmother and still feel young ( I wish )
We also have a teacher here at DrawSpace from Joburg he is fantastic, and the newest lesson on the lesson board belongs to him.

You did an excellent job on the helmet. I like how you captured the shadows. One can look at it and see where the light is coming from.

You don't seem like a newbie?

oliverandjazz, I can tell you're all very friendly and supportive people. I appreciate all positive feedback greatly However a bit of constructive critism now and then will be useful.

Kaly , so few lessons I've done have been uploaded. Not much at the moment, but it's a start

Lancruz, thank you for the positive feedback. I really am a newbie. Feel free to check out the uploaded pics of the lessons I've been doing. Still very early stages. The first lesson I did was a week ago. Hehe...

Thanks again everyone With such good feedback for my first ever completed sketch without any assistance, I can't wait to get more practice and post again!

thank u Elena, Lancruz and oliverandjazz, u people r so encouraging .

Riq, its sure a good thing to post your drawings in the gallery, I too am soon going to post my attempts at the lessons but not much to post now.

hi rig..you will get NO critiscism from me..good, constructive, bad or indifferent..to me art is far too subjective for that..what one person finds appealing, another will find appalling..one will say this should be changed but so and so is fine...the very next person will say the exact opposite..if i like your work i will comment..if it is not to my liking i simply wont say anything..after all who am i to tell you that..

for instance..vick just went to the dali museum..i cant stand his work..oh a few of his melty pieces are pretty cool..but the rest..sorry cant get it..if i produced art like that they would put me on meds or in a white jacket. but this guy for some reason is famous...sorry i dont get him or his work..but others love it..so if i were to say hey dude..that piece needs this, or what about that..I WOULD BE THE GOOBER..NOT HIM for producing what to me and my sense of art is really some pretty ugly wierd stuff...

there is a topic in the forums especially for critique from those who feel inclined to give it and those looking for it..but I STAY FAR AWAY FROM THERE..dont want their critique in that fashion..i already know what the probs are in my work when i post it..dont need them telling me..i can see it just fine..if there is some particular thing i need help with i ask and go from there..

so anyhoot..i tend to ramble..but i do love your work and my friend you are really very talented and for a beginner so very impressive..keep it up

regards
Kay

1_8, funny one. I've seen your profile. That's some awesome stuff!

Oliverandjazz point taken Well, how about this, if you don't like it, I'd like to know why

And here's my attempt with charcoal for another weekly challenge guys. (And you may ask "a newbie? charcoal?" Well, I was told a while ago that charcoal is the best medium to start learning how to draw. I swear I'm not pulling your guys legs

you are a natural...i dont know about it being the best medium for a beginner though, i would tend to disagree..not much chance for correcting mistakes..i tried charcoal years ago...hated it...this year i have decided to try again and i tend to like it now..specially for some quick darks

you are amazing to me though i must confess...what a wonderful quick learner you are, and this is another wonderful piece of work

Thanks again oliverandjazz

The reason I thought charcoal would be nice for this pic is I find blending is alot easier and smoother. I must admit, I prefer how this came out compared to my helmet and it took one fifth of the time! I think I might redo the helmet in charcoal to see what it's like. We can be charcoal buddies

In some ways a quick learner as I've only commited myself to drawing in the past week yes. However I have been seeking advice from friends experienced in drawing and well, just random people I meet who at art shops and etc. In a way I've been "learning" how to draw for years even though I've only really been drawing for a week. I just didn't know where to start and no advice I had received could tell me that most important part. Hence I'm eternally grateful for the drawspace lessons. (Yes, you'll never hear the end of me thanking the lessons. )

wow Riq, thats a beutifull statue.

I also don't like to critisice much, not that I think its bad to critisice, but cause i think I could advise wrongly!!I'm still learning too!, but if I am sure what is wrong with the picture and I'm asked I will give my opinion! But also like kay, there are some famous artists that I just don't get!!! sometimes I see those paintings where the hands seem awfull, and when everyone says it was that artist's style, I just say... style my A:::::::: he couldn't draw hands...period!!!

clara you are soooooo right...

here is my attempt at the eagle handler..i envy her,.. i would love to hold one of these beautiful creatures..i tried to put my own spin on her by making it more of a portrait which required a lil modification of pic..

she is 9x12 black and white charcoal on this wonderful orangy goldish honey colored paper..i love that color of that paper


Click to view attachment

Only now reading again I realized that you didn't use colors. It's excellent, the effect of the paper is fantastic, Kay.

tyvm guys..i wasnt sure ..but it did work out nicely..i bought couple diff colors to try..

wow Kay that is absolutly lovely!!!! the colored paper is very nice, but it was your hands who made the beautifil drawing