Hello friends,

My name is Elena and I will challenge you this week with some of this summer's pics I offer here for reference.

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 3-5 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.

African masks in Khan el Khalili Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt

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the replica statue of pharaoh Amenhotep IV, known as Akenaton in the Pharaonic village in Cairo, Egypt. Original statues of this pharaoh are in the Cairo and Luxor Archaeological museums and cannot be photographed there.
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Calesh(horse drawn carriage) drivers in Luxor(former Thebes of the ancient Egyptians)
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fresh and cold to quench a summer day's thirst, some watermelon
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view of the hypostile hall from the Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt.
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View from the Elephantine island of the majestic river Nile in Aswan, Egypt.
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One of my many furry neighbors, a squirrel.

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Wish you enjoy your time drawing, sketching, coloring your work this week.

Nice photos Elena, I will certainly have to try one

only one?

Great choices. I hope I have time to try one. Thank you for the challenge, Elena.

nice pics ...i will do a couple this week my friend..i am stealing the weekend just for me..

I will open this challenge with my 30-minutes sketch of the squirrel.It was fun doing it.

Hi Elena,
Great pictures, so many pictures, so little time, lol! I will definitely have a go at some of them. Thanks for hosting the challenge.
Trish

Cyn, Kay, Trish I will keep an eye on you

I love the temple shot!! I have to try that one!! Egypt is just one of many countries that I would love to visit! Thanks for posting such an awesome pic!!

Elena,
How to post an image in the reduced form as you did ?

It's an "attachment." Scroll down a bit on the screen where you post a message till you see the controls labeled "Manage Current Attachments", "Browse", and "UPLOAD". Choose an image with "Browse", press "UPLOAD", and then use the "Manage Current Attachments" menu to insert a link to the attachment into your post.

Gooday Elena,

This is Sridhar from India, I always prefer pencil drawing.
I always find difficult in shading the pictures. Could you
pls assit me.

Thanks,
Elena

Thanks. Let me try a contribution to the challenge.
I wanted to draw a sad expression!

Thank you. I've tried. It works! Wonderful !

Hey, everybody busy.
Thanks, Ernest.

Hi, An . You captured the Luxor driver beautifully, they are indeed poor people with sad faces. Thanks for joining in.

Hi there, Sridhar.Feel free to sketch the pic of your choice and post it here and we will help you with tips for shading it. Is that all right with you?

I just finished this watermelon in colored pencils(cheap ones) on Canson Mi tientes, a work that took me 2 hours and 2 cups of Turkish coffee and I am really happy and proud of my drawing. Enjoy.
(Hope to motivate you to try this one)

Thanks for hosting Elena. Lovely choice of pics Will definately try a few, if not all of em! Hehe

Brilliant job on your "quick"sketch. Would take me hours to achieve a remotely similar result. You're very talented! Still need to graduate to coloured pencils, so wont compete with you in colour for the watermelon Another brilliant job. Unfortunately I won't have the assistance of Turkish coffee Can't wait to try some!

NVA, good work on the drawing!

Really glad to see everyone so enthusiastic

Hi Riq, Turkish coffee is the only coffee I drink since I was 12, at home. I can tell you how to make it. Thanks for the feedback. I look forward to see what you pick fom my pics

I gave a try to the Luxor calesh drivers and spent on and off about 4 hours on a sketch in 2HB on Strahmore drawing pad 11x 14 in. which i had to crop and here is the detail.

Hi Elena

good pics - loads to choose from - maybe that's where I went wrong on my week lol!

done a quickie with charcoal - needs more definition I think but wanted to work with the shadows

The Calesh drivers have been fun to draw. I need more practice with people so this has been a good challenge for me. I love all their different expressions.

J

Hi Vicki, thanks for joining.I am glad you chose the masks.Good job so far.

Hi J
Welcome.Did you upload your drawing to the post? it doesn't show

Elena, I would love to know what Turkish coffee is! Then maybe I'll beg you to tell me how to make it hehe

Vicky, good work on the statues. You seem to have a very different style to what I've seen/used too. I quite enjoy your work

Hi, Riq. Turkish coffee is a method of making coffee which originated with the Arabs but was spread as far as Vienna, Austria by the Turks of the Ottoman empire. It consists of very fine ground coffee (usually ground with a manual grinder), water and sugar to taste, all boiled in a recipient and served hot accompanied by a glass of water. The foam which is floating on the surface of the coffee is called kaimak in Turkish and is the secret to a good cup of coffee. The coffee grounds will settle at the bottom of the cup and when the liquid coffee is over they remain in the cup, you are not supposed to drink them.The coffee is served black(no sugar), little sugar, medium and very sweet. This coffee is known to be very strong and in the Orient is served in tiny cups. It is widespread in Africa, Middle East, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania,Russia, all arab countries.

Here is my photo for you and everybody who would like to draw it.
The first is the almost size of a typical cup, the second photo is the mug in which I drink in the morning.For best quality coffee taste use porcelain cups only.

So the recipe: coffee to taste 2-3 spoonful, one measure cup of water cold, sugar to taste. Boil all on slow flame, then pour into your cup. Serve with a glass of water.
( My husband makes it himself every morning even if he used to drink capuccino all his life.)

WOW!!! Wonderful Pictures!!!
....Great to see U here after so Long Holidays Elena....
Best Regards
Irmina

Very nice pictures!!!
Beautiful!

Here's my try on the Temple of Karnak.

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My proportions are wrong...

Hello Irmina. Thanks for visiting.

Kalimera/kalinihta despinis? DI.N.A.Ti kanis?
Welcome(kalos Ipthate) to my challenge.
Your temple of karnak is very good rendered, especially the light and shadow play. I wish I could draw it so beautifully.
Efharisto poli for joining in.

thanks Riq - don't what style I have - it's just quick!

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hey guys,..my quick attempt at the pharoh statue, no time to spend on the bckground, i have to make turkey pot pies tonite,

its fall so i have to start getting my winter meals made and the freezer stocked

very good rendering of Akenaton. Thanks for joining in Kay.

here is my attempt at Akenaton, sketched a few days ago. Not satisfied with the result.
2HB on sketch pad 9x11 in.

great fotos!

I'll try too!

You are very wlcome to try, Du youth.

Okay, Elena.. Here are my masks.. Not very good but a lot of fun to do.

Cyn, it's exactly what I am working on. How nice! I love yours, very good work. Thank you so much in taking from your time to participate in this challenge. I am glad to hear you had fun doing this.

My first work in charcoal, took me about 1 1/2, I made many mistakes, my proportions are off, I was very intimidated by the medium. I used a charcoal pencil medium and a white sketch pencil on Canson Mi teintes sand colored paper 8 1/2 x 11 in.. The subject is not easy and for a first time work I am surprised at my performance even If I feel i had done better in graphite.Anyway it was an interesting experience.

Hello guys, I have a requst: is it possible to write the medium, kind and size of paper of your work and the amount of time you spent on doing it. Thanks.

Elena, that is a wonderful first time piece..i love the color of paper you chose..i myself have just now become brave enough to try the colored paper and it really adds so much to the drawing..i love it..nice job my friend..

hugs to you
ps the front of canson has the texture which is nice but you can use the back of it for a smoother look

cyn you did a very lovely job on them cyn..

we are our own worse critics arent we?? good thing we have friends to keep encouraging us

Thanks so much my friend. I was waiting for your verdict. I was totaly surprised by the combination medium and kind of paper. Next time I will try the same subject on the verso(back of page). I plan to make a gift to my doctor. He asked me to try charcoal but i was shy.I also need charcoal paper, fixative and more pencils. I guess I will love this medium in the end. I already kind of like what i did even if all the proportions are nuts.maybe we can enlarge that topic of yours with more art and tips.Charcoal is one of traditinal mediums very much used by great artists.That's why I admire your talent with it .

The same figure, more shadowing!
Format A4, pencil, 1/2 h more on the first test

Kalimera/kalispera Elena!
Efharisto poli!

Are you Greek- American?
I liked your masks very much!!!!

Elena, Your charcoal masks are beautiful.. I just use a cheap Canson sketch pad most of the time. I will have to try something on better paper.

Thank you , Kay.. Yes, we are very critical of ourselves. Everyone else's work looks so much better than ours.

Everyone has done great work on this challenge.. Beautiful stuff here..

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here is my squirrel...as you know i have only this year started drawing with out the grid and i end up off my paper sometimes because i am focusing on my subject so hard..i have pm'ed wayneo for some tips on keeping me on my paper and i am sure he will respond with some good ones to help me..and i can get better at keeping my drawing where i want it

hello friends

sorry for the delay on this one Elena, I have done it a couple of days ago, but had no time to post it, have had some friends here, they where suposed to leave on Tuesday but decided to stay untill tomorrow

So many beautifull drawings here that I'm almost ashamed to post my quick charcoel sketch.Landscapes are not my strong, I'm too lazy for details specialy trees with so many leaves


Charcoal on smooth drawing A4 paper about 20 minutes.no eraser.
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Hi
Here's my temple - I found it really difficult. I'm just back from Egypt too. but we were down at the Red Sea so my son and granddaughter could get in as much Scuba diving as poss. My daughter in law and I took a day trip to Cairo so at least we saw the pyramids and the Museum.
I'll try the squirrell next - that should be easier!

Awesome job everybody. So glad that you enjoy this challenge. Thanks for posting also the specs of your work.

An, great to see you back with more enhancements to your lovely work.

Di.N.A, I am Romanian, I studied one year greek in my college years back in the 70's. Have been to greece the only country in which I felt fully happy. I love greeks and greek culture.

Cyn, Your work is good. Don't be sad. You can always try again.Thanks for joining.

Kay, my friend your squirrel really rocks. I love it. You are so good with fur and animals.

Clara you tried a difficult one. It's beautiful but difficult. You did a good job though.

Norma, what a coincidence that you have been to Egypt. Have you heard of those tourists kidnapped these days in Sahara, they are in the european news.
Good work with shade and light, Norma. Very nice temple drawing.
Good luck on your squirrel. I warn you... it's fun to draw that furry tail
Thanks guys for participation.