Welcome Everyone to the newest Drawing Challenge! Most of you know may know we do a two week challenge to test everyones skills the fullest of their abilities. It is all in fun and great practice. The idea of the challenge is to draw the pictures the host presents the best they can. My name is Venus and I have provided the challenge references photos for this challenge. All that is required is that they be done in any type of drawing media. No paints. Thanks everyone and I hope you enjoy!!!

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Ok I have to add one more picture. Hope this doesn't upset anyone. My oldest daughter saw that I put her sister in the draw challenge and was a bit upset. So I decided I would add a photo of her to the challenge also. Thanks Everyone!!!!

Great pics, Venus girl. I always loved your dolphin vase. I guess now I will have to try drawing it.

BTW.. Who's the cutie in the green hat?

Here's my feeble attempt at portraiture. Graphite on Strathmore Smooth Bristol.
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That's great, Painter! Nice job.. You sure are working fast. I go away every week end so I will really have to get busy when I get back.

Cyn the cutie in the green hat is my middle daughter Tuesday. She is 7 and is dressed in her Halloween costume.

Painter awesome job with the drawing. You made her look like herself I haven't even gotten that close. She loves it by the way.

Venus, I didn't know that was your little girl. She is really a cutie.

I'm not real happy with it, but then its a portrait and I'm not good at them. (yet!!) LOL I do keep trying though. hahaha

I'm glad she likes it. Tell her she can download it and its hers.

Great job, Painter! And so fast! You really did get a good likeness.

Nice references, Venus, & your children are darling!

J

Wonderful images Venus. Your girls are beautiful! I'm doing both of them and will post them at the same time. I know just what its like to have one of anything with children around...

Painter, you have captured her look very well. Excellent job!

Thanks Jeanette. Yes they are at the age where they both fight alot and want what the other has so normally it has to be the same for both all of the time. Thank goodness the youngest girl is still a toddler.

Ok here are two of my five pictures I put in for draw challenges..I did the dolphin vase and Tuesday. I did both in #2 mechanical pencil and on canson sketch paper. I noticed after I scanned them I didn't do a very good job at erasing the smudges. I also noticed on Tuesday's eyes one is a bit bigger than the other. I just need to do more practice on the portraits. I think I got a likelyness to her but for some reason she still looks to old, definately not like a 7 year old...I think maybe its the makeup? I love the way the vase came out though..I am pretty happy with it. Comments are welcome.

Hi Venus - the flower in the vase (of course) is really beautiful. You always do great flowers. Good job. I think I got some help for Tuesday's picture, and why she looks old. The lines on the bottom of her mouth (her chin) those are lines that old people like me get. LOL and I think her eyebrows are way too dark for a little girl. The nose is a little off but I think its because of the wings being to small. But then, who am I to criticize portraits. I can't draw them but I sure know when they aren't right. LOL I've been working on one tonite at home and its driving me up the walls. I'm just about erased out!!! haha

Painter you are right I think there are to many lines and the eyes to me are off I didn't think it was the nose though. I need to put it away for a few days then retry it. Ohh and you have every right to tell me what you think is wrong. So does everyone else. I need to learn to draw portraits. I think it is very important since I am considering the idea of becoming an illustrator. Thank you so much for pointing out what needs to be fixed.

I decided to join in on the challenge , I hope you all dont mind , I could not resist drawing this sweet girl

WOW Markita!!! Its beautiful...she is gonna love it. She doesn't like mine says I didn't make it look like her..LOL. I keep trying to tell her I am trying. I think I have redone her picture (the exact same one) like 5 times and she looks like a teenager in all of them..

I need help!!!

Portraits are indeed difficult to pull off well. It takes lots and lots of practice and even then, the smallest thing off and the whole image is wrong.

You're off to a good start on this Venus and you have captured a likeness. Now you know a few areas to concentrate on, you can alter it a little and get a better likeness of your daughter. The rosebud in the vase is lovely. You're very good at rendering flowers. My only suggestion there would be to add a few highlights in areas to vary the tones.

Markita, this is a lovely drawing. Light and almost illustrational. Wonderful work.

Here are my versions of the girls.

Tuesday first, done in Derwent drawing pencils which are lovely earthy sepia tones. Crystal is done with a .03 mechanical pencil. Both completed on Canson Universal sketchpad 11 x 14. I'm not entirely pleased with my drawing of Tuesday. I found it difficult to make her look as young as she should and that is likely the makeup and costume that she's in. I may try her again later.

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wow great pictures venus and your girls are soooo adorable. i wish sometimes i had girls too. the oldest one looks like you. so does the middle one but not as much as the oldest one. and you know of course i have to draw them. i think i will try to do one in color pencils.
everyone has done a great job with them so far.
painter you did great with this
markita-wonderful job, love the softness
jeanette i love the sepia color but especially like crystals.
venus love the vase and you did a great job with tuesday--especially just starting to do people. are you aloud to do the vase in one of your watercolors. i would love to see it.
Lori

Lori thanks!! You are such a sweetie. I don't think we are allowed to do water colors for the drawing challenges but since I have already submitted my sketch drawing of the dolphin vase and flower I am gonna do it in water colored pencils. I have been dying too. I think I am gonna try my hand at doing the portraits in colored pencil instead of pencil and see if I can get a bettwer likeness instead of with regular pencil. You never know it may come out better. I seem to like my drawings better in colored pencils.

Jeanette great job and I know all to well that it is hard to give them their young look. I can't believe how many people like doing portraits though. I definately find them a true challenge.

Well, I had a lot of trouble with this as I used w/c pencils but used them dry and couldn't get a good red to lay down any color. I finally resorted to using some w/c crayons (also used dry) in order to get some of the red in the drawing. I suppose using the pencils dry was ok for the challenge but they sure don't layer or blend well! w/c pencils & w/c crayons (dry) on ivory pastel paper.




Everyone is doing so well! Great portraits - they are a challenge indeed!

J

Everyone here is so talented , I cant wait to learn from all of you

i look forward to seeing you do a portrait in pencils venus. i think it will be great.
j-lynn i think you did a great job on that vase. i really love those colors.
Lori

Everybody has done a wonderful job so far. Let me leave for 2 days and you people just jump out there and do great stuff. Here I am trying to catch up. I found it really hard to make Tuesday look young. By the way Venus, you sure have some beautiful daughters..

My challenge #5. I know she needs some work, but wanted to post her anyway.

Judyvan

WOW....I sure admire everyone's work...This is one of my first attempts at drawing a horse... I really need to practice realism.....Venus,I sure love your pictures.

Cyn, that's a sweet portrait you've done. Yes, makeup sure does change the appearance of a small child doesn't it? But the facial features are still there to work with and I think you've got the child version there.

Judyvan, you've done a great job on this one. Its difficult to achieve a likeness and make a child look like a child sometimes. But you're doing so well on this one. Keep going.

Brain, that's a great horse. Good job.. I have been afraid to try it yet. Maybe later..

Thank you Jeanette.. Children are really hard for me. I would like to draw my grand daughters or my grandson but I am really out of my comfort zone with childrens faces. I know that's when I really need to draw them most.. I will experiment with Venus children. LOL

Judyvan.. Good job. She looks young. How you do dat?

Everyone has done a great job. Gotta love these challenges....

Good job on the horse Brian, it looks very appealing.

Thanks Cyn....Okay.. am I going to have to push you again to show us your sketches ....I am waiting to see that horse...lol

Thanks Jeanette...I keep wanting to go back to it to touch it up....it never ends...lol

Gee, thanks Jeanette. I know I can make her better. I have done many portrats of my grandchildren, so little ones come a little easier to me.

Judyvan



Thanks, Cyn. I feel so encouraged by this wonderful group of artists. I love doing children the most.

Judyvan

Wow you all fantastic Jobs!!! Tuesday is gonna have a swollen head here pretty soon.. (Not like she doesn't already...her sister too) They are great girls though.

Brian the horse is awesome..you did a great job.

Ok Lori, here is my dolphin vase and rose in water color pencil. I said I was gonna do it so, I spent alot of hours working on it today and finally got it where I liked it. Even with my husband complaining the whole time. I swear some men are such babies the way they exspect women to cater to their every need. He likes to wait til i am good and into a picture before he needs something...UGH!!!

I also noticed having just two red colors in water color pencils is hard to get all of the colored affects you need for a picture with soo much red!!! That is why even though in the picture itself (reference photo) there is no dark around the vase and flower I put a dark blue outline around it to break the flower away from the red background because no matter how hard I tried to keep all of lights and darks in the flower the red background faded into it and it just didn't look right faraway. Like there was no flower at all unless you were looking at it right in your face. So I doctored it. Tell me what you all think.

Oh what great drawings!! I love all of them!!

Maybe I'll puck enough courage to attempt the rose in the dolphin vase.

Really awesome everyone!

hey, i have been out for a few days and you all have done tons of drawings..... well, in this days i will post mine too !!!. lets see what come out.

Okay troups, here's my quick one of Crystal. I just can't do those beautiful children justice.

I'd disagree J, the reds the the rose look very realistic to me. Great job on this.

Wow everyone here has done such a good job on venus's daughter , Cyn and judy the portraits are very nice , and brian your horse is wonderful , and you said you have never drawn a horse befor? well you cant tell.
last but not least venus , your flower in the vase , Outstanding !

Hi,

I'm back with my contribution - the rose in the dolphin vase. I had to do that one since it's more or less me!

Just one question - how long do you all take to sketch something like this.... it takes me forever - something like 5 hours for sure.

Farfallina on the sketch of the vase I did it took me a couple of hours to get it right if that. On the water color pencil picture it took me about 4-5 hours because I couldn't get it right.

Everyone is doing an outstanding job...keep up the good job and try some of the other pictures!!!

Actually Venus, now that I have looked at the time I posted my sketch of the wine bottle on another thread I realise it can't have taken me more than three hours, with some stops in between.

The fact is I totally lost track of time. I spent most of the day drawing today. My husband is away at a conference so it was a nice way to spend this alone time.

cyn what a great job, i really like your portrait.
brian the horse looks great too.
venus i really love that vase in color. i really love the colors you chose. its looks sooo good. i think thats my favorite so far.
everyone is doing really good with this challenge. and so many people have done so much already.
well here is mine of Tuesday, i hope i did her justice. i think i made her eyes to big. her eyes is just so beautiful and they popped out to me. let me know--critiques, tips and suggetions welcomed
Lori

Everytime I come back here, someone has done something wonderful..

Here's my horse. It was a lot harder than I thought, but it was fun.. It sure looks better as a tiny thumbnail though because then you can't see all the mistakes.

That's such a red, red rose Venus. Seems there are no problems with reds in that one.

Cyn, that's a very sensitive portrait of the child. You have a likeness there.

Farfallina, great job on the dolphin vase and rose. I can't do flowers to save my life, so I have the greatest respect for those who tackle them.

Lori, you've really characterized Tuesday with such lovely eyes. The face is a little distorted in the reference image by being close, so the eyes are more prominent and catch your attention right away.

Strong drawing of the horse Cyn. This one is difficult as the angle is a bit odd I find when creating the cheek and neck, but you've got it all going on there.

Wow, you guys are all so wonderful! I just love the idea of challenges, not only does it inspire me to try something, but to see so many different pieces from the same reference is so neat!

This is my first challenge and I chose to do the horse. I can't say that I'm pleased with how it turned out but I was so excited to join you I had to keep going. I hope no one minds, I couldn't get the buckle right so I left it off

Now that is a beautiful horse.. Good job..

Whoa...................thats fantastic! Good Job!!!

Farfellina that a very nice rose you did , like the detail .
Racedoll , nice portrait .
Cyn and sneezer, beautiful horse.
I cant beleive how good you guys are .

I am so slow at drawing and I erase soooo much

Wow everyone is doing outstanding!!!! Keep up the good work all of you. I got Brenda's book today, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing People" and I have to say it is outstanding!!! I have been reading and drawing all day. I couldn't put it down. I think in no time with practice from the book I should have no problems with portraits!!! Recommended for all just starting out....

Here's my vase.. Now I am going to rest. Yeah, right.

Awww Cyn it looks so beautiful and smooth!!! Great job hun! Now try it in color...

Nice job on the horse Sneezer. Very soft looking.

There'll be no stopping you now Venus with that book!

Great drawing on the vase and rose Cyn!

Ok, guys this was a bit of a flyer for me it took 20 minutes while i was waiting for my dinner to cook. It's done with an 2b pencil on bockingford Not paper, i know the proportions are a little off, but as you were all so nice to me i wanted to share it with ya.
I would really like to do this in watercolour, maybe one day i will and post it to venus as a present.
Bit of a first for me i don't usually use pencil alone, anyways see what you think.

RJS

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Brillant drawing RJS, you used only 1 pencil and it only took around 20 minutes. I am impressed.