Ok everyone, hello I'm your chanlenge host for this week I took all of these picured during the summer exept for the dog.... my mom took that I tried to get very different pictures to play to everyone's strenghts and what people mignt need a little more work on. I hope ypu enjoy and have fun


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.

very nice pics, Fred. Tell us more about the building, the boy, the name of the doggie.

Ok I am attempting the flower...is it ok to change it a little? For example I am drawing the flower very big and omitting a good chunk of the background so I can practice detail and shading, is this ok for the challenge? Sorry if it is a silly question but since I am new I do not want to step across any lines

Nice selection, Fred.. I hope to find the time to draw one.
It's nice to see you host a challenge. I'm not that brave yet.

You can change, edit, or put your own twist on whatever picture you like

Ok Elena, the little boy on the water thingy is my youngest brother when we took a trip to Niagra falls in an RV this past summer. The flower and the church were both tooken during a camping trip in Northern PA also this summer (real camping, like in tents!) The dog is my aunt's golden retriever who is very stuborn but beautiful ( gues the looks have to make up for something ) His name is Riely

its funny

Thanks, Fred.I'll try the church.

If i may: yes, it's absolutely OK. You can crop the photos any way you like.

Thanks so much to both answers, I am still very much a beginner so I need all the advantage I can get...hopefully I will be brave enough to actually post the end result...lol

Ok here it is...

Regular number two pencil, dollar store sketch pad and household items for blending. (Q-tip and make-up wedge). I zoomed it in Office Picture Manager to 43% and am posting it before I chicken out...LOL

Comments and advice very VERY welcome...

Your flower is splendid, Sam.Bravo!

Thank you! I couldn't get that front petal right and finally just gave it up and took it like it was... I am finishing the sketch I did last night so I might post that one too, if I finish it...

Ok, Sam. After finishing that, drop by the teddy thread.There are so many cute things there.

Nice photos Fred.

very nice Flower Valleylily keep it up!

Thanks!

Here was my quick sketch from last night, I darkened and shaded and what not, same materials as above...I can not believe the difference a couple of weeks can make...(how long I have been drawign again!)

Sam, you did a great job on your flower. Very soft and lovely. You gave me the motivation to try the flower also.

I always tend to go a little overboard with my shading of flowers, but here's my interpretation of it. I tried to give it a nice home among the grass in the background.

I love your flower, with your shading and clear lines I was able to see where I went wrong in mine. Very graceful and pretty!

Thank you Sam. Keep drawing, eventually your hand will loosen up and allow you to draw what you're eyes are seeing. A few months ago I would have been panicked to even think of drawing a flower that didn't have a circle in the middle and nice arched petals around it.

Oh my gosh! Get out of my head!

I know what you mean!!! it happend to me too!!
Very Nice flower Mindy

very nice flowers vallylilly78 both came out great!
Mindy the shading in your flower came out wonderfully!
I tried to pick a flower that was at a not-so-normal angle to make it more of a challenge but both of you did a great effort

Thank you!

I love the picture, it is really amazing; did you take it?

Yea it was really easy too, all did was set it to macro and, click....pretty flower

Ok. I mentioned I would do the building but I switched to living things. To keep company to Sam and Mindy I did the lily.
Don't expect any likeness with the photo;
this is a quick, 10 minutes Cp
Click to view attachment

and over it a layer of oil Pastels(5 more min.)

Click to view attachment

Oh my! I love the vividness and in 15 minutes no less? You are my hero!

Seriously though, it is beautiful...

Thanks, Sam. The real lily is beautiful and if I have time I might try it again in Oil pastels.

These flowers were hard in graphite, and the only way I could think of showing up the light edges was to make a dark background. I stupidly used a piece of quite rough watercolour paper, so it didn't turn out the way I wanted it. Now I know that rough paper isn't very good for shading graphite!

Elena, great job on that lily, very bright and pleasant.

Norma, what a way to improvise! This turned out fantastic with the dark background, it really brings out the flower and makes it radiant. I like the rough paper, gives it personality. I know what you mean about shading with graphite on rough paper; sometimes I wish I'd bought a normal drawing pad for smoother shading, instead of my sketch pad.

Elena, very nice flower, I like both versions

Norma, I like the rough way it looks , makes it wild

Norma, your drawing is very original as a version of a lily. I know what you feel when you have an image in your mind and the result on paper looks different. But the lily is well done.

Actually I love the effect, it looks like a photo negative almost. I think the background is amazing dark.

flowers, flowers and more flowers! maybe i shoud start a garden! all are done with exelent sucsess but remember there is more than one reference picture

We are gals, Fred. We love flowers especially offered by boys .

Yeah what Elena said!

As you are fed up with flowers, I'll post the one I did of your young brother, though I don't think you would recognise him!

Super photos Fredbo51.

Valleylily78, Mindy, Elena, and Mumwood, all your flower drawings are very lovely. All have their own style and creative twist.

While I'm not opposed to flowers, I thought I would give the church a try. Thank you fredbo51 for a big challenge.
Apologies for the bad photo...it is overcast here today and I can't get a good picture.

Click to view attachment

Tammy I had my eyes on the church but last night I was too lazy t give it a try. But your job is wonderful. Bravo!All the details you put into it show you have both patience and skill.

Wow Tammy that church came out great the deatail work is beautiful

p.s- im not fed up with flowers i just like to see variety.... i think every on does and gear draw mumwond, you did the shadows very good

Mumwood your brother portrait is so nicely done.
Thank you Elena - I would enjoy seeing your version of the church.
Thank you Fredbo - I'm afraid I got a bit lazy towards the end and hurried the front railing area a bit.

Tammy, you are welcome and my turn will be delayed since I am in the workshop now drawing cats' eyes. I might try it in charcoal. If I have time

I am working up courage to try one of the others...lol The flower was the least intimidating, so we will have to see what happens!

I like the sharp lines and contrast of your quick sketch! Bravo.

I love it! The church is my pick, too. I'm just doing a corner of it, though, for now. Kind of a cropped closeup. I don't have the guts to try the whole thing with all those interesting angles.

You have made so beautiful contributions!
Here is Riely, quickly drawn this early morning, when I followed TV news of the election in the US.
I have not yet cleaned his (Tiely's) teeth, sorry!
An

An, looks like Tiely-Riely is smiling at the TV show as he follows the result of our elections.If we could see his tail we knew for sure if he was happy or not.

lovely drawing everyone.

Fred,
I tried your little brother, just a quick one, I migth try finishing it lated

.
Click to view attachment

Fred, your little brother(i wish I knew his name) was so much fun to draw.Even if the mouth was so challenging I enjoyed doing this sketch very much. Thanks for posting his photo.

Sorry for the bad hair day. With me is everyday as I do not know how to draw hair properly.

wow Elena I like your portrait of Fred's brother very much well done!

I added some more values to mine since it was very light.

Click to view attachment

Thank you for the encouragement! I am getting there, I am trying to learn not to overthink it too much!