My name is Jeanette and pleased to invite everyone to join in with the Weekly Drawing Challenge.

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.

Here are my photos:

My grand daughter and her teddy bear

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A chestnut still in its pod.

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I found this duck skull in the woods on my property. I know now where some of my Khaki Campbell ducks went....to the fox

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Here is one of our pigs heading to market. I love the pigs, as they're so intelligent.

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A jar of garlic stuffed olives..yummy

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Hi Jeanette,
I think I finally spelled your name correctly! Great group of pictures for the challenge this week. Thank you so much for hosting and all that you do here at Drawspace.
Don't you find it hard raising the animals and then selling them off? I suppose you are smart about it, you don't name them? What does that duck look like in life? I don't think I am familiar with that species. Oh, too many questions, sorry about that. I will google it.
Thanks again,
Warm regards,
Trish

P.S. yes I am nuts.

Hi Trish and thank you for your kind words. I hope you get a chance to draw something this week.

As for raising the animals and selling them? Yes, I do get attached to them. I cry each time the pigs go. Sigh. We have chickens, ducks, turkeys and pigs, mostly during late spring to fall. I know they are raised for a purpose and I know they are treated well so that helps a little. It took me 6 months before I could eat one of the chickens we raised. I still can't eat the pork.

The Khaki Campbell ducks are small with soft whispery quacks and are so sweet. A lovely soft brown colour and are one of the highest producers of eggs. I adore them. Unfortunately, so do hawks and foxes.

i tried oink in sanguine in almost 10 minutes;very odd position, just missed it.

as i was embarrassed by my pig's snout, here is a 5 minutes sketch of the chestnut that looks better.

[quote name='IslanderNL' date='Nov 22 2008, 08:19 PM' post='48759']
My name is Jeanette and pleased to invite everyone to join in with the Weekly Drawing Challenge.

A great challenge this week, Jeanette!
All are hard to draw. But, well, I'll try.
Thanks for the photos.

Here is a conribution, Jeanette. Charcoal and pencil. On seeing the photo, I feel I should darken a bit more the left side and make the olives more credible (and correct the shadow, sorry). What is your opinion ?
Thanks,
An

The pig's snout is a bit foreshortened in the reference which may have thrown you off a bit, but it does look like the pig. And the sanquine pencil works very well with this. Good work.

Elena, your chestnut is fabulous. Five minutes? Wow, just think if you spent a couple of hours on it! I love chestnuts in their pods like this, they're so prehistoric looking - and near impossible to pick up!

An, I think your skills are more than capable of drawing anything that comes your way. The olives is a more detailed piece I'd agree and you've definitely done it justice. The values aren't too bad on the left, but I'd suggest that you add some shadows to the olives in the light to model them and show that they are round. The best way to judge is to put both pieces side by side in greyscale as I've done here so you can judge more easily how dark you can go in your shadows. Great work, I don't know if I'd tackle those olives!

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Thanks, Jeanette. Let me try to give some volume to the olives. What do you think about this ? There are many challenges in the photo that I can't deal with!

The darks and light in this are fabulous! My only complaint is that the few olives in the center than are half in light, half in darkness have a sort of discontinuity in their outlines at the shadow boundary, so they look a little like they have dark hats on. That's got to be difficult.

Ernest, that is the provocation of Jeanette!
You are right, the white part is too white. What I can do is to attenuate the difference between the dark and lighted parts of the same olives in the centre. The hat effect is decreased, but is still there! If I continue, I may loose the volume effect!
Is this OK with you ?
Thank for the comment!
An

Thank you, Jeanette.Two hours for a chestnut? No way.My goal at this stage(still my first year of serious drawing) is to render shape and value as quickly and accurately as possible in a wide range of subjects, sketching in other words for developing drawing skills;and explore as many different media as possible.
That's why weekly challenges are suited for this kind of exercise, 5-10 minutes sketches as i work everyday on different projects 2-3 hours.The experienced artist can afford 2 hours on a chestnut while I am in a formative period in which practice translates in dozen quick sketches in a week rather than one masterpiece a month.

This looks good, the additional shading pushes them forward and creates shapes more strongly. They definitely have more volume now An, but I think you can go darker still if you wanted, especially in the spaces that define each olive.

Defining a round form with shading can be tricky. Its a matter of taking your time and drawing each element as you work your way across the piece. There are subtle gradations of value that go from very pale to very dark. Each olive, even those in the light, are shaded and not completely white. And you're correct, this image has a lot of subtle changes in values that make it complex. Its a bit like a jigsaw puzzle - you complete it olive by olive

Thank you, Jeanette. OK, let me try a step further. I draw olive by olive. Not entirely satisfactory tonight, but I feel thing is going slowly better and better, so thank again. Thank also Ernest,
(photo under lamp light!)

Great drawings by everyone so far, well done.
I decided to have a go at the skull. I used tinted charcoal pencils on A4 paper.

NVA, lovely work. Its a stronger piece now. My only suggestion would be to avoid hard lines around objects. Try to make the shading itself become the defining line that separates objects.

Paul, fabulous skull. The touch of colour really adds depth to it. Great job!

I had a try at your lovely wee grand daughter. Is she your only one? I've actually got 6 grandchildren - 4 girls and 2boys ages from 24 to 3 months - quite a selection!

Awwww, that's sweet Mumwood. You've captured her well with her bear. She's so blonde and fair its hard to define her features well I find. You may like to revisit the hand, it looks a little small to me in the drawing.

And yes, she's my only grand daughter and is 22 months old. She live s in Alberta so I only see her perhaps once a year. So unfair Other than that its online webcam and photos. Poor child will think Grandma lives in a box on the computer!

I agree the hand does look a bit small. This doesn't mean to be an excuse, but I thought that in the photo, her hand looked too big - I know it's because it's nearer the camera, but I'm not sure what size I should make it - should I just follow the reference?

Always trust your eyes and draw what is in front of you, not what your brain is telling you.

Everybody draws so lovely!

Thanks, Jeanette, this will be the ... final step!
PAUL: Extraordinary skull!

Here is another version, B/W:

I tried to make her arm and hand the right size, but I don't like it, so I'll crop it! Poor girl.

Hello!

I like pigs too and find the idea of a Weekly Challenge simply great!

Here is the first, pencil and color pencil

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and the second, only ballpoint

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Critics welcome...

Best regards
MP

Wonderful skull NVA. Great values and shapes with it. Drawing bones is such good exercise. It encompasses anatomy as well as form and values.

Great save Mumwood. It still looked good with the hand in place, but I understand when things don't do what you want sometimes its better to crop.

MP, I love your pigs! They're both quite good and well modelled. I especially like the first with the touch of pink. But the ink one has a lovely linear quality too.

Beautiful drawings of you all! Bravos!
Here is a very quick chestnut, Jeanette!
Many off, both in form and color. Can do better if have time and color paper....
Well, post it however, to participate with you all,
Cheers,
An

Jeanette I am new so excuse my trying to upload a photo if this doesn't work I'll try again..

Wow, Carol, this is extraordinary work!Bravo!

PS. just curious how you did the white hairs.

So easy to do .. I use an empty ball point pen to make the indention's , go over it with a 8B pencil and then smooth out.. for smaller hairs use a blunt needle . the graphite doesn't stay in the indents..
Thank you for your comment !!
Carol

NVA, I love the chestnut. THe colour in it really makes it stand out and those spikes look vicious. (I think I still have stab marks from all those spikes....)

Texaslady, welcome to the Drawing Challenge and you did a wonderful drawing for your entrance. Great values and good planning with the indenting for the hairs. Fabulous pig!

Thank you Jeanette, I have been wondering around Drawspace for days now ..could become my second home .. I am loving all the different styles and techniques ..Thsi is a wonderful Challenge page,, One can only learn from others ,, I have found them to be both exciting and informative .. I think because I am so new here that it will take me some time to learn who is who.. be patient .. I'll get there..
Thanks Again !!! Carol

Okay Jeanette, this my last one for the day .. I loved the photo of your Grandbaby,, so here it is for your Critique,, I appreciate all that you are doing here .. keeping us on our toes so we are not falling in to bad habits .. I have many when it comes to Art.. some call it style .. I'm not so sure .. Carol

oops!!!!

Lovely drawing Carol. You've got everything in proportion and caught that tricky hand well. My only suggestion would be to have another look at the viewer's left eye. I think its up a bit, throwing off the likeness. What do you think?

I don't seem to have heaps of time to myself these days, but I wanted to try that chestnut. I put in about 20 minutes at lunch today for it. I love detail so I'll call this the study for a larger, more intricate piece later, perhaps in charcoal.

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You know I think you are right with that eye .. I think because I saw her head tilted a little I overcompensated for the eye.. I will correct that .. The hand was somewhat of a challenge , glad I was able to get it.. I love detail as well but I get frustrated when it takes me more time than I like to spend .. takes the fun away but I also know it takes away from the piece itself if I leave something out .. Patience is not one of my virtues,but, I am learning it pays off in the long run.. Thank you for your help .. I love critiques so don't feel like you have to hold off..
I loved the chestnut you did.. and as easy as it looks I feel like it would be one complicated Value lesson..I am so used to watercolor and oils I felt like I was losing my drawing ability.. I am so glad I found this site .. have a good night .. Carol

Beautiful chesnut, Jeanette. I learned much from you.

TEXASLADY-59: WHO ARE YOU TO DRAW SO WONDERFULLY ?

An

An,I am like the rest of the Artists here who sometimes struggle with certain areas..placement ,clean lines, shading etc. ..,, my drawing skills were failing and because of that I felt that I need help from those who have a far better eye and style than I do.. Wonderful ? Always room to improve ..

I feel like getting back to value can only help with my painting.. Along the way I am am learning new techniques in getting there,, comes too with a lot of practice ,, looking back at the first posts I made I can see some improvement and it is getting less frustrating. I'm not looking for Perfect just the proper way of getting to where I want to be.
Some days I get it right , others I am lost.

I had a go at the pig. I used colooured pencils.

mumwond, there's my lovely smiling pig! It looks wonderful, great expression.

Fantastic challenge Miss Jeanette , and great to see my favorite host hosting! I admire all the drawings very much , particullarly the works of texaslady and mumwond.

I have been working around the clock these days but found time to try a quick one, thanks for the challenge Jeanette.


Brian

Wonderful pig Brian, I like the dark values that give it shape. Love the little Porky peeking around the corner. I'm glad you could make time to join in. THanks.

Great drawings every one well done.
Thought I'd have a go at the pig too. 2B and 6B pencils on A4 paper.

Fabulous pig Paul! She's really got form. I think you've captured her beautifully.

Wow I just looked through here and there are sooo many very good drawings ....it would take forever to list but your all doing very well .

Jeanette I LOVE your choice of images to draw ....deadline is the 30th so I was inspired by the Olives so I need to get busy .

Gorgeous, wonderful work!

Here are the olives .. I have not drawn in sooo long and I know it needs to be abit straighter but why do you always see the mistakes after you scan it lol .

Paul I love the woodgrain ... very nice work .

Lovely drawings everyone

And very nice photos Jeanette.

I fell in love with the pig
40 minutes on A4 printing paper
pencils 2HB and 4B
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Kim, I love these olives, they look very illustrational. And the detail you've captured. Lovely.

Clara, everyone loves the pig, I know I did. They really are such sweet animals (yes, yes, I can hear people saying they're PIGS!) But they are cute.
And you've drawn her beautifully. My only suggestion would be to darken the shadows to really make it stand out. Or it could just be your scanner making things lighter, I know mine makes me crazy sometimes.

I'm pretty sure that this is why the folks in the know always tell us to turn a drawing upside down on occasion, or look at it in the mirror. I never remember to do this either, and I'm also always getting caught with things I don't notice until I see my drawing scanned onto the computer screen.

Kim, I love the colors you've used for this -- so natural! Getting all those greens right, without making them too garish or bright -- really good choices.

Thanks Jeanette, I know this drawing needs more shading, it is not the scanner, my scanner was cheap but its quite good
so the only blame is MINE!! I will add more shading later today or tomorrow I was out all day with my sister, so had no time to draw today.