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.

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


I tried to come up with a variety of good pictures to chose from this week. Hope you all enjoy!
1. "Luv you". Well, I thought it was cute anyway. And it's simple to draw.
2. My younger son Derek. Yes, that's a Harley Davidson teddy bear he's holding.
3. A harbor seal sunning itself at the Central Park Zoo in New York City.
4. Sunflower with a bee on it.
5. The Statue of Liberty in New York City. A miniature statue displayed inside the base of the real one.

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nice pics Mindy

hmmmm decissions deccisions flower or seal

Great pictures!
Thank you for stepping in Mindy!

No problem at all, Paulette.



Slaine, glad you're interested in my pictures. I've been planning to draw the seal for a while now. It's a beautiful animal, and it posed so perfectly for me.

He is great im sat here on sofa scetching him right this min really enjoying it (apart from 3 kids all jumping on sofa)

Hey Mindy,
Thanks for stepping up and hosting the challenge. Nice variety of pictures, something for all abilities.

Well i did him i tried as best i could

I'm glad you approve of them, Trish. I've been meaning to sign up to host for the longest time, and finally just jumped in. I hope more people sign up for December and January!

You've done a beautiful job on this seal! (Especially with all the kids bouncing around you) Nice work with the rocks around him, I find rocks difficult to draw without getting obsessed with details. The whiskers would show up a little better if the rock wall behind him were shaded more, and then "lifting" out the whiskers with a kneaded eraser. Or else use the indentation technique beforehand, so that when you shade in that area it leaves the whiskers white. Just ideas for future situations with animal whiskers.

Again, thanks for joining in with the first drawing of the week! I see you've signed up to host for the week of Dec. 20, I look forward to it!

Sea Lion... great picture Mindy !!

Wow Texaslady great rendering of the seal, even nicer than the reference picture. Now PLEASE share what medium is this.

That is just exquisite, Carol, great work! I see in your gallery you state that this was done with liquid graphite. Is that difficult to work with?

Liquid graphite is a great medium to use if you like the look of graphite and the use of a soft sable watercolor brush.. works like watercolor as you can rewet it in areas that you want to add shading and demension.. Derivan Liquid Pencil # 9 is the brand name and there are tutorials if you Google it under video's. I did all my Depression Era and Indian Series in it .. It costs maybe less than 10.00 and a little goes a very long way.. I bet I painted probably 50 paintings out of that one little bottle.. It also comes in Sepia and I have used that as well.. Also blue and red .. I have not used those.. I really don't think the colored ones are what I would like.. The sepia is wicked awesome.. If you purchase them be sure and get the Re- Wettable kind not the Permanent.. Hope you all try it .. Believe me if you love watercolor and the look of the pencils .. It's a wonderful medium..

Hey Mindy many thanks for you comments ok hhhmmm looks like i need to look some techniques up "lifting" , Kneaded eraser :/ ,, "indentation "

will keep me busy tonight

and also i was thinking at looking at getting some graphite and now i hear liquid graphite omg im sinking in info some one throw me a life bouy

Hang around here long enough, and you'll hear all kinds of cool techniques for drawing.

Ok to start with, that trusty old #2 pencil that we all grew up learning to write letters with is actually graphite lead. To be more specific, a #2 pencil in the art world is HB hardness. The hardnesses of graphite pencils range from about 8H - 8B with HB being about the middle. 8H is the "hardest" lead and looks extremely light when drawing with it. 8B is the "softest" lead and draws extremely darkly. The hard leads last forever, one pencil will last years. The softer leads (2B, 4B, 6B, 8B) wear down very quickly, you'll be buying them frequently.

I don't know much about the liquid graphite, but it seems to be water-soluble graphite, used much the same way as watercolors. I have some Graphitint pencils that are supposed to be water soluble, but I haven't experimented with them much yet.

A kneaded eraser is a soft, pliable eraser that you can mold into a tiny point, which is useful for touching up tiny spots like the white reflection in an eye. When the tip gets dirty, just fold it back into itself and roll out another point. This point can also be used to erase a thin line by gently dragging it along the paper ("lifting" the graphite). This is the technique used to draw some hair, eyelashes, fur, whiskers, whatever thin lines you need to show up against a darker background. It's also known as "negative drawing". Get yourself a kneaded eraser, it's very useful and usually about a dollar.

The indentation technique is really cool. First you lightly draw your outlines of the subject. Then, before you shade it in take the tip of an empty rollerball pen or a blunt-tipped sewing needle or the tip of a mechanical pencil without the lead extended, and "draw" the whiskers or hair or whatever it is you want to remain white when you go to shade it in. Then, when you shade lightly over the indentations, those lines will stay nice and white. Check out the blue jeans drawing in my gallery; the stitches were done by indenting and then shading over it. Sorry I'm not very good at explaining these things. Perhaps someone else can clarify things better.

But it's great that you're interested in learning these things! Before you know it, you'll be an old pro and explaining these techniques to new members.

Mindy you are a blinking star

all makes sense now and can see how the indenting will work really well

i will get myself a kneading eraser straight away i think this sounds like a much needed part of the drawing kit instead of using the eraser on the end of the HB pencil

i have got the range of pencils .. well from 3H - 4B just a cheap set to get me going and make sure im going to stay at it (which i think i will be )


what can i say hhmmmm hugs for you for spending the time to explain it to me

i didnt want to do the back ground

i might but didnt want as yet

Good job, nice sunflower!

Mindy__ , that`s amazing pictures

awesome drawings Slaine + texaslady-59

sunflower in pencil on A4

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Wonderful work, Raidor! I like the shaded frame around it, and how you included the bee. Thanks for joining in on the fun.

a quick sketch of the boy and bear . thank you Mindy for the pictures in this weeks challenge

Thanks for the comments here and in the gallery

some great drawings being posted by all love them

Awww now that is TOO CUTE! Beautiful soft drawing, thank you so much for participating!

tried the portrait, remember why I dont usually do these things, theyre not easy yo

learned alot from it though so I guess thats the important thing

1 hour, 2B and H pencils

It's called a challenge for a reason! You've done very well, I see a good resemblance. Every sketch and drawing is a learning experience. Thanks for joining, and you're welcome to try another if you're up for it!

Mindy .. that little sweetie was too adorable not to practice a little Graphite on.. He was with me at work today for 5 hours.. Great company !!
Carol

Really awesome

Carol, Unbelievable! Just priceless, I must learn how to use that liquid graphite. Thank you for participating with another sensational piece of artwork, and at work? I wonder how you pulled that off, you must have a very nice boss...


Thank you everybody who joined the challenge this week, I know it's a very busy season for everyone, not much time to draw. Even I am up to my ears in homework with college, along with the kids & shopping & housework... so I couldn't find a moment to draw my own pictures this week!
Someday, someday.... *sigh

Cindy_ , thank you for the beautiful pictures

also to the other artists = beautiful pictures
Unfortunately, I had this week a little stress
1. Surgery was postponed because instruments were not sterilized
2. constant phone calls, when new appointment,new date for the operation on 15.dec
So only little time for drawing pretty

best wishes to your all

Nice art work all!
Raidor? You are having surgery? when? Please keep us up to date

Kat

my left knee must have an operation : damage to the cartilage of the kneecap; the kneecap must be minimal fractured so it bleeds and so can thus grow new cartilage - after the surgery I may not burden the leg for the next 6 weeks

Mindy... I am the Night Manager for our County Auditorium.. When we have plays and school functions and Company Party's and Clubs and well most anything one can pack in to that huge 2 Square block Building then I am there to see that all runs smoothly.. .. So when the functions are minimal then my time is not so hectic and I can draw and watercolor in the down time.. Yes I do have a Great Boss..!!! actually I have a great work Family.. I really enjoyed your sons company that night.. I had a few people drop by and he got a lot of .. Oh isn't he adorable !!!!.. Yes he is !!
Still like everyone else I have to squeeze in my Art Time.. I am getting pretty good at finding moments ..

Raidor..I wish the best for you .. How scary with the unsterile instruments .. I hope this next attempt will be successful.. Yes it takes some time to recover and strengthen those muscles again .. Best to you..

Carol

Good luck with the operation, Raidor, hope the instruments are all sterilized and safe, please get better soon after!

Carol + Mindy big thanks for your wishes

its hard!

1 hour 30 mins

pencils; H, HB, 9B

Some of these Challenges are designed to push you in to doing what is not comfortable for you ,, This particular one has all the great elements of values.. Darks forcing the lights.. You are thinking how going a shade darker will make the light pop right out.. especially the rocks behind the Sea Lion and the whiskers were a big challenge erasing them out of the dark values and going back in and tweaking them to the fine lines.. So many methods to use .. we suddenly see shape .. I did a Sea Line not too long ago in one of these Challenges using colored pencil and Turpentine... was very rewarding..

Wow, beautiful seal! It looks elegant and happy. Thanks for joining, Cbag.

yes another great seal nice one

Well I may be a tad late, but I just had to draw something, even if it meant losing some sleep...

My darling little boy, no grid, just sketched from the computer screen. HB pencil. Regular printer paper. 1 1/2 hours. Tiny finished size, like 2 1/2 x 3 inch (when I'm nervous I draw small) I'm thrilled with it, especially knowing I can do way better if I really take some time, and no grid! Thanks again to everyone this week, you motivated me to draw!

thank you, it was a great challenge but also very rewarding. I left alot out but I think it's still very readable

great portrait mindy

when I'm nervous ? ,,,,I PAINT murals !!!!!!!
Just amazes me how much detail you can get in to that tiny little space.. I find the Card trades difficult simply because they are so small.. you have mastered the word TINY..I can't even imagine a grid on such a little space. Kudo's for free handing ..!!
Wonderful portrait of your baby boy.. hope one day you will try the liquid pencil.

Someday I'll get into painting, and when I do.... the walls will be full of murals. Thank you Carol, yes it's strange but I do better work in small areas, like ATC size is perfect for me for most things. I decided to do a bit more work on this portrait to finish it up, here's the final piece.
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I'm a bit worried, do we have a new weekly challenge being posted soon? Lori.stef is scheduled this week to host. I could dig up another picture or two if anyone is impatient...

my thoughts and prayers are with you Raidor, and I hope you heal sucessfully and quickly
Kat

Good luck Raidor!

Lory has the next week but has been sick and is now having trouble loading pictures.
Thank you for adding pictures to get us through Kat!

Thank you for the good wishes, dear friends

The operation was this morning at 08:00 clock, I just got home

The knee is swollen a bit - but pain-free

best regards and happy drawing

Raidor

YaY your back glad it all went well

Raidor, glad you got your surgery and doing well. Now take it easy and let it heal.



I've started a new thread with a new set of pictures for this week. To Lori.stef: Get better soon!

Sorry, I never did a summary of pictures for this week. Here we go, and the winner was my sweet little boy, thanks again everyone!