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ALEXEI ANTONOV PAINTINGS

Subject: "Help!"

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Study and Teach Fine Art Techniques Charcoal and Pencil Drawings - Techniques by J.D. Hillberry Topic #104

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ga3

Member since Oct-16-02
49 posts, 2 feedbacks,

Oct-16-02, 11:51 AM ()

"Help!"

Hello, I am new to this forum. I was looking at some of the posts and the members here seem really friendly and encouraging. I was hoping I could get some feedback and help on better drawing techniques!
I have just started taking art lessons and instead of trying to take it slow, I picked up a book on pencil drawing by Gene Franks and tried to draw the picture of the cat in the book. I am not very happy with the way it has turned out

The line strokes are visible and it doesnt really give the feeling of soft fur. What am I doing wrong? Does it have to do with blending? Can you also tell me how to use the tortillon?
Thanks for your help!
Gayathri

WarHorseLover

Member since Aug-26-02
185 posts, 4 feedbacks,

Oct-16-02, 12:16 PM ()

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1. "RE: Help!"

ga3,
First let me welcome you to the board! As for your hairs on the cat, they are a bit "thick" get a goos sharp point on your pencil to do them. You also may be using too much pressure as you make your line (hair). When I am doing an animal I will first blend anything that is dark on the coat and then keep adding layers of hairs, very fine with the "tip" of the pencil. After I finishe with that I will go through with a sharpened eraser and add highlights or light hairs. It just takes practice. Don't expect to have it mastered over night... it just doesn't happen. I have met one person in my life who was born with the ability to put on paper what they saw and have it look real the first go at it.
Looking forward to seeing more of your works. With a lot of us on the board you can go way back and see what was first posted and how we have pregressed throughout the year with our abilities.
Steph

Equine and Western Art by: S. Baldwin

ga3

Member since Oct-16-02
49 posts, 2 feedbacks,

Oct-16-02, 05:40 PM ()

2. "RE: Help!"

Thanks for your feedback Steph! It was very useful. I have been trying what you said on practice drawings and it looks better than the one in the picture. I am going to try out just shading and blending to get a feel for it. Thanks again

Bella

Member since Sep-13-02
347 posts, 4 feedbacks,

Oct-16-02, 05:47 PM ()

3. "RE: Help!"

Welcome ga3,
For some helpful tips on drawing hair go to www.sibleyfineart
I think you did a good job for your first attempt.

He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.
St Fancis of Assisi

Bella

Member since Sep-13-02
347 posts, 4 feedbacks,

Oct-17-02, 00:14 AM ()

4. "RE: Help!"

Welcome ga3,
For some helpful tips on drawing hair go to www.sibleyfineart
I think you did a good job for your first attempt.

He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.
St Fancis of Assisi

J D Hillberry

Member since Aug-21-02
107 posts, 8 feedbacks, 16 points

Oct-17-02, 01:38 AM ()

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5. "RE: Help!"

Gayathri,
Mike's web site will help alot. There is alot of great info there from a really nice guy.
As far as your cat goes, in my opinion, the background sketch lines are distracting and compete with the cat fur texture you are trying to create. Try to avoid background texture that is two similar to the texture of your subject.
Keep practicing. You'll get there!
J. D.

J. D. Hillberry
http://www.jdhillberry.com

ga3

Member since Oct-16-02
49 posts, 2 feedbacks,

Oct-17-02, 03:07 PM ()

6. "RE: Help!"

Thanks Bella & JD! Bella, I looked at the website and got some good info. I have also been looking at the differents posts on this forum and I found several useful pointers. I also purchased J.D. Hillberry's book yesterday and am eagerly looking forward to it

MHK

Member since Sep-28-02
353 posts, 9 feedbacks, 16 points

Oct-17-02, 06:58 PM ()

7. "RE: Help!"

Hi gayathri

Maybe it would be a good idea to try to see "the lines" underneath the fur. Draw the body first without fur and then "add" it on top.

I don�t know if this helps but thats the way I�d do it.

www.angelfire.com/nb/mkataja:+

http://www.mattikataja.com

absolute

Member since Aug-24-02
895 posts, 12 feedbacks,

Oct-17-02, 08:11 PM ()

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8. "RE: Help!"

hello GA3....welcome to the forum....i just wanted to say that you done the best thing by deciding to learn in a group,im learning 3 times as fast as i did on my own ,..,...my 1st art teacher was boris vallejo,..not in person of course,but i practiced a lot from his work,..and mainly just looked at his work.,.....and i hope you stay with this forum,cause there is priceless information floating around.

www.geocities.com/woodart211

itoy

Member since Aug-29-02
149 posts, 2 feedbacks,

Oct-17-02, 09:54 PM ()

9. "RE: Help!"

ga3, Welcome. If this cat is your first attemp then you got alot of potential for this medium. Actually I really can't see your drawing right for my computer has been hit by a virus lately that I can barely see pictures and the letters are coming on like threads. Anyway I'm happy when I see that you got G. Franks book for I got one too, in fact I would want to do the mountain man that he did on the last part of the book. Anyway just check some of the topics and some advice of our members here for sure you'll get a tone of very valuable info that you can't get from the book. Keep it up.

God bless...

itoy

ga3

Member since Oct-16-02
49 posts, 2 feedbacks,

Oct-18-02, 00:47 AM ()

10. "RE: Help!"

Thanks MHK, absolute & itoy! Your comments have been really useful. I really feel welcome in this group and it has definitely increased my interest in pencil drawings

I have been learning so much from this forum, I am so glad I found it

itoy, you are right the cat was my first real attempt at pencil drawing, I have drawn a few outlines without any shading etc. Today I finished another one of the projects from the book which I am sharing here. Its a digital picture of the drawing & I had to resize it to get the size limit, so I am not sure how its going to look! As far as the mountain man, there is so much detail, I am not sure I can handle it