i am going to include every stage, bc it will help brand newbies learn how to block in, and it will give me the opportunity to get objective criticism as it progresses, rather than when a mistake is too far gone. i find that when i do people i love, i always wind up overworking and killing it bc the critical voice inmy head wont shut up.

so here is the first sketch, mostly soft vine charcoal (which i like for block ins bc i can rub out mistakes, and simultaneously add tone to the newsprint to push around later)

im not so concerned with value here as much as getting the features in the right places, since im going to transfer it to paper as a line drawing in a couple hours.

good luck all.

i think drawing from photos is the hardes tthing in the world, becasue photos lie, about tone, and i cant believe how good everyone here is at it. it makes me think im retarded or something. there are some real talents here.

heres the finished blocked study. i tried to keep the contrast real high so i can trace the shapes easily. transferring drawings is a major pain, and i often rush it and miss stuff if i dont make it real obvious under the tracing paper.

on the other hand, the hat is intersting negative space wise, and it provides some good texture becuase as you can see in the photo it looks as if my wife just pulled it out of her pocket. also, my wife knows i hate the hat, although i dont think shed mind if i took it out.

i have already changed one thing, making honors eyes look up and away a bit, because i found her direct gaze disconcerintg, and i also thought it made the painting look as if it was obviously done from a candid photo. so maybe i shouldnt change anythign else. changing stuff you see is a slippery slope.

any thoughts guys?(and gals?)

Steph
www.warhorselover.com

thank god i can fix it now before i start toning it. ive never been this painstaking before with a drawing for apinting. usually i just block it in with paint nad play with it until i get it. of course, that makes using antonovs method impossible, as there is no umber underlayer.

this scan was problematic, as the guidelines are very faint and i had to ramp up the contrast to make it visible on this post. the paper is white, not toned. also, it is the exact size of the panel i will be painting the portrait on. i will now freehand the bureau, still lifes in the bureau, and the arm/hand of the figures. i wont mess with the features until later, since it is important to work up all parts of a larger drawing to the same level at the same time. boy have i learned that the hard way.

again, i transferred it with tracing paper, by outlining the shapes,with 3b (very sharp) oencil, reversing the tracing paper and drawing the reberse with 6b (very sharp, but i try to get a good amount of graphite on it, which means lots of annoying time outs for sharpening). then i place the tracing paper on the paper (which is taped with low tack artists tape to the reverse side of my panel) and move it around until i get the composition i want, because once its there, it is there baby and i cant move it. my goal was to give honors head a little room, on her left side, since she is looking in that direction, and to have karins hat almost meet the left edge of the panel to lead the eye in. i hope i got it right. if ididnt, i can mess with the hat a teeny bit. i cant mess with honors head/hair. ill keep my study posted for reference, and i am very careful with the tracing paper, in case something horrible happens and i have to start over on a new piece of paper. finally, i trace it again, pressing firmly with a rounded calligraphy nib (although a sharp pencil works just as well), being careful not to miss anything..

the paper is strathmore 500 series, cold press. the size is custom, but the proportions are around 3:4. i measured it in cm, so ill post inches later when i take a measuring tape to it. its life size, maybe a hair smaller. ill be using a mechanical drafting pencil, with 3b drawing leads. i am going to crosshatch and graduate, as i am not as skillful a blender as some here, nad i think that in my case hatching gives the drawings a fresher appearance.

. hopefully it will keep me from correcting and reworking it to death.

.

thanks for the feedback. later.