This Little Lamb is "On His Own"!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

ON MY OWN - 8 x 10 - Graphite

This little lamb is all done and ready to show.  He definitely was an interesting project and taught me a lesson or two!!
My goal was to capture that look of curiosity but each time I got close to that look I found that I aged him. Drawing a young lamb is just like drawing a young child, the shadows and lines get a little sharp or dark and suddenly they aren't young any more.  This little fellow really put me to the test as I had to keep going back and soften my work.  If you compare the finished picture to my half finished picture from the last post, you will see what I mean.  Don't you wish that it was as easy for us, with a light touch of a kneaded erasure, we soften a line, lighten a shadow and suddenly we are younger looking again!
Well enjoy my little guy, he is off to check out new things and I am back to the drawing table.  I have been working on a few watercolours and which are really starting to take shape.  I should have something for you to see soon.
Have a great day,

Can Gray really Make White?

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

ON MY OWN - WIP- 8 X 10

Spring is here and it is a busy time in on any farm.  New born lambs, pigs, calves and more will be everywhere.  This little guy was born last year and I captured a few special moments with him.  He was already getting mobile and ready to move away from Mom.  He was very brave and curious, coming very close to check me out.  I was delighted to see him and to get some great shots.  

Making white with Gray?!!

Drawing a white lamb with a gray pencil can be a bit of a challenge.  Gray will not really make white but as an artist we can make magic.  As long as the illusion of white is there, the viewer will see white!  The job is half done by the subject, sheep are generally associated with the colour white. (Although we all have heard of the 'black sheep'.)  So the viewer is already set up for white, a few added techniques will finish the job. Leaving large areas white, bleached by the sun as I have laid out in my picture also helps.  Lost edges are another technique as well.  The white areas on the top of his head and near his nose are not finished, only hints of hair are found.  His back has a fuller line by the white area but that needs to be broken up.  It is still there just for my layout purposes.  The use of a bit of colour for the ears helps too.  The pink ears will give the impression of colour again reinforcing the idea that the white spaces are the 'local colour'.  

So yes, you can make white with gray, it just takes a little magic!!

Daddy's Boots Finished!! - Or My Secret Tool for Children's Faces

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

The little Guy is done!!

Daddy's Boots - 16 x 20 Matted - Graphite - $500

There he is, ready to work with Dad - tools, hard hat and safety boots - ready to go.  Steve, my husband,  loves to have 'projects' on the go and I am happy to say that little guy still enjoys working with Dad.  

Looking for a Secret Tool to draw those children faces?

Portraits with young children, like this little guy require a very light touch.  All the facial features have to be soft and light or that little boy looks like an old man before you know it!!  In order to do this I used my faithful putty eraser a lot to soften lines but the real hero was my paint brush.  It was the main tool used to sculpture the face.  It is wonderful! It moves the bits of graphite around and into the tooth of the paper without creating harsh lines.  It allows very subtle changes in values both in adding graphite or wiping it away.  Definitely the tool of the day!

A nice soft, dry brush in your bag of pencils will open a whole new world up for you.  Mine is a size 6 round, watercolour brush, nice and soft. 

If you have a old photo you would like to develop into a picture, drop me a line.  I would love to work with you to bring your ideas to life. 

Have a great day,

Wendy 

Daddy's Boots WIP

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

I am ready to work!!    That was my son's message.

DADDY'S BOOTS - WIP - 16 X 20

My husband and I like to build things and at the time we were putting a large addition on our house.  Our son wanted in on the action.  He had loaded up all is tools, driven over in his tractor and brought Dad's boots along.  Once he had them on he was ready!!  I captured this moment many years ago.

This picture has been peculating in my mind for years, when I heard of the "Just Shoes Juried Show", I knew I had a project I wanted to try.

There are several challenges when working from old photos, the first being mine was taken with a flash (we did a lot of that in those days!!) and so the shadows were all over the place and very dark.  I found I really had to search for the subtle shadows from the natural light source and push them.
Another issue with old photos is when you take a small, old photo, scan it and then print it larger, you do lose a lot of the detail. This certainly happened to me and so to compensate I needed to have "things" in front of me (like a little shirt and hard hat) so I could understand how to create my shapes within the picture.  Definitely challenges but also fun!

Have a good day and I will keep you posted.