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jjkiefer — Deep in Thought
Published: 2012-11-12 00:33:33 +0000 UTC; Views: 1643; Favourites: 23; Downloads: 20
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Description
Pencil and charcoal drawing of a friend on the verge of an epiphany. Actual size is 15" x 23".Related content
Comments: 30
Thanks! one of my favorites. I don't do much drawing these days - too intense. I have started on my first color portrait in pastel and colored pencils.
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I could see this taking a tremendous amount of energy and concentration. Best Regards!
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more than I have right now...
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Thank you very much! It is one of my favorites! Thanks for the fave as well!
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Would you tell me/us a few secrets, please?
If you draw those wrinkles, do you start off with mid-tones and then darken the shadows and raise the lights with an eraser? Or do you rather shade the mid-tones and darks directly, leaving the lights white? I ask, because once drawn in mid-tone, I have no eraser that brings back the full brightness, even if needed.
And how do you achieve that pure black? Do you smear charcoal with something? I always keep some light spots.
And last but not least: how do you digitize your drawings? Do you use a camera? A scanner?
It would be very nice if you could help an ambitious artist like me. But you don't have to repeat the answers if you have already given them somewhere else, where I haven't looked, yet.
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Not sure how to answer your first question. I generally leave the paper white where I know it requires it but I also use an eraser for highlighting the white areas. Perhaps it's the paper you're using that is giving you problems. I use Canson Bristol plate smooth paper. I also mostly use a 2B pencil. Harder leads ruin the teeth in the paper and make it harder to remove.
I did use charcoal on the background in this piece and then drew over it with a pencil. The originals aren't as dark as what you see digitally. Photoshop tends to make the darks darker. I use my camera to reproduce my drawings.
Hope this helps.
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Hi, yes, it helps very much, thank you soooo much!
Charcoal + pencil, that's new for me, but plausible for working the coal into the crevices of the paper.
I often hear of Bristol paper, but have never used it. I've bought some heavier drawing paper and thought it was quite smooth, but I haven't checked in detail, before. Maybe I should order some original Bristol paper.
For my latest drawing I have gently used 2H for very soft outlines and then only 4B and 8B graphite pencils for shading. I avoid the very dark, soot enriched pencils (like Staedler 7B, 8B and koh-i-noor negro) since I have recognized that graphite strongly depends on ambient lighting, while soot pencils do not. So, mixing them works only in a particular lighting conditon and looks odd in all others.
Once again thank you, I'm sure your hints are as precious for me as for other followers.
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Feel free to ask any questions. I don't always answer right away but I will try. I don't have much time these days so don't spend a lot of time in Deviant Art. Cheers!
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Thank you very much! I loved your gallery of work - great stuff! Thanks for the fave as well!
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Love it! This is incredible. I'm so inspired by your work
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Thank you. I'm glad my work inspires others. I really enjoyed viewing your work as well.
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It's so lifelike. I feel as if I could reach forward and touch his face.
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This looks like a photograph! WOW! Best of luck in the contest, you deserve it.
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Thanks and thanks for the fave!
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Thanks and thanks for the fave as well!
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Another incredibly detailed and realistic drawing!! Great job!!
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