People Are Strong virus face sketch book series

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Figure Sketches

Here are a few sketches from my figure sketch book that I have completed recently.  I zoomed in on the one above.  There are some problems with this drawing that I did not notice until I was finished.  The right eye is too big.  I need to go back and fix that, maybe by making the left one larger. 

This one is different from my usual short hair models. 

This is only about an hour of work on the drawing above.  This pose is from a pose book.  I'll work on this one tomorrow.

Drawing 1 Complete

Here is the drawing as it looked in June 2009. The dark values are in place, but no highlights. Also, the figure's hair was short. The face has a lot of problems.


The image above is how the drawing looks in June 2010. I changed the face a lot. Adding the pony tail, shortening the face, enlarging the eye area, etc.

This is the final full drawing. Her feet are all in shadow. I am trying to finish the series this summer so I can begin getting ready for the exhibit in December.

Rock Texture

In this session at my studio I concentrated on the rock value and texture. I added highlights as well as dark values. I wanted the dark values on the bottom of the rock to be similar to the dark values in the figure's hair. My aim is to lead the eye from the rock to the figure. I tried to simplify the values, but add complexity to the rock shapes and texture. So I incorporated many more small rock shapes.

Drawing Six Highlights Continued

After the initial blocking of the highlight, I began to erase and blend. I shaped the highlight areas and subtracted white charcoal from some of the edges. Then I used a blending stump to blend the white charcoal into the gray paper. I am happy with the highlight areas on the legs, not so much with the back. I will have to work on that area further. Maybe more shadows are needed in the back. We'll see.

Back in the Studio Again

I am back in the studio again! Between final exams, portfolio review, and then the start of the new quarter I did'ot get to my studio very much. That's life! I have started working on this standing figure putting in the highlights. This image shows the first step where I blocked in the large shapes. I have done very little blending at this point. Also, the highlights are extending into some areas where I do not want them.

Drawing Six Complete

Drawing six is finished to the same level as the first five. I may go back into all the drawings and add some highlights with white color pencil or chalk. I will decide in a week or so. I want to live with all six drawings, at this stage, for a while. Just as in any major decision, I am going to 'sleep in it.' The shadow cast on the ground came out well in this drawing. It allowed me to do some interesting and different things with the shadows in the legs that I otherwise would not have been able to do.

Details of Drawing Six

One of the reasons I selected this pose is because I love drawing peoples backs. They are fascinating, to quote Mr. Spock. The back has a great combination of dramatic bone and muscle structure that is easily seen. Also backs have a lot subtly of highlight and shadow. Above is the line drawing.

The shoulder blades are going to be key to the success of this drawing. I will put a great deal of detail into them before this drawing is finished.

At this stage, I began putting some details into the rock above her head. I did a lot of work on this darwing today.

Drawing Six Started

I have begun drawing 6. I decided that the last drawing should be a standing pose. So there will be two kneeling, two bent over, and two standing poses for these first six drawings in the series. Here is the initial line drawing with a little value added in the shadows.

Now I have begun to put in darker areas. In the drawing above there are only two values of shadows. I filled in the cast shadow on the ground. The cast shadow will determine some of the values in the figure, so I needed to get it in progress. I believe this figure will have short hair. Everyone asks if these are drawings of my wife, Maura. They are not. I used a professional model for all six of the drawings.

Now I have put a lot more detail in the back, darkening the shadows around the shoulder blades, spine, and legs.

Drawing Five Complete!

I finished drawing five today. I say finish, I may still put white pastel highlights on all the drawings, but the pencil is done. I am very happy with this and the other bent over pose. To finish I spent time on details in the hands: more wrinkles and shadows. I also put a few more shadows on the face. I made her hair longer and darkened the shadow cast on the ground quite a bit. On the exterior contour line, I did not put one around the far arm or foot. Lack of the contour line helped push them into the back-ground. To bring the front arm forward, I strengthened the shadows on the through the middle of the arm and around the shoulder. Finally, I darkened the entire upper torso.