Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Roberts Moly




So I started working as soon as Ramires told me the idea. First of all I choose a picture
I will work with that one with robert and his son on the mirror but just a close up of the face.
second I did some sketches over cardboard. I like to work over cardboard, the brown backgroud serves a middle tone and creates more dramatic effetc working over with black and white colours. I though about a dark background that now that I know that ramires is also using a dark grey i will try to make it similar. the dificulty maybe in this portrait is how to include myself in it. But the white marker gave me the idea to make just a siluete of myself, but I still have not decide from wich image. Then I tried some of this Gold Callygraphy marker and it is wonderful....I make some lines, simulating constellations and geometry patterns, I added also numbers and symbols. I am still playing arround with the idea. Next step will be to use some pages from a Moly I got home to start working the portrait. I will like to try (since I still have time) with acrylics, but since I still don't feel sicure with them, at the end I could choose something else.

9 comments:

Dana said...

Wow your and Ramires' sketches are so good... I cannot imagine how the final piece will be.

How often do you guys sketch and practice for fun? My skills are so rusty this is making me jealous! Lol Very inspiring...

Ramires said...

Wow, I have no words about your draws my friend :-)) ( Maybe in Portuguese :-)))
Its very good to work over a midtone base. I always start the work doing a midtone underpainting. You have more control over the tone values.

Ramires said...

Dana, Nice to know you is inspired. This is the best part of this project, exchange experiences, knowledge, processes ... I learn a lot of you too, yours references and life experiences different from mine.
You spoke of one important thing: It should always be fun :-)
Always carry a sketchbook with you, observe, understand, try different ways to draw, try to be quicker without being afraid of making mistakes. This helps to develop a natural and fun sketches.

Dana said...

Ahh yes see that is my biggest mistake, being a perfectionist! I used to carry a sketchbook but I would tear out so many pages that it would eventually either ruin the binding of the book or just appear funny. Very discouraging... but I am going to try again I think... it's clear that practice will help me, and experimenting with different media and styles will be fun too as well as drawing from observation and just to kill time when bored too :)

Looks like I need to get a bigger purse! Haha

Tim Clary said...

...or a smaller sketchbook! After college I spent a few years just doing graphic design work and I really missed drawing (I feel like, Dana, maybe you're going through something similar) so I bought the cheapest sketchbook I could find and challenged myself to fill it as quickly as I could. (You can check out some of those old sketches here) Doing this really helped to reignite my creativity and my love for drawing.

Another exercise I love is if you can find a life drawing group. It's exciting to be able to walk into a session and come out a couple hours later with a few dozen sketches. Most will be crap but each effort will hone your powers of observation and sharpen your skills. Before you know it you'll have something you're proud of.

I think a lot of us put up roadblocks like thinking every page has to be a masterpiece or whatever...so, just grab a cheap sketchbook and the nearest ballpoint or pencil or crayon and DRAW! You'll thank yourself for it.

Tim Clary said...

Also, Omar and Ramires, I'm really loving these wonderful process posts you guys are doing. It sounds like you've got some really exciting ideas for Robert's book. I can't wait to see how it all comes together!

Dana said...

Thanks Tim! Seeing those were great. I need to let my walls down a little bit when it comes to sketching... I do expect everything to be a masterpiece and because of that I'm also struggling with the Art House Co-op Sketchbook project for the Tour too... It's due January and I have a LOT of work to do yet.

Thanks for the inspiration everyone! I need to find more time to doodle and discover my style a little better. I think doing that and practicing would really help me out! :)

Ramires said...

I agree with Tim in everything :-)
Have fun sketching. Draw your boyfriend, your family, people who see through the window or at lunch. Use the "pause" to draw scenes on TV (and watch less television) :-)))
I really like the sections of live models that Tim said. I just did this a few months, but were very important.

omar said...

I carry my watercolour moleskine everywhere I go, Inside my hand bag you can find a windsor and newton pocket watercolour set, a waterbrush, a french brush, a set sepia pitt pens and a pencil. I join the flickr group urbansketchers a year ago, later became usk correspondent and I try to post something everyweek. I avoid having a tv to have more time for creative things. And I use cardborad from old boxes to sketch in big formats. When u know the material is cheap you don´t think so much about making mistakes.