Other Tools
Sand paper. Very important for keeping both my pencils and eraser in tip top shape.
Powdered Graphite and Charcoal
Circular Templates
Rulers
Horse hair brush
And a few others.
Paper
All paper listed I will use depending on what I'm trying to achieve for my end piece.
Arches 140lb HP watercolor paper
Strathmore 400 series Bristol
Strathmore 500 series Bristol
Cresent No.310 100% Rag CP Board
And a few others.
My Technique.
You've heard me mention in several In several area's of this website about drawin from the inside out. I cannot teach this it really has to live inside of you the artist. I cannot call it a tool or a technique it's just part of who I am, but it is the single most important part of how I create.
Here are some of my techniques.
What I use.
Some folks will use graphite only, some folks are strictly charcoal artist's. I use graphite, charcoal and carbon pencils in most of my work. Why? Well, I love smokey blacks and I just couldn't achieve them with graphite alone, my deepest shadows would always have the dreaded graphite shine as well as looking gray instead of black.
I got some wonderful advice from an artist by the name of J.D. Hillberry (see links page for J.D.'s web page) on how to combine graphite with charcoal to get the look and feel I was desperately looking for. My rule of thumb is this; 0-50% tonal range I will usually use graphite pencil. 51-100% tonal range I will use charcoal or carbon pencil. The 40-60% area is really the "gray" area. (no pun intended) you have to feel out what works best for you in those tonal ranges. When finished my drawing has a nice black and white look and feel to them that I am pleased with.
How I work.
Preparation is the most important step, before you put pencil to paper with your minds eye you should see the finished piece.
Example: If you ever watch a pro downhill skier prior to their race they envision the whole run in their mind, you can see them moving back and forth as if their flying down the mountain. They're fully prepared before stepping into the gate.
I usually will run out a small laser print of my subject and mark it up with what pencils I wish to use in certain areas. If I think I will have a trouble area or a texture that I feel might give me a problem I will practice on some scrap before I start my drawing, this way I don't get any surprises while I'm working on the live piece.
The second step for me is tonal balance. I think one of my strong points is the ability to see tonal values and successfully apply them to my drawing. Keeping a drawing balanced is a key to success. I usually will draw for a half hour or so and I'll walk away for a few minutes. Upon returning I will have fresh eyes to see if my drawing is balanced, I will then push or pull tone to keep the piece moving forward. Most young artist I chat with tend to have flat drawing for fear of going to dark or pulling nice highlights. If you want your drawing to "pop" you have to be willing to push your drawing, continually tweaking values along the way.
A lot of my drawings will take 50-100 hours to draw, because of the time it takes to complete I will usually set goals for myself for each sitting, looking at a 17X25" blank sheet of paper can quickly drag you into the "I'll never finish this" arena. Set goals for each sitting and also weekly goals. Little bites at a time and you'll be finished before you know it.
With my check and balances in place I crank up the tunes and go to work, layer after layer of graphite and charcoal working and reworking my drawing.
The last step I do with my art is this; I always put my reference shots away and spend the last few hours adding tones to my drawing without influence. The "PUSH and POP."
Then my journey ends with the framing. I always reflect on what I've learned in the process.
Most of all, HAVE FUN!! |
