Baby Sleeping....In Graphite
 

Hi All,

It's been quite awhile since I posted anything on SOG. Been busy with two new endeavors. After my heart attack 7 months ago.....I never got my graphics job back. So, I started my own business. Got a new website going a couple of weeks ago...(It's still in demo mode). I've done a few commissioned pieces since then and this latest piece is the subject used on my new instructional video I'm doing.

It's still in progress, and this shot is just after I've finished pulling out highlights.

My method is quite layer intensive as I rub down graphite several times starting out with soft graphite being used to draw on with fingers, chamois, stumps, and rubbed or "buffed" out with tissue.

I then come back with sharpened click erasers and BluTack to bring sharp highlights and smooth tones back by controlling the light exposure underneath. Sort of like sculpting. Giving and then taking.

This reference photo was one of 6 I took while on vacation to visit this little guy.....he's my grandson, Scout, at age one.....born exactly on my birthday, incidentally.

-Geary


Graphite on Bristol Smooth 11x14

Geary,

I'm sorry to hear about your heart attack, and glad to see you're still among us. :)

I like this portrait very much - your handling is very soft and appropriate to the subject matter. I should like to see, however, a bit more of his body, those beautiful hands, and some of the sofa cushion to explain his position a bit more fully.

I understand that you're still working on this - I do hope that as you bring it to finish, you don't strive for a photo-realist look, but rather keep the interpretation soft and emotionally charged, as it stands now.

Congratulations on a beautiful drawing.

This is incredible. You must put in hours upon hours on one piece, your attention to detail is astounding, achieving all the different textures we see in the piece. What I like the best, however, is the softness which which you rendered your sleeping angel! He's adorable!

This is really magnificent, Geary.

Excellent Geary,
This is a great reference photo and a fantastic detail so far. Can't wait to see the whole thing finished. You really have a nice touch. You don't need no stinkin day job...

This is lovely, Geary. It just glows, I'm looking forward to seeing the completed piece.

Jean

Geary,

Beautifully rendered drawing. I like the overall mood the soft edges have created. Nice!

Geary, I love the softness of this drawing. It's beautifully drawn. Please post more.

Geary,

What a wonderful drawing! It is so very difficult to show the soft round forms in an infant's face, without either over modeling them, or losing them altogether. Very, very beautiful.

To CIndy, Pat, Michele, Heidi, Jean, Mike, Linda and Chris:

Thanks for the generous compliments. I'm just so glad to finally get to the point in my life where I'll be able to spend more time on drawing and painting. These truly are the best days of our lives. (why did I have to have a heart attack to remind me of that? .....Ha! ;) )

The better news being I'm getting more commission work. The BEST news is.....I don't CARE if I get any more commission jobs. HA! I'm in LOVE again with my true art form. Sign work is just there now to support my Art habit.....instead of the other way around. (right Heidi? :thumbsup: ) :o

Update in a day or so....


-Geary

Ok...so....it's been a little more than a "day or so"....I've been a busier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers! ;) I'm trying to start 8 different pieces at once plus running a sign shop! To add to the wonderful madness..... I've been doing a "low tech" video of this piece. I'm trying my hand at creating an instructional video CD, using just MPEGS and JPEGS. (What's wrong with me?! :bewildere

In this session I've spent more time just putting in hints of the background of the couch. Don't know about you all but I'm not interested in spending four times the work on what's in back of the subject. :(

The way I've acheieved this is to pull out shapes by daubing the graphite with a kneaded eraser and BluTack poster putty.

So far, I've got about 8 hours in this one. I'm 90% finished.

-Geary

Oh Yeah!!!
 

Really like this one with the background less intense putting more emphasis on this sweet face!! Beautiful! BTW what is blue tack and how is it different?

Hi Pat!

Glad you like this. ;)

Blu Tack by Bostik....is a bit stiffer and can be manipulated to "pointier" shapes than any of the other poster putty I can get here in the States. Although I incorporate ALL of the poster puttys and erasers that are know to man....I've never been able to purchase BluTack here....so I order it from Mike Sibley, a well known UK animal artist who offers it online. I ordered some the other week...it arrived in 5 days from my purchase. Great guy..... check it out - http://www.sibleyfineart.com/

-Geary

The wonder of it all! I'm going to order some now. I get so frustrated with the kneaded erasure.
Thanks!

At this stage I'm almost finished with the piece. I've decided to do the fist as well. Although it's going to suffer some serious cropping of the little finger....I just wanted to render it anyhow.

I've also just laid down the tonality of the blanket and shirt at this point.

The close up shows the fingers just after a process I call "caramelizing" layers on. I call it that because it's like the way caramel candy looks as more and more heat is applied. In this case the "heat" is using an HB and 2H (rounded over) to apply layers on the chamoised and tissue-buffed underlay of soft graphite. These applied layers are also buffed with clean stumps. I'll put as many as 5 or 6 layers on this way. These fingers are within a layer of being finished.

-Geary

What a great piece.

Having now decided to render the hand, your challenge will be not to allow it to compete with that soft little face. I understand that you have more to add to the hand.

In my opinion, I would greatly reduce the sharpness, reduce the highlights, and try and give the hand a much more subordinated role. The finger touching the side doesn't bother me that much.

I would also add that the image just previous had a wonderful sense of the abstract in your background and peripheral treatment. I hate to see that replaced with a completely literal treatment.

Geary,
Did you say earlier that you apply graphite to the chamois or tissue and then rub them on the paper? If so, what kind of graphite do you use? Do you buy is already ground or do you grind the graphite yourself?

This drawing process is very interesting to be watching. I'm enjoyed this work in process.

Geary, this is the way babies should be drawn, I can almost smell that "baby" aroma. I agree with Mike about the fist. This is an execellent example of the proper use of value.

Jean

Mike: Thank you so much for the keen eye. Yes, I will be reducing the dynamics a bit on the fist.....as well as the background. Your sharp observation is greatly appreciated.

By the way, Mike, I'm still not in posession of the D70. This little Coolpix 3200 I picked up for a quickie "vacation and snaps" mode has kept me very satisfied. I took just 5 reference shots of this guy in my daughter's home with a single very warm low watt bulb on him. I'll have to show you a couple of the color shots from this over in your photo section.

Pat: On the graphite rub, I apply three different ways. On the initial tonal establishment, I draw with the chamois and stumps using either a graphite "farm" over on the side piece of scrap paper that has been applied with 8 or 9B graphite stick....or by dipping into a pre-ground powder. The latter is reserved for laying down very dark areas usually later in the drawing.

Jean: Yes, that is the target value for sure. Thanks for looking.....and "smelling" ;)

-Gear

Thank you for posting a beautiful drawing with some of the most beautifully rendered baby hair I've ever seen . You really know your materials - and it has such a fresh appearance.

Yes, please keep us updated! So glad you are doing well after your heart attack.

Denise

Thanks Denise for the very kind words. ;)

______________

Well Folks.....this one's been sprayed.....finally, after much fiming and documentation. It was a total of about 20 hours on this one. This is about my average timing on the 11x14 bristol pieces. I will say that I had a great "flow" in this one and I think it was largely due to the fact that I had total control over the lighting and was able to do some sketches and notes while visiting this little guy in my daughter's home. I'm really finding out first hand how valuable it is to take one's own shots in copius amounts.

Thanks for looking.

-Geary

Geary!

This is so masterful! You have every reason to be proud of this. Kudos!

He is so alive! Asleep, but not static. Your unimpeacheable technique opens doors to more sensory awarenesses than just the visual sense. There is a sweet scent of freshness and newness in an emerging life. Although rendered monochromatically, I get a real sensation of living color in those lushious tones in the cheeks and hair. The background exudes warm burnt siennas. I could go on and risk being called crazy, but I have my convictions in what you have accomplished here.

What comes next? I can't wait!

Well done, congratulations.

Garth

Geary,
You do realize, I'm sure, that you have found your true calling. This is leaps and bounds beyond what you were doing pre "close-call". I agree with Garth and can't wait to see your next project.

Geary, can't believe you this started a month ago, I miss so many posts I'd like to reply to. Ughh.

This came out great, it's your best piece yet. You must be proud for both the drawing and your grandson. The sensitivity towards it shows love for the subject. It may have not been so with someone else's child. I'm sure there was many times that you smiled at the drawing and thought of Scout as you stood back to take the whole thing in. Congratulations.

Incredible, Geary! I especially love the hair.

Bravo Geary,

There is, I think, a different resolve when doing work for the family. When you know that generations to come will have a real sense of connection to your work. Many that follow, family that you will never meet, will point to this and speak your name with pride.

No doubt someone will look at this someday and say to themselves ... because he could create this art, and because I have his blood in my veins, maybe I will try.

Geary,
I can only ditto all that is said in favor of this wonderful portrait. You have made a very personal expression.
Allan

This is such a tender piece, Geary, and your technique is marvelous. So many soft, curving shapes and great edge control!

Mike McCarty has beautifully expressed the long-range impact of a work like this. I just wanted to add that this child will know how much you loved him, just by looking at this drawing. How priceless!

Garth: I know what you mean about seeing color in a b/w piece of work. To this day I swear that they colorized the blood washing down that tub in Hitchcock's "Psycho". See.....and you thought YOU might sound crazy. Ha!

Next on the list are a couple of performance vehicles I'm doing for an upcoming segment on a local cable access car show called "Vintage Vehicles". I'm half way through a colored pencil of a Cobra right now. It's pretty fun....though much more time consuming. On the "human portraiture" ....I've got a commission coming after I go down to California to do the shoot and art notes. So...it's starting to barely trickle in.


Heidi: Well, dear...you were the one who "opened the floodgates" first here for me with those words. I appreciate your attitude so much. You're just this cut-through-it sorta gal that reminds me so much of many of my own loving family.

Jimmie: Dude....no worries....I haven't been on much lately either. I've missed lots of posts in the last month. Thanks for your comment my friend. Coming from your deft fingers....I'm highly honored. ;)

Michele: Thanks....Julie and I are excited to chat with you soon....there's a Starbucks or Tully's close by! (duh...huh?) ;)

Mike: Gracious...so..... your words brought up some emotion as well. Your expository style of writing your comments are as classic as your other artforms. The thing about talent coursing through bloodlines struck a beautiful chord. Thanks.

Allan: I appreciate that! ;)

Linda: Oh, hi I just came back to edit... as your post just came in while I was posting...ha! THANKS so very much for saying so....and for looking at what does truly touch my heart.