Barnyard Affection

[Sheena McCorquodale]

Whew... first post..... sweaty palms!
This comes from a photo that the subject's mother took in a snapshot of barnyard affection.
Pencil on paper, 11" x 14".

[Chuck Yokota]

Hi Sheena,

Welcome, and thanks for posting. I like this drawing. It is a nice subject, and I like the triangular composition, with the drawing of the horse fading out along the line of the girl's leg.

The value of the girl's forehead seems a bit light in relation to the rest of her face. The shading on the horse's head seems a bit off; the muzzle appears to start too high on its forehead, and the shading on the forehead near its left eye socket (on our right) doesn't seem to match the form in the photo. The girl's back looks a bit too convex, and the hollow at her backbone should flatten it just a touch more.

There's no need for you to have sweaty palms; we don't bite (and they'll stain the paper). I hope my suggestions didn't sound to negative to you, as they are picky little details about a good drawing.

And I like your tinyhead.

[Lynn T. McCallum]

What a great subject matter and moment! What a hard reference photo to draw from. Considering that the photo is mostly mid-tone you did a great job! Contrast and sharpness in a reference photo is so important.

Stick with us a while and you will get it!

Hope you learn a lot here and make a few good friends in the process.