Juried Member FT professional, '06 finalist Portrait Society of Canada, '07 finalist Artist's Mag,'07 finalist Int'al Artist Mag.
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Montreal,Canada
Posts: 475
profile: drawing.
It's been a long time since I didn't draw more than very quick drawings from life.
This one is not from life, and I had all the time I needed to work on the delicate values...
16" X 12", Charcoal and red chalk.
Marina,
This drawing has the solidity of an oil painting. I am amazed of your control of values and textures and that it is done with only red chalk and charcoal.
I also like the 2 dimensionality in it that makes it suitable to be viewed at any distance.
Just as Allan said, it's quite amazing the fullness and depth you've created using these limited means. Because the values and transitions are so perfect, I'm seeing colors that aren't there. It looks like a painting. WOW!
I think this is lovely, Marina. So nice to see drawings posted, too. I think the face is really sensitively handled. There'a a lot of feeling for your subject coming through, and your marks are all particular to this individual face (i.e not generalised into an ideal) and I really like that. Your marks are so sure, And, obviously, the fur is wonderfully furry, too.
The fur, the hair, the skin are all described skilfully, but they are subordinate to her spirit, so rather than reading this piece as a catalog of your skills, I look beyond them right to the captivating face of this girl. It is clear that you had a total grasp of who she is and what you wanted to say about her. That's what should happen when looking at a work of art.
Juried Member FT professional, '06 finalist Portrait Society of Canada, '07 finalist Artist's Mag,'07 finalist Int'al Artist Mag.
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Montreal,Canada
Posts: 475
Thank you all,
I was amazed too to see the possibilities of red+ black. If I add a bit of ochre yellow and a cold red, I could have all the colors, I think... But I wanted to keep things very simple and that it looks like a drawing not a pastel. Maybe another one...
In the beginning I though it would be quickly done, but finally I spent much time softening, and softening and softening again. I'm always impressed to see how skin and hair ( and fur) are so soft in transitions. In comparison with trompe l'oeil where I learned to push the contrasts so the objects jump forward, I have to learn to be subtle, delicate, to resist to the temptation to add too much white high lights and black shadows...
But that said, it's only technique... It doesn't help anyone who has nothing to say ...(thank you alex!)
This is such a beautifully drawn head. And the perfect way you handled the tones in her hair; what little is seen in the anatomy of her upper back, the turn of her neck...everything. Such visual impact...hard to resist. Congratulations!
Juried Member FT professional, '06 finalist Portrait Society of Canada, '07 finalist Artist's Mag,'07 finalist Int'al Artist Mag.
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Montreal,Canada
Posts: 475
It's strange that some of you have the feeling of an oil painting, because in reality it doesn't look like a painting at all. It really looks flat , matt, and grainy in comparison with the paintings around. Photos sometimes give another dimension to our works. And it's a great tool too, to see the work with a fresh eye...
Anyway, thank you Enzie and Carlos for your kind comments.
Linear Mode
