First post

Jonathan Benash · 01-15-2002, 05:44 PM

Hi all,

First of all just wanted to thank Cynthia for such a great site and wonderful opportunity for us as artists, to be able to interact with each other in such a great forum! I thought I would start with an older pencil drawing as my first attempt. This work is a few years old now, but I wanted to get some feedback on it, so here it is.

Thanks again Cynthia! And thank you all for sharing your wonderful works and valuable thoughts here and on your own sites, of which I have probably visited quite frequently, to provide me with inspiration and motivation. Looking forward to hearing from some of you. So, here goes nothing!

Cynthia Daniel · 01-15-2002, 06:52 PM

Jonathan,

Thank you for your kind words. It's always wonderful to know one's work is worthwhile and appreciated. I wish your scan was of better quality, but I can see through that to tell that your drawing of the woman is lovely!

And welcome! We always like it when someone comes out of lurking mode.

Steven Sweeney · 01-15-2002, 09:12 PM

This is quite a nice drawing, Jonathan, and it's not difficult to visualize the very lovely oil portrait for which the drawing would serve as a study. (You say it's an older drawing, but perhaps the model is still available for for an extended pose --?)

I would make only two observations, one about lighting and its effect on shape and value, and the other on a point of drawing.

I think you would like the form-creating effect of making your shadow shapes (and some of the darker halftones) on the face a little darker and the edges of those shapes better defined. It appears that you've got a pretty strong light source from the left side, which will create shadows darker and more definite than the ones you've drawn. Transitioning (blending) between those shadows and the halftones and light areas around them is something to deal with much later than the establishing of the major shapes and their values. Imagine that you had only, say, 5 sheets of construction paper, in values ranging from very light to very gray, and you had to represent the major value shapes on your model using only those five tones. As you "construct" the figure, constantly check RELATIVE values; ask yourself, is this next area lighter than or darker than the area next to it? If your shapes and values are correct, the subject of your portrait should be identifiable even at that early stage. (And if not, all the fussing and fiddling in the world probably won't help you get a likeness later on.)

When it does come time to join those shapes together, don't just shade a stripe of midtone between them, or drag a tortillion all the way around the shapes' borders. Some edges do need to be softened, yes, but some need to be left quite hard (as where the plane of the form turns sharply away from the light). I wish I had a good pencil drawing on the computer, but I don't, so to keep with the black and white simplicity, I'll try to attach a grisaille oil study of a plaster cast. (I hope it makes the trip with this note; I don't get along very well with my own computer, much less with Internet and cross-platform issues.) Note how dark are some of the shadows on the face (not just the neck), and how sharp the edges of those shadow shapes in some areas, and how much softer in other areas. That's what creates the illusion of form. (Don't forget this effect on the blouse, too, which will be much lighter/darker on one side than the other.)

The other thing I wanted to mention related to drawing of the features. At first, I thought the eye on the right side was slightly too high, but the more I looked at it, the more I felt something else was going on. In fact, if you view the features -- eyes, nose, mouth only, not any of the rest of the face -- through the "viewfinder" of your curled fingers, they're perfect in relation to each other. But as a group, they have a slight tilt to the left that the head doesn't have right now. Give the head that same slight turn and tilt by moving the center of the chin to the right, so that it's underneath the center of the lips (right now, it's underneath the nostril on the left.) This will also have the beneficial effect of moving the centerline of the chin off the line of the shadow on the neck.

Keep at it, you're well along.
Steven

Steven Sweeney · 01-15-2002, 09:21 PM

Sorry, the image didn't come through, perhaps because I'm on a Macintosh and, so, don't have things like "c:\" directory pathways and so on. I'll try to e-mail it to you.

Steven

Chris Saper · 01-15-2002, 10:32 PM

Dear Jonathan,

Thanks for posting this lovely drawing. It looks to me that you have done an excellent job of transitioning light into shadow, and have some very subtle edges going on, especially the hairline and silhouette areas.

There is little I could suggest as an improvement, except perhaps to differentiate the light and shadow on the shirt and beads in the same way you have on the head.

Share more of your work!

Chris

I agree with Steven's observation on the chin position, very astute.

Karin Wells · 01-15-2002, 11:25 PM

Good handling of light and shadow on the face...I agree with Chris that it would be nice to see that be continued down onto the necklace and dress.

Altogether this is a very nice drawing and I really look forward to seeing more of your work soon!

Jonathan Benash · 01-17-2002, 04:29 PM

Well, I didn't know what to expect as far as critiques for my first post, but was very happy to read all of your responses to this pencil drawing of my wife. I want to thank you all for your suggestions and observations! I will definitely keep all of them in mind when during my next drawing. I never really thought about some of these things you all accutely pointed out to me. I guess that's what makes this site so great, instant feedback from real artists who are dealing with the same issues on a daily basis. Thanks again everyone! This whole experience makes me want to get right to my easel and put your suggestions to use. I can't wait to post another work!

Steven Sweeney · 01-23-2002, 06:29 PM

My earlier attempt to post an attachment here didn't work, but another member has made a suggestion that may be useful. Though the thread may be played out by now, no harm done if I try again to post the attachment, with which I was hoping merely to show the effects of strengthening and defining shadow shapes, generally through use of a stronger, single light source. This isn't, by the way, a photo of a sculpture -- it's a photo of an oil painting of a sculpture.

So let's see what happens . . .