New Self Portrait (small one)

I started a small self portrait. It's my first attempt at a self portrait with glasses. Overall I think it's a great start. I think the glasses look rather good, so it gives me some confidence going into my larger drawing. I should be able to finish this one in the next few days. I would have worked on it more tonight, but I started getting a bit light headed.

Also I'm going to hold off on that flower drawing. I made a small attempt earlier and it just didn't work out. I'll try drawing flowers again another time. I've always struggled with landscapes and anything really related to nature.

New drawings coming soon

I took the reference photo for my next drawing. I didn't expect to get it so soon, but I have it. I also found a reference photo for lilacs. I'm going to start working on that drawing tomorrow. It's going to be a small 7" x 5" colored pencil drawing. Also in taking photos for my next big drawing I came up with a reference photo that I like but just won't work for my concept and I might try to do a smaller drawing of it before I start working on the larger one. It might help me to do a successful self portrait with glasses before starting on this big one. Anyway I'd really like to get the flower drawing done before Easter. I'd like to make it a gift to my grandmother. If not I can always save it for Mother's day. I still have to decide which drawings I'm entering in which competitions. I know I want to enter "Polynesian Slumber" and "Beautiful Dreamer" though I'm not sure if I want to enter both into both competitions or just submit one to each. Or maybe if I should submit "Angelic" into the new competition. I might just do both into both, if I can afford it. I have until the end of this month to figure it out. I plan to start painting after I finish this next big drawing. I may get some canvases to start out with, since I won't have to order them online. I can just get them at the store. I do want to try hard board though. It may just have to wait. I'll also have to get an easel and I'll be set. I need to focus on this big drawing first though, and of course this little flower one. Timing and how I feel will dictate whether I do that smaller self-portrait first or not.

"Beautiful Dreamer"

"Beautiful Dreamer" is complete and ahead of schedule. I beat my deadline by a month. I feel really good about that. Of course I don't feel this is perfect I never feel much of anything I do is perfect, but I'm done fussing with it. Some parts of it already a bit overworked. It's time to take what I've learned and move on to something new. Overall I'm happy and I like it.

More Updates

The lighting is causing a glare which lightens up some of the left side, but still it's good enough for an update. Aside from a few fixes as usual I'm really happy. I think about 1 or 2 days more and I'll be finished with drawing and moving on. I just need to fill in the background and work on those small fixes. This is also going to be the last update before I post the finished drawing.

Updates

I'm happy with the hands, well except for my pinkie. It looks a little awkward but I figure it will come together when I start shading things in. I think I may have flattened out the values in the chest a bit much. I think it needs more darks. I can almost hear Mr. G yelling "Get darker!" It will get there though I think I might lighten up some of the top part of the dress.I'm really happy with the work I did today, and I'm excited about working on it more. I'd be working more on it tonight but I have to get up early in the morning. Also I think maybe I should work on my thumb a bit more. The shape looks a bit off at least on the top. I'm also trying to spread out a bit more and work on the background as well. I laid in a bit of the pattern on the pillow. I think as long as I get the shading on my dress spot on I won't need the pattern. I should start sketching in some of that right side background tomorrow though.

More Progess: Beautiful Dreamer

Again the quality of the photo is sub par, but I've gotten some progress done. I laid in the second figure's hair. I may have to darken the shading a bit in her face and adjust the top of the hair line, other wise I think everything with her looks great. There's not enough done on the dress for me to feel one way or another about. I started laying in a bit more of the background, and I'm pretty happy with it so far. My biggest concern right now looking at the photo is hair on the second figure looks a bit detached. I'm starting to feel a bit better about the first figure's hand. I made the right on the first figure a bit larger because when I laid in the background it felt a bit awkward. Anyway I'm overall pretty happy with it, aside from the need of a few adjustments. I still feel that I'm ahead of schedule and I'm feeling really good about that.

Beautiful Dreamer: some progress

I did some work on my drawing. I spent quite a bit of time just trying to sketch out where the arms and hands should be. I also laid in some light lines for about where I want the other two borders. I've also decided to eliminate the two poles that would be in the background. They cover up part of the neat texture area of the wall, and are just a bit too light to be in the background. Because of the sculpture you really only see a little bit of them. The bothered me so now I just won't include them. I hadn't even sketched them in yet, I just stopped the top part of the wall where they would start so I just continued it. It was my easiest fix of the night. I don't have a photo of the progress, but the lighting is terrible and there's not too much to show. I darkened some of the shading in the second face, sketched in the ear and started some of the hair. I may actually finish this drawing ahead of schedule if I keep up on it. That would be great.

I may do a painting after this, but I'll have to see if AC Moore sells hardboard. If not I can always start on that next drawing. I do have a canvas panel and I could just do a quick self-portrait, before I start the drawing. I'm going to work in charcoal but it will be a larger size. It shouldn't take me too terribly long to complete it though. I tend to work faster in charcoal.