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Wow Peta! Great job on showing all the twists and bends!!! You are demonstrating a good sense of where the shading and highlights should be! I am thinking that the shadows are a little too dark and I would lighten them.

@doug-milne Thanks for your feedback! I didn’t actually like this drawing and couldn’t figure out what looked so wrong about it. Helpful tip to lighten the shadows. Thanks.

Peta. This is great! And, you nailed what I was just trying to explain about the line at folds/curls being straight and not curved on leaves. See how those fold/curved lines are all straight? You drew them beautifully here. Same thing happens with leaves. Ribbons are such great subjects to study. You did a fantastic job! Yay!

Any tips to improve this curling over look would be appreciated please!

Hi Peta- you did a good job with this leaf. The shadows are great and your depiction of the veins really help convey the twist of the leaf. Is the back side of this leaf really shiny? The bright white color is telling me that. Somehow the narrow band of highlight does not read correctly to me.

@doug-milne This leaf is an australian wattle and does have a smooth surface but there was no shine on the leaf, nicely picked up! I actually drew it in because I got the impression that highlights were necessary in all pictures but I was out in the field and couldn’t see any real highlight. 🙂 As it was drawn vertically, I left a highlight along…[Read more]

Hi Peta- highlights do not need to be bright white, and can be a lighter color of the area you are working on especially if the subject has a matte finish. However, the combination of the highlight and the shadow toning is what is necessary to establish the subjects form. Especially when you are drawing outside, but even inside it can be difficult…[Read more]

@doug-milne Once again, thank you for your time in responding. I hope to learn all these tricks as time goes on, it’s difficult to know what I should be seeing… Hoping this will come with time. 🙂

Hi Peta- A lot of people struggle with highlights and many beginning artists leave them out or unintentionally cover them up. You are ahead of the game because you are aware of their importance. You have been doing great work and I am sure you will get to a place where it both works for the image and equally important, feels right to you.

Peta, this is lovely, and Doug already gave you wonderful feedback. I have one little thing to add. And it is something that I see a lot – even with very experienced artists. When a leaf curls/folds over, the line that is created at that fold is generally straight and not curved. It can have variation to it (like dipping down where the center vein…[Read more]

@pgthompson Fabulous Pam, that is a very useful thing to note. 🙂 I don’t have the leaf any more but tomorrow I’ll go and fold a few leaves and pay attention to that fold. Thanks a lot.

I was struggling when drawing the stalk & it’s around, and I still don’t know how I can do better. Any advice, feedback would be very much appreciated. Thank you ❤️

Hi Amelie- I think the stem and the well it emerges from looks really good! There should be a shadow cast on the apple from the stem, but I think that is all that area needs. The colors and the skin patterning are wonderful on the top half. The bottom looks like you combined the dark toning with the pattern and I don’t think it is as successful a…[Read more]

WoW! Doug! What an amazing feedback! yes, every point you’ve mention makes me nod my head! You are right, there should be a shadow of the stalk and the cast shadow should be lighter. I also agree that my the dark toning parts looks quite rough. I’ve learned a lot from your advice, Doug! Thank you very much for your time and kind help ❤️

That’s incredible Amelie! I was too scared of the apple drawing and went for an onion instead. You’ve done a wonderful job. 🙂 Doug’s feedback is helpful for me to read too, so thanks for sharing.

Hi, Peta! I am so glad to have this lovely comment. I always get inspired by your drawings, your beautiful delicate works are really stunning and there’s so much to learn from. Thank you.🥰