Activity

Is this your next model Sheila? It is calling your name!

Hi Carol- beautiful! The side view no longer reads as a cross section to me. The original blooms have great form and details! I think the new bud could use some toning. The empty space on the top left does not bother me, but I think a nice calligraphy with the name of the flower, etc. would look really good there. Vern is a master at that and…[Read more]

Pressing on…..Is the bud any less of a cross section?? The top left hand corner…needs filling??

I’m still working on a rendering that has the kind of color saturation that the object has. I think I came closer this time than in Lesson 1, but still not there. Also, the highlight is off compared to the live sample, but I moved the acorn several times while rendering the color, msaybe that’s part of the problem. The circular/eliptical area…[Read more]

Hi Rita- it is good to see the progress on your lily! This is coming to life. I can see that you are really working on the highlights and commend you for it!!!! The placement of them is good, but at this point the recent petal’s highlights are too white. A very white highlight implies that the surface of your subject is shiny so the highlights o…[Read more]

I look forward to seeing all these amazing plants you share with us! Thanks! It is 6:30 am in Hawaii and the roosters (many of them!) are crowing!

Hi Ginny- your tone bars have good range and have smooth tone. The individual tone blocks could use some more layers in the mid tones. I don’t see enough difference between 4 and 5, and 6 and 7. Also work on the consistency of your toning. I see actual pencil lines and you want to avoid that. Use a good sharp pencil and work on achieving s…[Read more]

Hi Liz- nice smooth transitions on your tone bars. They look great! The individual tone blocks have some inconsistency. Make sure your pencil is nice and sharp. The first layers need to be even otherwise you are compounding the problem when other layers are added on top. I find if I am not happy with the smoothness of the tone I will use a kneaded…[Read more]

Thanks, Doug. It was very exciting to see them opening/uncurling. First attempt at this flower, but not the last. The red “twizzler” color was very appealing, reminding me of a licorice we used to eat at the movies (not anymore).

The common name in Spanish is vara de San Jose. They are all over the hillsides, roadside and in the mountains.

Great page Sheila! The toning is very well done and you can understand which blooms are in front and behind, etc.. Not always easy to do on a complicated structure like this. I really like the mix of having some of the details in graphite!

It’s lovely, so life like, like a branch hanging in space

This is beautiful! What paper are you using in this journal?

Hi Liz- there are a lot of roots! You can keep adding them in stages if you find it overwhelming to do them all at once. Even though they are white, roots in the back and areas where roots cross each other will not be as white as roots that are exposed to the most light. Thin roots still require individual toning (arc tone bar) to illustrate that…[Read more]

Beautiful leaf! Anxious to see the finished image!

It is a great subject Helene. Will everything be on the same page or grouped on a few pages?