What a great subject Lisa! You are off to a good start! Judging from the multiple shadows on your drawing I think you had too many light sources. If you are right handed the light source should be coming over your left shoulder at a 45 degree angle. Try to eliminate as many other competing light sources as possible. You can make a 3 sided box or a āVā shaped structure and even lay another board on top. Putting the subject inside those structures helps you control the light source and eliminate any back ground distractions. Be careful also not to have your light source be too close to the subject. It looks like that is the case here because the real branch does not show many shadows or highlights. That transferred to your drawing.It is missing the range of tones and highlight which would give your branch form. The lichen is looking good! I think you could go back in with a dark pencil (maybe dark sepia) to enhance that great texture!
Beautiful job drawing this branch. I can tell that you carefully observed it as you drew it. You are getting great colors and details. That lichen is so cool! All you need to do now is get some good 3 dimensional feel to it. To do this, you want to have a good consistent light source coming from over your shoulder from the upper left (if you are right handed) or upper right (if you are left handed). This will light your subject in a way that will make it easiest to translate 3 dimensional form on a 2 dimensional surface. Apply the drawing a cylinder lessons to your branch, where (if the light is coming from the upper left), you would have your brightest highlight about a 1/4 of the way in from the left, and then get darkest toward the right. Although your photo doesn’t show much variation in value, you can exaggerate these values in your drawing. You could even try it on this drawing. Try taking your eraser, and gently try to create a highlight down the branch about a 1/4 of the way in from the left, and then darken that right side quite a bit. I think if you do this, you’ll see a big difference in the 3 dimensional feel. And then if you can, erase that cast shadow that’s on the left. You are off to a great start. You really have wonderful drawing skills. Let’s get that 3D form now š
I just also want to say that with such a detailed abject, it’s easy for all of us to get lost in the details and to lose 3D form. So welcome to the club š
What a great subject Lisa! You are off to a good start! Judging from the multiple shadows on your drawing I think you had too many light sources. If you are right handed the light source should be coming over your left shoulder at a 45 degree angle. Try to eliminate as many other competing light sources as possible. You can make a 3 sided box or a āVā shaped structure and even lay another board on top. Putting the subject inside those structures helps you control the light source and eliminate any back ground distractions. Be careful also not to have your light source be too close to the subject. It looks like that is the case here because the real branch does not show many shadows or highlights. That transferred to your drawing.It is missing the range of tones and highlight which would give your branch form. The lichen is looking good! I think you could go back in with a dark pencil (maybe dark sepia) to enhance that great texture!
Beautiful job drawing this branch. I can tell that you carefully observed it as you drew it. You are getting great colors and details. That lichen is so cool! All you need to do now is get some good 3 dimensional feel to it. To do this, you want to have a good consistent light source coming from over your shoulder from the upper left (if you are right handed) or upper right (if you are left handed). This will light your subject in a way that will make it easiest to translate 3 dimensional form on a 2 dimensional surface. Apply the drawing a cylinder lessons to your branch, where (if the light is coming from the upper left), you would have your brightest highlight about a 1/4 of the way in from the left, and then get darkest toward the right. Although your photo doesn’t show much variation in value, you can exaggerate these values in your drawing. You could even try it on this drawing. Try taking your eraser, and gently try to create a highlight down the branch about a 1/4 of the way in from the left, and then darken that right side quite a bit. I think if you do this, you’ll see a big difference in the 3 dimensional feel. And then if you can, erase that cast shadow that’s on the left. You are off to a great start. You really have wonderful drawing skills. Let’s get that 3D form now š
I just also want to say that with such a detailed abject, it’s easy for all of us to get lost in the details and to lose 3D form. So welcome to the club š
thank you both for your input–I still have the twig so I am going to sketch another study or series of study incorporating all of your feedback!
Twig portraits are the best.