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 that edge as if light was shining on it from the left. Interesting that you could tell it was not right. Clearly I needed to actually light it from the side and see what the shape of the highlight is. Do all drawings need highlights?
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 to create the perfect lighting conditions and you have to rely on what you know how it should be rather than what you are actually seeing. It can take some time before that is second nature to you. It is something I am always thinking of while I draw. There are so many different ways of how to do leaves (for example), but all must have some version of highlights and shadows. You will notice on Wendy’s leaves she does not necessarily put in a lot of detail, but her use of the highlight and shadows have great impact. I hope this helps.
@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 is, etc), but the overall direction of the fold is straight. Yours is looking a little curved. Take a close look at that fold-line on your real subject. Maybe even hold a pencil up to it to be able to see how straight or curved it is. And let us know whether it really is curved or if it’s actually straight. And then keep that in the back of your mind when drawing folding/curving leaves in the future. But really great job. You are doing awesome!
@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.
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 that edge as if light was shining on it from the left. Interesting that you could tell it was not right. Clearly I needed to actually light it from the side and see what the shape of the highlight is. Do all drawings need highlights?
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 to create the perfect lighting conditions and you have to rely on what you know how it should be rather than what you are actually seeing. It can take some time before that is second nature to you. It is something I am always thinking of while I draw. There are so many different ways of how to do leaves (for example), but all must have some version of highlights and shadows. You will notice on Wendy’s leaves she does not necessarily put in a lot of detail, but her use of the highlight and shadows have great impact. I hope this helps.
@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 is, etc), but the overall direction of the fold is straight. Yours is looking a little curved. Take a close look at that fold-line on your real subject. Maybe even hold a pencil up to it to be able to see how straight or curved it is. And let us know whether it really is curved or if it’s actually straight. And then keep that in the back of your mind when drawing folding/curving leaves in the future. But really great job. You are doing awesome!
@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.