Getting going w/4 drawings

[Allen Carter]

Greetings All,

I’m never quite sure where to put drawings. Mainly I do figure drawings in pen and ink. I posted a WIP in both the figure forum and the Pen and Ink forum but it didn’t seem right to triple post it. I figured that if anyone were looking around they would find it there. If anyone were gymnophobic they would not look there and would not want to see it here.

Well, I have 4 drawings in mind that I was working on and could not get on paper. By acknowledging them, I had to act on them. I have started. Here are some roughs for 2 of the works. I sometimes do roughs before sketches. I guess that is part of what you do when working in ink. I was wondering if anyone else starts with an idea and a rough?

One is of my “trachtenhut” (hat from southern Germany) and stein with a 100-year-old German magazine and postcards. It is almost like a landscape. The stein and hat have lines like clouds and a mountain while the magazine and cards are quite angular and straight lines in the foreground.

The other rough is of Flash. I was intrigued by Laurel / Redwood who said she only drew dogs and decided that I would like to draw my dog, an Australian Shepard black try. I wanted to let people know that dogs are portraits too and not just dogs.

I still have the other 2 in mind and don’t want to wind up with a multitasking malfunction where Flash ends up wearing a trachenhut on my friends lap.

Allen

[*Deirdre*]

I still have the other 2 in mind and don’t want to wind up with a multitasking malfunction where Flash ends up wearing a trachenhut on my friends lap.
I'd like to see that one! Just kidding...the other two sketches look good!

[Just Crystal]

Nice sketches!

[Jet]

Allen, this is the right forum for your drawings...

Nice loose scribbling..I love loose style.

Keep on Drawing!!

Regards

[Allen Carter]

Hi All,

Here is an update of the drawings.

1) Flash drawing with the rough and my pen.
2) Flash same one closer.
3) Much closer
4) My hat drawing with hat.
5) Same drawing closer.

[Allen Carter]

Hi All,

Here is another photo of my hat drawing after the second sitting. You can kind of get an idea of where it is going now. It is still a drawing in pen and ink but at this point we don't really need the icon.

Allen

[Allen Carter]

Hi Everyone,

Here is the next sitting for my hat drawing. I’m still working on it. Last is the drawing that I will include in my drawing.

Allen

[Reinhard1]

Quite an assortment of sketches. They are all very great. What impressed me the most is the last drawing with the little devil on the side (at least that's the way I see it on my screen)- after having looked again I noted that it's good and bad whispering in his ear. Bad appears to have more fun doing it though. You caught the pose of the man just stunningly good.
BTW you have quite an impressive "Gamsbart" on that little hat of yours.
Viele Gruesse aus Deutschland (kalt und neblig).

[Jet]

I second Reinhard...
I like the old style ..and that bold sketch of the old man is a beauty...it has certain style i have seen somewhere, can't recall now..

anyway..

Keep 'em coming :wave:

[lazurus]

Been wide eyed and gazing.
Gawking, at what's containing
a hat for a head, and a picture of a friend?
On the other hand
The burdened of man

by powers that be,
will hold communion?

Drawing a drawing
is misunderstood by me?

[Allen Carter]

Sorry I didn’t explain,

I show these drawing in 2 other forums and sometimes the messages are not the same in all of them. I’m working on a self-portrait like the old man drawing. The old man is from Heinrich Kley (German) and the angel is trying to earn her wings while the devil is trying to lead him into evil. I think this is a self-portrait by Herr Kley who also did the postcards and contributed to “Jugend” the magazine in the hat drawing.

Allen

[Allen Carter]

Greetings one and all,

Here are some more updates on my Trachtenhut and my dog, Flash. It is nice to be able to look back and see where they started and the progression. If I were not posting them, I would not be keeping that kind of record. These drawings are not done yet and moving along well. I hope your not getting to bored with them. You can see where I have planned ahead with the Flash drawing for whiskers (notably under his right eye and his mouth area). With so much hair I sometimes forget not to draw in those thin lines. If I leave them a little larger than normal I don’t forget so easily.

I hope the postcard “Kleine Kirche” in front on the hat drawing isn’t to obviously pointing at the hat. I like my design elements to be kind of subtle. Or has anyone noticed? It is actually better if you haven’t. Like make-up, you don’t want people to actually see the make-up.

Allen

[Gwydian]

Allen, these are great drawings. You are working on 4 drawings at the same time and I get all muddled up with just one. Your design elements seem to be working fine. Who has the time to think of those things? I have trouble just getting the drawing done. Fantastic job, I want to see more.
LG

[Allen Carter]

Thank you for the kind words. I don't always have several things going at one time. I'm kind of at the point where I have learned drawing and the movements are in the muscles so I don’t worry about it any more. Now I turn my attention to the drawing. Does that make sense? I don’t think of drawing, I think of the drawing. Young artists want to get it to look right but it is all an illusion.
There are nice things in the world and not so nice things. I choose to spend my time telling a pretty story. I’m saying, “Look at this vibrant happy puppy. He is really a great friend.” With the hat I revisit Bavaria, the Alps, Karlsruhe, and my research into the German artist Heinrich Kley. It is a good story. There is enough discord in the world without my adding to it.

Allen

[Gwydian]

Hi Allen,
I know what you mean. Why paint cigarette buts when there are roses. It is one thing to draw attention to a problem like homelessness and something very different to just try to shock people. It is a shame that people have to be drawn in by negativity. Lets watch a story about McDonalds and not one on Heart Healthy Eating. More than 700 art people are interested in a poorly thought out Swastika and trying to be supportive when they should be saying “Shame on you” and not being so *%$# politically correct.
LG

[Allen Carter]

Hi LG,

I saw the word and chose not to give it my time. I have better things to do. I don’t get shocked so easily at my age. McDonalds in a hospital, who woulda thought. It sounds as if you got drawn into the controversy. If you did, I hope you said shame on you.

Allen

[Gwydian]

Yea I gave 'em my 2 cents worth.
LG

[redwood]

aha - didn't realize you posted in drawing & sketching too.
think my response belongs better here so am repeating it.
-----------------------------------------------------

I love your drawing of Flash and am pleased as punch to be the spark for anything creative (grin).

Can't wait to see the finished product.
Think i can learn a lot from your drawing.
i love how you've shown the light direction.

Now, please keep in mind that I've been drawing for maybe a year, I've never drawn before in my life - (i.e., i really don't know what I'm talking about but am trying to learn, so forgive my ignorance) - but your statement about you draw dogs just like you draw anything...Wouldn't that statement depend on the way you draw/techniques you use? i.e., you drew using ink, and your shading is done using lines, so it is drawn the same way. However, using a blending technique with pencil - it seems to me that skin is definitely drawn differently then fur (skin is more of toning and blending where as fur is toning and lines....yes?) So I found drawing a person intimidating because of the skin and blending required to be just right so that it shows the cheekbones, etc. (i.e., i didn't have lines to use to show form, only light/dark.) At least that is what my mind told me so it intimidated me to draw a person.

I first i read your statement about dogs being portraits too as: "dogs are people too!" ha. but agree completely with your statement. Guess it never crossed my mind that they weren't portraits. there are characteristics of a dogs face that makes them unique just like a person's portrait. I find capturing that essence the hardest part (i.e., making the dog drawing look like the real life dog so one would recognize him.) I have one drawing of my dog that I missed the "essence" somehow. Am going to try and re-draw it after I get some more experience.

My biggest criticism of some portrait drawings is that they may come close to showing the person but somehow it is off a little bit that it didn't capture their unique "look". Not sure what elements = the unique look of a face (dog or person) - i.e., are there elements that you can not match and you would still recognize it ? are there certain elements that must be captured to portray their "essence"? Maybe like comparing a caracature vs. a portrait - in both cases, there are ones that capture the essence and ones that don't. hmmmm.....would like to figure that out.

What I can't figure out how the heck you can draw the eyes so perfect with a pen! (without blending...) - amazes me.
your work is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.

- laurel

ps. Here's a BLACKFOOT PROVERB that I find intriging and would like to share: "Every animal knows more than you do. "
__________________
The real magic is not beyond ordinary life but within it;
a quality of attention to ordinary life that is so loving and intimate, it is almost worship.

[Allen Carter]

Hi Laurel,

I’ll try to answer some of your questions about drawing and shading. Most of the time I draw portraits or figures. Pretty much I draw everything the same way. I use the same tricks and techniques on a steam engine as I use when drawing a face. Drawing is drawing. I look at a subject and determine where the darkest darks and the lightest lights are. I look for the general gesture and perspective. Then I go from there.

I use ink and use my diagonal lines to create the illusion of shading. I do the same thing when I use pencil. I let the pencil make the shading. I don’t like to smear my drawings with stumps, tortillions, chamois, or any other blenders. By letting the point of your pencils make the shades you can get a crisper drawing. With skin I use a much harder lead for subtle light tones. Fur is really quite similar. You still have darks and lights and shadows. I’m careful to make the lines flow with the direction of the fur and there is still shading that is just diagonal lines.

Dogs are people too. You really have to look at them a lot to see the structure under all that fur. Each one is unique. The essence is person ality. If you know the dog it is easier to relax and draw from your heart.

There are books on getting a likeness. They talk about people but you can translate that to dogs, horses, birds, or other animals. As human animals we tend to look at certain things first. We look for recognition at a distance so the general shape is important. We look for friend or foe. Is it a grin or a bearing of teeth? Then we watch the eyes for intent. You can downplay the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, and forehead. If the eyes and mouth are good the rest will follow.

If you look at the rough of Flash you can see that all the basics are there. The general shape is OK. His panting mouth that looks like a big grin is there. Then the eyes with the highlights are in. The shape of his ears are folded over OK. The rough is nothing like the drawing and yet it is the same. There is a quote that says “God is in the details”. I’m taking much more time thinking not only about where to put my marks but also where not to put marks.

Most people just make black dots for eyes on dogs. They have eyelids, highlights, a shadow under the top lid, and a shadow on the side away from the light. Different animals have different kinds of eyes so you really have to look. Sheep and cats are good examples of odd looking eyes. Here is a real shocker for you, Dogs have lips too. Most people never see them. Something about the teeth draws your attention away.

Allen

[Gwydian]

I have been waiting to see more of your Flash drawing. I hope I haven’t missed it. You were 7 pages back.

LG

[Allen Carter]

Hi LG,

No, you haven’t missed anything. I have been away from my drawing board for a while, with the holidays and all. I hope to have something new this week. I filled the card on my digital camera and have to do some work on it too.

Allen

[Allen Carter]

Finely, there is more to see on my “Flash” drawing. It goes kinda slow and I don’t see the changes until I photograph the drawing and compare it with the older WIP. This still has a long way to go and it is going quite well as it goes.

I thought I would put in the start and the last stage of the drawing so you don't have to go all the way back to the front to see them too.
Allen