First WIP on this forum

[Ari Sutton]

Hi everyone,
I am doing a drawing of my sister with her two children for her birthday in August. I haven'd done a WIP in this forum yet, so I figured it would be a good project for that. I am posting the photo and very early start to my drawing.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Jun-2007/29596-sandy_and_kids_red.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Jun-2007/29596-wip1.jpg

As always, critiques and suggestions are welcome.
Ari

[suz_lyn]

Hi Ari, I certainly don't have anything to critique, but am watching - this looks like it will be a good WIP to be in on! - Susan in Phoenix

[Ari Sutton]

Thanks Susan.

[Ari Sutton]

Got a little more done. I hope you can see the details. Since I am selling my house and moving, my scanner is packed away, so I've been using the camera function of my cell phone to upload the images. As I progress, I get less lazy and break out my real digital camera.

Here is the progress.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/02-Jul-2007/29596-wip2.jpg

Ari

[amitm3]

I sincerely think that you have made the upper lip a bit too dark ... you gotta soften its tone so that it doesn't jump out of the drawing or say face ...

I would be keen to see how it progresses

[Zarathustra]

Just be careful not to bring out the side of the cheek too wide or you may have a rather wide head. And agree with amitm3 about the mouth. It's a tough one to draw convincingly with the teeth chomping down on that bottom lip! I know it's a horrible thing to backtrack, but sometimes it's better to do that than work around something that doesn't quite look right. ;) (And I'm as guilty as anyone for not correcting things early enough, in the hope it will somehow fix itself! Never happens!)

[Janby]

:wave: Hi Ari, you've got a good likeness, that's for sure. The only thing I can see is that the (our) left outer corner of the mouth seem slightly too far down the face . In the ref there is the same distance from the lower edge of the eyes to the corners of the mouth, on both sides. Also, the bottom lip seems a tad too low, making the front teeth look too long, and the line between the two front teeth is slightly off centre to the nose. On your second post it looks like you've already started to address the bottom lip. :thumbsup: Hope this helps? Look forward to watching this progress.

[Ari Sutton]

Hi Everyone,

I see what you are saying about the darkness of the upper lip. I think it is more exaggerated in the digital image because the lighting and quality of the picture was so low I had to pump up the contrast a bit in photoshop to show the pencil work. I'll tone it down a bit.

Janby, I think there is a bit of difference as to where the mouth is situated from left to right in the picture, but you're right, I exaggerated it a bit too much.

Zarathrusa, I agree that one has to keep reworking things early, but light and dark are relative to the colors around it. I intend to soften the lips, but I also have a tendency to make things too light and not push the darks. Therefore, it will also somewhat self correct as I build up the darks around it. I'll watch the width of the face.

Thanks for all your suggestions.
Ari

[Zarathustra]

Hi Ari. When it comes to values I'm forever going too light also. I think as long as your range is all relevant to one another this really doesn't matter too much, but if you want the full range of values, it's a great practice to put in some of your darkest darks early on, and then you'll always have a reference to build up against.

[Ari Sutton]

I agree. I haven't used beyond a 3b pencil so far, so I can still get much darker. I'll put in some darker values in early on like you suggested to use as a reference for other tones.
Ari

[russjac]

hi , dont mind me commenting but at first glance of this fine drawing the subjects left eye (our right), seems to be too close to the nose . on the photo the edge of the mouth is in line with the centre of the pupil , but on the drawing it isn't, just thought i'd comment, regards russ.........

[Ari Sutton]

Thanks Russ,
I'll take a look at it.
Ari

[Ari Sutton]

OK, I think I fixed some of the things that were a bit off like the mouth and the placement of the right eye relative to the nose. I started building it up a little more today. Here is the new image.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-Jul-2007/29596-wip3edit.jpg

What do you think?

Happy fouth of July.
Ari

[Ari Sutton]

I made a little more progress today. Please let me know what you think.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/06-Jul-2007/29596-wip4edit.jpg

Ari

[Zarathustra]

A big improvement, well done for making the changes!

[Ari Sutton]

Thanks Zarathustra.

[cmwynn]

The most important part, the character, shows through here. What an ambitious project but I know your sister will love it.

[Ari Sutton]

Thank you Connie
Ari

[Ari Sutton]

I did a little work last night, about 15 minutes or so and started to move into the next subject (my sister). At this point I am working on getting some of the relative values right. Her skin is somewhat darker than my nephew's skin. The hair, especially between the figures, is going to be interesting. Any suggestions as I go along are always helpful.

Ari

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Jul-2007/29596-wip5edit.jpg

[JayD]

Ari, I have been standing back in my dark dimension watching this thread--great stuff and I am enjoying the modeling of the face--this is very enlightening. Seems like you are a potentially important crossroad right now with a sign post up ahead that says KID or Chipmunck. I am not sure I could carry out the modeling that you are doing right nowl Be careful not to over puck the cheeks. This is going to be outstanding.

And by the way, Ari--always great to see you post!

[Ari Sutton]

Thank you JD. I have a little time right now because I am out on disability from work. I am having knee surgery this coming Tuesday, so I am trying to get as much done beforehand as I can. Yet, I'm trying not to rush anything. A little at a time. Hopefully, it'll get done in time to frame it and send it to my sister.

Thanks for commenting. I always appreciate your comments.
Ari

[Ari Sutton]

I worked on my sister and nephew a bit more today. I think something is off in my sister, but I can't identify it at this point. Maybe it just needs to be reworked some more. If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it.
Ari

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Jul-2007/29596-wip6edit.jpg

[Ari Sutton]

reworked my sister a bit. Think it's closer, but still a bit off. What do you think?
Ari

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Jul-2007/29596-wip7edit.jpg

[tazzers2007]

Looking good so far !

[Ari Sutton]

Thank you Tazzers

[Ari Sutton]

I did a little more today. Have a lot of work to do yet, but I wanted to lay in the beginning for my niece. Still need to go back into my sister, but I want to try to work on relative values between the three figures, especially where the come near eachother. Therefore, I wanted to get something up to work with. Let me know what you think.
Ari

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/08-Jul-2007/29596-wip7edit.jpg

[Ari Sutton]

Hi. I got to a little more today. I am having surgery tomorrow morning, so I may not be able to post again for a few days. Please take a look and let me know what you think.
Ari


http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/09-Jul-2007/29596-wip9.jpg

[spoonman]

Just a quick note to say I'm following this thread as well with antcipation. Looking forward to seeing how it progresses, I love the sentiment behind it.

I think you're progress is excellent sofar, (lightyears better than anything I'm capable of at the moment :) So well done!


Paul

[Ari Sutton]

Thank you Paul. Have you posted any of your work yet? I'd love to take a look. Can you direct me to a thread?
Ari

[Ari Sutton]

Hi,
I had my surgery yesterday. I went successfully. I did a bit more work today and I wanted to keep up with the progress. Here it is:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Jul-2007/29596-wip10camedit.jpg

Ari

[amitm3]

Hmm Things going well and likeness is there for sure ... emotion and tonal values look great so far ... hope you will blend the skin tones later ...right??

[Ari Sutton]

I will continue to work the skin tones, but I never blend with a stomp or any other implement. Not my style. Here is an example of another pencil drawing I completed a couple of years ago. No blending.

Ari

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/12-Jul-2007/29596-selfportraitpencillowres.jpg

[Ari Sutton]

Hi guys. I got a little more done. Please give me some guidance if you see anything that is off. Thanks Ari

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/13-Jul-2007/29596-wip12editsmall.jpg

[Ari Sutton]

Hi eveyone,
Nearly done now. I want to get some final input before I spray it. Please let me know what you think.
Ari

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/14-Jul-2007/29596-wip13editlsmall.jpg

[amitm3]

Nicely done and executed .... You have every right not to blend skin ... As without blending also this looks amazing and neccessary values are indeed there... Great Work !!

[Ari Sutton]

Thank you Amit. I left the drawing alone for a couple of days. I'll take one last look at it today and decide whether it is done. I think it is at this point. Hope you all enjoyed the thread.
Ari

[Reinhard1]

Ari, truly a great piece. Congratulations. This present will be the smashing hit for sure.

The only thing I would take another look at is the brightness of the teeth. On my screen they seem to be too white and therfore 'jump out of the picture'. It might very well be the scan but I wanted to let you know what I can make out on my screen.