I've been wanting to try some very academic graphite drawing for a while now. I don't think I've ever been satisfied with the way that I draw with a pencil, but I think I'm starting to get there. Somewhere around the second session on this, I realized that I could use the HB pencil to push around and blend the 2B and 4B - so that was pretty cool. There is definitely more to do here, and we'll see where next week takes me, I really just want to see how far I can push this one. A little detail below. Obviously the hair and the jewelry need a bunch more work, and I'll keep fiddling with the flesh as well.
And as a kicker, a little 20 minute oil study in Raw Umber and Titanium White. I picked up Jeff Watts' awesome DVD on gesture work last month for my birthday, and have been itching to get my paints back out ever since. I really love his philosophy on approaching the work - which seems to be fairly intuitive. I especially needed to hear the bit about using MORE paint, it really does make a difference. Go figure. Anyways, the study is about 8x10 on canvas board, Gamsol was the medium, and a #2 round hog bristle was the brush.
