First new sketch complete

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

Tried to find a good link, this one seems good as any.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/...news-story/eaa9dd7a9555e1d8db7c569668b03c97?=

 

[SCROUNGER]

I'm in the Midwest USA, here with my aging parents, both in their 80s. I'll turn 60 years next March. Worked in new home construction many years with my dad, those days are gone....although he is at it again trimming out a new home for a friend. The artwork had been on the back burner as a possible new career for me. But now it's off the back burner, going ahead with stocking up on supplies. Anyway, need to keep busy so, this is going it for now and hopefully continue on. I always liked the desert and Australia has a lot of bush outback.

Oh Ok, i thought you were here in Australia, hence me giving you the info on the Archilbalds. The Archibald Prize is held by the Art gallery of NSW yearly here in Australia and they are the pre-eminent portraiture competition in the country.
Good luck with your new career move, i hope it works out for you.

 

[AtomRat]

Hah! Yeah I had no idea you were in usa either mate!

Cali forn i a?

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

I looked at a page with the Archibald Prize winner. Right now I've been unemployed too long to take a prospecting trip....but have always liked the idea of prospecting Australia. After bought my first detector (Garrett) it was around the time that Hand of Faith nugget was found. Later when got a computer running WIN 98 found a site in, think Victoria showing all the nice nuggets being detected.

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

Well G'Day Mates!

This is the sketch the above study portrait was meant to be for, not yet finished but getting mighty close. I like to have my easel near the window so things are easier to see right, except the last 2 weeks or so have been mostly overcast....taking much longer time to finish. After done (hopefully soon) I'll want to be moving on to bigger and better things. Problem here is somehow made him appear much younger than he deserves, wasn't trying to, oh well maybe nice time.

Paper size is 14" x 17" and next project will be on 18" x 24" paper, going to try a queen portrait on it. Maybe she will turn out younger looking too!

 

[cecc]

Nice well done.

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

Nice well done.

Thanks mate! My goal is to keep improving, so no hurry, must do things right or not at all.

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

Well SCROUNGER, I never ordered the tinted graphite or the Inktense pencils.....suppose they are a bit too expense. Have been adding variety of color pencils and more plain graphite of different hardness.

 

[SCROUNGER]

Well SCROUNGER, I never ordered the tinted graphite or the Inktense pencils.....suppose they are a bit too expense. Have been adding variety of color pencils and more plain graphite of different hardness.

Very good RRD, how about some examples of your latest works mate, and especially with those pencils? Keep at it, practice rarely makes anything perfect as i've realised over my life, but it's always fun trying :lol:

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

Well SCROUNGER, I never ordered the tinted graphite or the Inktense pencils.....suppose they are a bit too expense. Have been adding variety of color pencils and more plain graphite of different hardness.

Very good RRD, how about some examples of your latest works mate, and especially with those pencils? Keep at it, practice rarely makes anything perfect as i've realised over my life, but it's always fun trying :lol:

My latest is in the final finish stages, won't have photos yet....but she is pretty, Queen Rania of Jordan on 18" x 24" mix media 98 lb. paper.

I do have pics of the 2nd sketch finished, still on 14" x 17" mix media paper. These first 2 sketches represent to me, the process of solving your own artwork problems. There is not much we can do to solve the world crisis. I'm starting to fix my own art sketch problems, beginning at where the world is in conflict.

The flags in the background are often pinned up or hanging halfway down. Getting the texture right took some time and white charcoal pencil did the trick. I used my own blend of water based translucent white, workable fixative also for the background. Neither sketch is sprayed yet with final fixative.....that will come later. The translucent white while wet, will mix and feather the charcoal producing shades of grey. This allows the seamless technique of layering, just as artist do using workable spray fixative (especially the pastel artists).

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

The subject is the same in both sketches, only sad reference photos studied on the 1st. Using the sad reference pics, the subject turned out looking older than real life. The other photos studied, the subject rarely has his mouth shut and appears to be upset about something. Different size images here for similar light conditions.

Getting smaller.

The subject here in my 2nd sketch turns out looking much younger, which could be flattering for an older man. Anyway, my sketch of Queen Rania I'm finishing up now, is looking the correct age, maybe the larger size paper makes this easier to get right.

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

How it looks at night, near the wall, with only 1 overhead light on.

And smaller of the same.

And smallest.

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

As you can see, different light conditions change the appearence of the sketch.....because of the reflective properties of graphite.

These photos were taken of it next to window, from different angles of view.

Next to charcoal, the pencil can really fade out a lot, when getting light to hit at an angle.

Left side (light side) of face and especially the tie, are places the graphite changes can be noticed a lot.

Notice here, at just the right angle of view, the suit edges left side of tie, have a gold guilted look.

One last pic from this set which were taken next to a window.

 

[Jaros]

Can i ask who it is supposed to be?

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

Benjamin Netanyahu

I know that I've got a long way to go in getting them to resemble the person. These 2 sketches were meant to be a study, to get the 3 types of media to work together. The next part of it was to capture the expression. Anyway, here is a 1st sketch reference photo.

A photo for the 2nd sketch.

One for in color.

Reference for the right flag in background.

Photo for both flags in background.

The mouth expression here (above) looks to be a better match for the 2nd sketch. In recent public reports he has seemed to have gained some weight also, which doesn't help to identify him as Benjamin Netanyahu. I knew this was going to be a problem to get his looks even close the first 2 tries, after a couple more 18" x 24" I'll give him another try.

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

One thing you can really notice in my 2nd sketch that isn't right.....the hair looks to nice and gives a younger look. The forehead shadows were over done creating a thinner look. Should have found a way to puff the cheeks out more too. Then the eyes are too peaceful, really need a look of uncertainty or a flash of anger. Maybe I should only try to sketch people who have a peaceful look?

I'll throw in one more reference photo.

 

[Jaros]

Thanks for that - I was losing sleep!!!

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

No problem, I just assumed with the flags it would be obvious.

 

[AKA_RedRimmed_Desert]

The 3rd sketch which I'm trying to finish up is Queen Rania of Jordan. Here is a reference photo for her. The face turned out better than expected but the hair is what gave me problems.