| NET NOT NEEDED... | |
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Typical thumbnail sketch...scribbling
with words. In this first sketch, the fisherman is actually catching a fish...can't have that. Click on any illustration for an enlargement. |
| Years
ago, when all my drawings, from thumbnail through final drawing, were
done with just a graphite pencil, I had to start over again each time
all my scribbling obscured what I was trying so hard to depict. I'm
not accurate enough to get it right the first time pencil touches
paper. Now I use a colored pencil for the beginning stages and don't
switch to a graphite pencil
until I know where I want the line to go. Because the graphite is
darker than the lighter-hued colored pencil, it stands out
(These
colored pencils are harder than those used in the colored pencil step
coming up soon).
Many times I'll use
several different colors of pencil in a sketch before the graphite
comes out, starting with one and switching to another, each color
standing out from the rest. It makes things easier, and I think it
makes the drawing process go faster...and
it's prettier. The animal is a pug, but it didn't start out that way. The first sketch uses a bear for the fisherman, something I do a lot; however, there already is a bear N, so the bear became a pug. Why a pug? For the facial expression ...appealingly disgusted with the situation. |
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The final drawing. Not much different from the sketch, just some refinements. |
| Here
the application of water-based
dyes serves as the underpainting for the colored pencils. |
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| The colored pencil stage...where most of the work is done. You'll note that, in the previous step, the tire is quite defined. It all looked too static. I wanted the canoe to be in the position it's in because of the weight of the dog and the "catch"...not just tilted to fit the shape of the N. To help give some impression of movement, I started to blur some of the edges of the tire. I still think it looks too static. | |
| During this final stage of painting with acrylics, I added the whites to indicate water cascading off the tire and vegetation to give the illusion of the whole mess being lifted out of the water. The tire isn't very well decernible any longer, but the actual contents of the mess isn't as important as the fact that (a) whatever it is, it isn't wanted, and (2) now there's motion being suggested. It no longer looks like the pug is just standing there posing for a picure. |  |
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