About a quarter finished but the hardest part is over. :)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Nostalgia
Hey lolcats my 7th portrait is underway! Brad Pitt-my second attempt. it is still in lead pencil. The lips are proving difficult and the eyes took a lot of work to make them look BradPittyish. I will upload it as soon as I've finished :) Catch ya!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Derwent Graphic 24 Pencil Set Review
Hey there! Today I will be doing my first official review of a product!
So recently in Harbour Town I waled past an art store which must have had a forgettable name as I can't recall. I have been looking for a quality set of graphite pencils for quite some time now since I sold my first piece :) Because of their limited range I went with Derwent as it was the most expensive, I kid! The other was Monte Marte which are very average in general.
It cost $34.95 so obviously that was an absolute rip off but I still payed for it regardless. Okay well the tin is well presented and tells you exactly whats in there so that's a good thing! It contains 9H 8H 7H 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H F HB B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 9B and the following had doubles; 2H HB 2B and 4B. This is convenient as they are commonly used shades. I found that the pencils have that strange quality that makes people jealous, as though they want the same pencils as you. Its a strange feeling..never mind. Okay well the 9H and 8H were very scratchy as the leads are so hard, they are borderline useless but that is Derwent's fault. at 7H they become smoother and they no longer damage the paper. F is an unusual pencil because it obviously don't fit into the whole letter system but basically its a well rounded pencil for writing or sketching. The Bs are brilliantly smooth and once you get to 5B or so the coverage and blackness becomes well worth the price...almost?
My rating: 9/10
So recently in Harbour Town I waled past an art store which must have had a forgettable name as I can't recall. I have been looking for a quality set of graphite pencils for quite some time now since I sold my first piece :) Because of their limited range I went with Derwent as it was the most expensive, I kid! The other was Monte Marte which are very average in general.
It cost $34.95 so obviously that was an absolute rip off but I still payed for it regardless. Okay well the tin is well presented and tells you exactly whats in there so that's a good thing! It contains 9H 8H 7H 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H F HB B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 9B and the following had doubles; 2H HB 2B and 4B. This is convenient as they are commonly used shades. I found that the pencils have that strange quality that makes people jealous, as though they want the same pencils as you. Its a strange feeling..never mind. Okay well the 9H and 8H were very scratchy as the leads are so hard, they are borderline useless but that is Derwent's fault. at 7H they become smoother and they no longer damage the paper. F is an unusual pencil because it obviously don't fit into the whole letter system but basically its a well rounded pencil for writing or sketching. The Bs are brilliantly smooth and once you get to 5B or so the coverage and blackness becomes well worth the price...almost?
My rating: 9/10
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Tips for using charcoal
Hey guys its been a long time since I've blogged and to anyone who religiously reads this -if any- I apologize. So previously I blogged about how to use graphite effectively. This time it will be about charcoal.
There are 4 main types of charcoal.
Compressed
Willow
Pencil
White
Compressed
Generally comes in Soft, Medium and Hard. The softer sticks come out darker because more carbon is loaded onto the paper. These are great for covering large areas quickly, but smudge easily and less control is the result. Because the coverage is even it is easier to erase.
Willow
This is a useless and unfavourable charcoal so I can not be bothered talking about it.
Charcoal Pencil
My personal favourite because of the control it offers. They can be sharpened just like normal pencils. They are great for crisper lines and also come in soft, medium and hard. They can be smudged using a smudge stick and blended out using pressure to create a gradient.
White Charcoal
They aren't actually charcoal at all. Charcoal is mostly carbon and these are made from calcium carbonate, which is chalk! These are good for eye whites and highlighting but only use in larger scales if the paper is a darker colour. For example white charcoal looks great on black paper.
Eraser Putty
I actually have no idea what it is made from, but it comes in a range of colours, and the picture shows how it can gradually pickup charcoal particles, so it's best to replace it every so often. If they dry out they can become shitty and leave a residue on the paper which prevents more charcoal from sticking to the paper. It can be used for graphite but then again most people have a regular eraser anyway.
~Tips~
-Keep one hand clean and one dirty, so you can move the paper without excess smudging
-If you are right handed work from the left top corner to avoid smudging and if you are left handed work from the right top corner.
-Use a pencil for fine lines and corners
-Refrain from using white charcoal to highlight, the putty eraser is a better option
-Always have a smudge stick when using charcoal for controlled blending
-Take off any rings or bracelets before drawing as they may indent the paper permanently leaving it white.
-Wash and dry hands periodically
Have a good one guys! xo
There are 4 main types of charcoal.
Compressed
Willow
Pencil
White
Compressed
Generally comes in Soft, Medium and Hard. The softer sticks come out darker because more carbon is loaded onto the paper. These are great for covering large areas quickly, but smudge easily and less control is the result. Because the coverage is even it is easier to erase.
Willow
This is a useless and unfavourable charcoal so I can not be bothered talking about it.
Charcoal Pencil
My personal favourite because of the control it offers. They can be sharpened just like normal pencils. They are great for crisper lines and also come in soft, medium and hard. They can be smudged using a smudge stick and blended out using pressure to create a gradient.
White Charcoal
They aren't actually charcoal at all. Charcoal is mostly carbon and these are made from calcium carbonate, which is chalk! These are good for eye whites and highlighting but only use in larger scales if the paper is a darker colour. For example white charcoal looks great on black paper.
Eraser Putty
I actually have no idea what it is made from, but it comes in a range of colours, and the picture shows how it can gradually pickup charcoal particles, so it's best to replace it every so often. If they dry out they can become shitty and leave a residue on the paper which prevents more charcoal from sticking to the paper. It can be used for graphite but then again most people have a regular eraser anyway.
~Tips~
-Keep one hand clean and one dirty, so you can move the paper without excess smudging
-If you are right handed work from the left top corner to avoid smudging and if you are left handed work from the right top corner.
-Use a pencil for fine lines and corners
-Refrain from using white charcoal to highlight, the putty eraser is a better option
-Always have a smudge stick when using charcoal for controlled blending
-Take off any rings or bracelets before drawing as they may indent the paper permanently leaving it white.
-Wash and dry hands periodically
Have a good one guys! xo
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Marylin Manson Portrait
So here is the picture of Manson. He doesn't float my boat but I think it turned out okay. :D
Medium-Prismacolor (Black)
Medium-Prismacolor (Black)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Blog
Hello. It's been a while since I've posted anything. I'm feeling rather uninspired today, maybe I'm tired I don't know. I am currently in the early stages of drawing Leona Lewis. I have done the eyes lips and some of the skin. Her skin is a strange mocha colour so it;s proving hard to replicate. More than likely progress pics will be up soon. and Marylin is finished so pictures of that too! I think its my best so far... maybe? xo
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