So I just found out my scanner sucks. The shading looks grainy to me and if I adjust it to a higher resolution the picture looks illuminated. Time for a new scanner I guess... or to get photoshop lol. I drew this by making a gesture sketch, and then trying to build facial structure first before starting with details. I really love this way of working, from big to small, I am so happy I learned this here. There is an in between phase when sketching and shading I feel I am losing, in which the planes really pop to me and it is exciting, a sense of form. But then it starts to go flat again, if that makes any sense lol.  I also tried to draw the hair with big shapes and also experimented with hard edges and soft edges. Pencil drawing can be so frustrating because I want to fuss over a drawing forever and tend to never be satisfied. Yet I keep on making them. Feel free to criticize, please. 

 

 I try to make one or two portraits a week. Sometimes I sort of like one so I decided to upload it. I struggle with my scanner, and still learning to edit so I tried to take a photo with a better camera. Uploading certainly messes with drawing quality, but I am satisfied with this one as being close as possible to real life. I would like to know please, if possible, how I fared with this one. I purposefully left the blending messy around the hair and decided not to blend the collar area. I try to construct nowadays instead of copying. Amazing how this class transformed portraiture for me. I draw with simple shapes and look for the planes. Also draw so much quicker it is crazy. Study of anatomy also helps, I am currently in a nose phase and keep noticing noses on people lol. Also, I finally got some Canson Bristol. It is the best paper ever. I can't believe I ever tried to draw on paper that wasn't Canson Bristol. 

 

New drawing for channel challenge.

I worked  hard on this new drawing, gave up on it a few times but stubbornly refused to admit defeat.  Had lots of problems with oily marks, even using a paper underneath my hand. The oily marks appeared when I started blending.  Drew this with Derwent pencils on Canson Bristol.  Also flip-flopped between heavy details and blending everything together to try for a better value statement. Not that happy with the finished result, but happy that I pushed to finish it because I usually give up easily:)