Thanks for all of your comments on my sketching challenge post! I am really having fun with it and learning so much. And having all of you to share it with makes it all the more wonderful!
So yesterday I didn't even get a post together. I had a stressful day. Most of it self created if any of you can relate! In an attempt to refocus myself I grabbed my sketchbook. I wasn't expecting her to look like this but I think she is the release of my angst!
I used graphite pencil as I have been using with all of my challenge sketches. And I just realized that I am not even paying attention to the numbers on the pencils! For my sketch yesterday I used the 2H pencil and then last nite picked up the 6B. As I started to my sketch I noticed it was so much darker and smudgy than the 2H. I feel pretty silly even sharing this.
For those of you that work with graphite . . . any tips on using the different grades? I liked the darker shade of 6B but felt like my sketch was getting "dirty" from how smudgy it was. And thought back to my challenge sketch and now I know why it was so light! I also have the HB. Do you use all three in one sketch depending on the level of shading you want?
I love her Cathy..she has a whimsical magical gaze in her eyes...just wonderful..like something magical is about to happen.
ReplyDeleteShine on
Kiki~
Your sketches are coming more and more to life!! I don't know one pencil grade from another. Ask me about crochet hooks and that's a different story!! ^_^ My hubby was a machinist though, working with Graphite and I do know it's murder to wash out of clothes!!...That's probably not going to be helpful for you to know though! :-)
ReplyDeletehi cathy! i love your new girl. so glad you found some realease by sketching!
ReplyDeletei'm playing with my graphite, but i use the hb or 2b, i can't remember to start with, then i go up to a 6b just for any really dark shadows i want to do. you can do a tone chart with them just to play around and get use to how they feel and how light/dark they are. play, play, play!
xoxox
lovely sketch, cathy. i have several sets of sketching pencils but have never had the patience to do any serious sketching. i'd rather do really messy work with modeling paste, collage papers and paint. maybe someday i'll be more patient. smile!
ReplyDeleteHaven't stopped in for a while. I love seeing your new work. It is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy, I always start with the 2H,--it's so easy to fix mistakes, and then when I'm happy with it, I'll move on to a darker shade, and I use my kneaded eraser (like Suzie says for shading--it really works!!--this eraser is the next best invention to white bread!) Also have you tried a paper stomp for shading--awesome!! as long as you don't blend too much. But as far as the smudges, you can use your kneaded eraser to get rid of them easily. I personally like that smudgy look.
ReplyDeleteShe is beautiful. Your work is getting better and better. Congrats, you won a print. Stop by my blog to acknowledge please and then send me your postal and I will mail out when I get all the other postals. Congrats. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy....this is beautiful...your work is gorgeous!!! she is sweet and I love her eyes and her lips....
ReplyDeleteI'm so confuzzled on the different numbers of graphite pencils so I'm not much help Cathy! I always thought it just had to do with the pressure applies......see? I'm clueless! I have a book on sketching but I haven't read it yet. haha I'm such a visual learner so I don't know why I bother to buy books. Silly.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, love your girl and hope you are having a better day. I think it's interesting how our days become such a part of our art. very cool, huh?
Hugs!