Stretching to Sketch Challenge Week Four!

Here is my Kelly sketch for the weekly challenge. This one was more challenging than I initially anticipated. I was hoping to improve over last week but the back view was alot harder for me. This one is done in graphite pencil as my others but I tried to use all three this time which did help with the shading. And I finally got a kneaded eraser! Wow, that makes it much easier. Now I don't have to sit with a lap full of shredded rubber from the regular one I was using. I erase alot!

I feel like I put too much pressure on myself to do better than the last one. I don't think I realize that with each sketch comes a different set of challenges depending on the view and body parts involved. There will be new things to learn with each one. I need to be kinder to myself!

As always you can jump in and join us anytime! Kelly will be posting the results tonite and then a new photo for this week will be posted tomorrow. Check out the original photo here at Kelly Berkey's blog!

Sketching Faces . . . My Grandma

Thanks to everyone for all the great comments on my last post! I am still trying to figure out what is next for her! I may like her just the way she is! I will keep you posted on that one!

Before I tried to paint a face I did some face sketches. This one is a recent sketch I did from my grandma's wedding photo. I used graphite pencil which helped with the shading. It is one of my first attempts at a realistic face sketch so it is rough although you are all so kind that I feel as if I can share freely here! I am proud that I tried it and I feel like I captured the light in her eyes and her sweet smile that I will never forget.

Here is the original photo I sketched from . . .

This next photo is the last one taken of her and I. It was Christmas day back in 1999, two years before she passed away in 2001 while I was in the middle of my chemo treatments. It was very tough to loose her. But I keep my fond memories of her very close to my heart.