Between Shadow and Light Drawing Exercises Continued (4 Girls Bonus lesson)

This is the last of my post drafts from 2018 class works in progress, which I'm going ahead and posting, because I have no idea when I will get them finished. Life has a way of dictating when things get done.

This exercise is from Ivy Newport's 2018 class called, "Between Shadow and Light" (see sidebar for link) and, again, it's been so long since I've looked at it, that I don't remember what all is involved, but it involved sketching portraits on very large paper and trying different media, and the final exercise, I think, is a portrait on canvas. The exercises are all timed, so it all has to be done quickly, without too much time to think!

Again, I may, or may not, have followed her instructions exactly! I tend to do my own thing, once I get started!

For this exercise, I used an 18" x 24" mixed media paper, gesso, charcoal pencil, inktense pencils (could only use four colors), Lyra watersoluble pencils (same four colors), water, and a timer. I used an old photo of a beloved cousin for reference. Of course, these look nothing like her. She was beautiful, and I lost her four months before I lost my mom in 2017. I wasn't really trying for a likeness though.

Multiple faces using the same reference and the basic sketch was done in maybe ten minutes. The Girls were first done in charcoal pencil, then I used white gesso to paint and mix with the charcoal, which I forgot to take a picture of. I then put another layer of charcoal and inktense pencils with water and gesso over this layer (no picture), then added still another layer of Lyra watersoluble pencil, inktense pencils, white gesso, and water over that layer, trying to make it look better. I failed. (Well, I didn't really fail. I learned what doesn't work!)

I went over the whole thing again with my charcoal pencil and white gesso, losing all but a slight tint of color. I know, the faces are all wonky, but I was learning a process with layers here. You would never know they are all the same person, would you?! 

Then I went over them again with the charcoal and added color back in with inktense pencils and water, and this is where they've been for over a year. Not pretty! But it's a practice, so it doesn't have to be. Right?

Maybe, I will get back to it at some point, but if I don't, I learned from it, and that's the important part! Plus, it was fun! I just got involved in too many classes at once and life threw some curve balls at us, and these unfinished pieces and classes are patiently waiting for me to come back to them, when I'm ready.

I have been through a lot and learned a lot since I left all these works in progress, so when I do get back to them, it will be a different me than I was at that time, and I will bring a new perspective and new experiences with me to incorporate into the finished portraits. I just thought of that, but it's true! I'm not the same person I was a couple of years ago, and I see things in a different way now, partly because I'm older (just turned 70) and my circumstances have changed, so that will be reflected in any creative projects I do now, I'm sure.

That's ok! As long as I can keep trying, I'll be happy! Don't be afraid to try whatever you think you would enjoy doing. You don't have to do stuff perfectly to enjoy doing it! I know someone already said that, but it's true! 😀

Between Shadow and Light-Drawing Exercises

I'm currently working on yet another class with Ivy Newport, called Between Shadow and Light. It's a mini portrait course, which during the month of September Ivy donated all the class fees to help the victims of the horrible hurricane in Texas. That helped me make the decision to take the class, but I'm really glad I did. Ivy is a good teacher and I'm learning a lot from her! See the sidebar for the link!

Exercises 1, I misunderstood the directions. I deliberately didn't set a timer and sketched these, and the one below, with my non-dominant hand, using magazine photos, and taking no more than 5 minutes per sketch. I used a hard charcoal pencil on 18" x 24" mixed media paper in a large sketchbook.

The models would be horrified, but I wasn't going for a likeness. Besides, who knew I could sketch/draw with my non-dominant hand?!!! So excited!

This sketch, from an old photo of mama, was done with my dominant hand with a hard charcoal pencil on 18" x 24" mixed media paper. Again, I deliberately didn't set the timer, but took only 5, or so, minutes to sketch. I'm amazed that it actually resembles mama!

A few days passed after I did the first exercise, then I re-read the material and watched three more class videos.

I found that I had misunderstood directions on the first exercises and did them over.

 I set timer for 2 minutes each sketch, because I could barely get the head shape down in 1 minute. I used the same paper and pencil as the first ones and did one sketch with left hand, then same one with right hand. I used the same magazine images as the first exercises, only this time I sketched each image using right and left hands on same page. Image 1- Left on left, right on right. Still amazed that I can even sketch with my left hand!

Second image with both hands. Very interesting how my mind shifts with each hand when I compare the two images, and how it feels during the sketch.

For the third image for this exercise I used a photo of my cousin instead of the magazine photo with the hat. In many of these sketches, I prefer the one done with my non-dominant hand. Who knew?!!

A two minute blind contour sketch from a photo of another cousin when she was young, although this one is semi-blind, because I forgot and looked at my paper a few times. Again, two minutes each, one with each hand, same paper and pencil.

Four different color pencils, same paper, using the same photo of my cousin, two minutes each, four overlapping sketches, two with each hand. I forgot to take a picture of the first sketches. This is after I had tweaked and added to them some.

I have a tendency in these classes to get carried away an "do my own thing", so I overdid what the exercise asked for and went over the whole thing with a brush and water, making the sketches very vibrant because three of them were done with inktense pencils. The other was in watercolor pencil.

There is a bonus video on this exercise, which I am currently attempting for practice before trying an actual portrait, so stay tuned for more of my feeble attempts at these class assignments! More photos as I progress...

Plus I have several works in progress from other classes I have yet to finish! :o