Promise 86: Ten Apples, Day 8

Got the background done today. At least the first pass at the background. I may darken all or parts of it later.

Promise 85: Ten Apples, Day 7

It's hard to see, but above is the initial line drawing from the traced copy of yesterday. I'm trying to go slow and be really careful and thoughtful.

Promise 84: Ten Apples, Day 6

OK. Now that I got the bowl and apples placed and I think I understand what I see before me, I am starting over on the 'real' apples drawing. Above is the trace I made of the practice sketch. I made corrections to the symmetry of the bowl so that it would have 'integrity,' a very, very helpful suggestion from Sadie Valeri. I'm excited. And scared.

Promise 83: Ten Apples, Day 5

Here's today's work, still on the practice sketch...I solved the over crowded apples-in-the-bowl situation by taking one apple out of the bowl. Maybe cheating a bit, but I think it looks better.

Promise 83: Ten Apples, Day 5

Sweet Bill gave me some much needed and very helpful feedback on the size of the bowl in yesterday's sketch. So I enlarged the bowl and then the apples which had begun to look more like plums, and here is the result.

Here's what's working pretty well for me on this one. I took the original line sketch that I liked (liked it a little anyway), took a picture of it, printed that picture out on the computer, and then sketched over it to correct mistakes and to practice. Above is the result. So it's sketched over a sketch that was printed in gray tones on the computer printer. But wow, is this practice helping me to get it right--well, better anyway.

Today or tomorrow, after some more corrections, I'll trace just the outlines to a fresh sheet of drawing paper and start adding values again. Amazing. This 'rehearsal' is helping with knowing how to do the real drawing. Guess that's why they call this kind of work a study. Duh :-)

Promise 82: Ten Apples, Day 4

I've started the whole drawing again because the apples in yesterday's sketch look too big for the small bowl...they looked more like oranges and even at that I'm not sure they would really fit into the bowl at that size. The relative sizes of the bowl and the apples was out of whack! I think today's work is much better, don't you?

Promise 81: Ten Apples, Day 3

Refined the drawing and started with shading. I'm never happy at this stage of any work. The challenge is to slow down and not rush it. I already rushed the drawing, so I really need to slow waaaaay down and breathe.

Promise 80: Ten Apples, Day 2

First try at blocking in the bowl and apples...yesterday.

Promise 79: Ten Apples, Day 1

Took me forever to set up a still life with ten apples and a bowl today! It's much easier just to copy someone else's wonderful composition! But it's time for something all my own and drawn from life, not a copy this time. So here is the tiny thumbnail. I'll block in the drawing tomorrow. Just taking a few days off this week seemed to make it harder to get back in the groove quickly.

We had a redecorate of our tv room this week. How fun, but lots of work! The furniture arrived last Monday so the rest of the week was spent getting the room organized and put together--then all day yesterday setting up the tv, sound system and Blu-ray. Good grief! Now the room is 95 percent done, all but the cleaning up and a few final details (just like a drawing :-), and cleaning can wait til after tomorrow for sure!

Promise 78: Cherries & Bowl, Day 6

Finished. Please let me know what you think. And thanks to Julian Merrow-Smith for the lovely painting from which I made this drawing.

Promise 77: Cherries & Bowl, Day 5

Here's Saturday's work...

Promise 76: Cherries & Bowl, Day 4

Working, working...

Promise 75: Cherries & Bowl, Day 3

I know it's not perfect, but I don't think I could have done this copy at all three months ago.

Promise 74: Copy of Cherries & Bowl

I decided yesterday to try to copy the entire painting by Merrow-Smith. So here we go, from the start yesterday, to today's work.

I still need to slow down and look more and draw less. I know I would see more if I would just slow down, stop and breathe--often.

Promise 73: Two Cherries

This is my sketched copy of part of a beautiful painting by Julian Merrow-Smith. The whole thing got too dark, but I still like my little effort. Actually this part of his painting is almost all in shadow, so if I had sketched the whole painting then this portion probably wouldn't look so dark. Click here to see the 'real' painting and all his wonderful work.