I started off the new year with another 30 Faces/30 Days Challenge, this time with 30 different instructors working exclusively in graphite. It mostly reinforced that I have, for now, found a process that works for me better than others. However, it did introduce me to a variety of graphite tools, including water soluble graphite, clutch pencils, and Blackwing matte pencils.
This is my favorite drawing of the new year, well representing the very best I can do for now. The reference photo is a fellow Sktchy artist named Richard Banks, Mechanical pencils, Polychromos black pencil (eyeglasses) ,chalk pencil and white ink (highlights) on toned paper.
December: In Color!
I finally paid for a couple of colored pencil tutorials because of frustration in using my new Polychromos set. I did a few colored pencil face studies I was happy with and closed out the year with these two.
November: Lots of Mechanical Pencil Drawing!
After Inktober, I found myself diving deeply back into pencil drawing, most often selecting just one or two mechanical pencils to see how much mileage I could get out of them. There was also a lot of experimenting with different types of papers…all Strathmore, as I found that the other brands I have bought over the past year have always disappointed me. I think this drawing of Foggy from Sktchy is typical of the month’s efforts.
