Tomato half and slices...complete :o)

Here's the finished drawing. The photo's a little dark, but pretty close to the real thing. I finished up by strengthening the cast shadows and modifying their shapes a bit. I also added some character to the old cutting board by putting in some of the stains and scratches...it is one of the most frequently used items in my kitchen and has lots of battle scars to prove it. :o)
I also added a little more definition to a few of the tomato seeds by lifting out some graphite in some areas and adding a little in others. 


I think that about covers it. I've enjoyed working on this one so much, and have been thinking of other interesting fruits and veggies to draw in the near future. In the meantime, another dog portrait is in the works...a short-haired dog this time. Should be fun. I also hope to have something colorful to share with you in the next few days. 


Thank you for your interest in my art. Have a great day! :o)

Tomato half and slices...WIP 2

Got a little more done today. Worked on deepening the cast shadows and toning down the reflected light on the tomato half. Established the pattern of wood grain on the cutting board and that's it for today. I think a little more shading here and there and maybe some reshaping of the cast shadows should be enough to finish this one up.


I love the way photos taken in incandescent light take on a warm, sepia toned look, whereas those taken in natural or fluorescent light have a cool blue or greenish tone. The actual drawing is on smooth, white Strathmore bristol paper and has a full range of values from white to black. 


Thanks for taking a moment to look at my art. Have a great day! :o)

Sliced Tomato...WIP

Here's a little drawing that I'm working on now. I'm almost finished with the tomato. Still have lots to do on the cutting board, though. 


I enjoy working with my pencils so much more than with my paints. Maybe I should stick with them exclusively. I would like to some day try my hand at watercolors, though. :o)


Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day! 

Portrait of Rhonda...Complete! :o)

"Rhonda"
approx. 7" x 5.5"
Graphite on smooth Strathmore Bristol

Here we have the finished portrait. I only wish the photo were better. Somehow my camera never manages to capture all the subtle shading. It seems to settle on an average of all the grays, making the lightest areas darker than they really are. The highlights on her glasses are the white of the paper, but you can't tell that from looking at the photo. Anyway, this gives you an idea of what the original looks like and you can see the changes I've made since my last post. I enjoyed working on this one, and once again would like to thank Rhonda for allowing me the privilege of drawing her portrait. Also, happy belated birthday, Rhonda! :o)


Time to start a new drawing. I'm thinking of a still life...maybe a sliced tomato. Thanks so much for stopping to have a look. Take care, and have a blessed Sunday. :o)

WIP: "Rhonda" nearly complete :o)

Okay...all that's left to do now is the final tweaking...deepening a few shadows, softening some edges and cleaning up the highlights. There were no strong shadows on her face, only around it where shadows were cast by the shawl. Her dark sweater needs to be a deeper tone as well. I'm confident that I can finish this up tonight, so I'll be back tomorrow with the completed portrait.
Thanks for following along with me as I worked on this. I love drawing portraits. Take care and have a great weekend! :o)

WIP Update

I'd say this is about 75% finished at this point. Still have a good bit of shading to do, especially on the scarf, but should be finishing up shortly. I'll post another photo before I begin putting on the final touches. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day! :o)

WIP Update...My Friend Rhonda

It's been a busy few days, but I did manage to get a little more done on the portrait. I decided to shade in some of the darker areas to make easier for me to judge the remaining values, most of which will be in the middle range or lighter. The scarf looks to be a mid-tone gray, and I'll begin working on it next. I'm using my softer lead pencils most of the time now. I used a chamois cloth dipped in a little powdered graphite to shade in a portion of the background. At this point the portrait is about half finished. Back to work! :o)