Goodbye...Lesson and Sample photo #5

As you are stippling in the walls to any buildings always keep in mind how dark you want the subject. Everything you add now will always affect everything else in the piece and it is difficult at best making something that is to dark initially work so always when stippling try and take a sample sheet and do some different stippling techniques going from loose which will make a light shading and tight stippling which will create a darker shadow, it all depends on the looseness & tightness of the stippling.
In the sample photo I have included on this post I want you to notice and study the stippling technique along each shaded sides of the buildings. In the distant building I used a loose uniformed stippling technique (using the .25 mm pen) and then I went back over and used some quick pen strokes giving the feel of the grain of wood. Then in the building closest in the view I only used fairly loose stippling on the shaded side of the building and if you will notice I also added small vertical hatches along the siding itself. Once I have decided just what type of detail I want to add to each I always use a fairly loose stippling technique because you can always come back and add more stippling or cross hatching or whatever. The point being less is more.
The car directly in front of Norms’ Bar I also stippled in using the .25 mm pen but I used fairly tight stippling here and also if you will notice, I have left the windows of the passenger side of the cars that you can see through the rear window blank for now. I’ll only be able to decide what and how I want to create the affect there when I have completed the front of Norm’s Bar.
Now the tree’s that are along the side of Norm’s Bar I will leave undone until I have did all the pen work along that side of the wall. I can the come back in and complete all the tree branches. Remember to outline all your tree’s that are located in front of any subject you are working on. I sometimes will not and end up going over them without realizing I wanted a tree there in the first place. That can ruin a piece so be careful.
If there is any artwork that you are interested in and have seen here can be viewed and purchased at the Copper Country Community Arts Center / The Kerredge Gallery, 126 Quincy Street. Hancock Michigan. Just contact me and let me know which piece you are interested in or contact Cynthia Cote’ at (906)-482-2333 and let her know the Title of work and if is not at the Gallery itself I will bring down for you to view, you can set an appointment at your convenience.
We will continue with techniques used to create the shading in the walls in next post. I will do my best to post a lesson every Sunday or Monday, it all depends on any shows or exhibits I am doing. Any questions let me know.

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A Cold Decembers Day...Final Lesson and Sample for piece.

Now to complete the piece I completed the distant tree line much as I explained in the April 16th post but I will only use my .25 mm pen and I will not worry about any detailed trees, just use small vertical lines and remember to layer them and then if you have enough space add some very small pine trees by just scribbling them in quickly.
I then will take my .30 m pen and finish stippling in the area along the road. You will have to determine how much you want in your piece but I decided to stay true to this area and add some deer tracks along with my nieces footprints in the snow. Keep in mind where your source of light is and then stipple everything in according to how the shadows will fall. Once I have that completed I will then complete the sky by using my .30 mm pen and stippling in the clouds and filling in around those clouds with very tight uniformed stippling. Once that is finished I switch to my .25 mm pen and then add fine detailed stippling to the clouds. Just some loose stippling will work well. Refer to the completed piece for more detailed sample photo.
In the next post I will begin a new piece that I have yet come up with a certain title yet. This piece is more complicated and will once again have use of conte’ pencils again. Choose what subject photo you want to work on and then have your work surface prepared for next lesson.

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A Cold Decembers Day...Lesson and Sample #2

Now I need you to refer to the pen & ink tree and foliage studies found on my Flickr account to begin work on the surrounding tree line of this piece. For you beginners I recommend taking a separate sheet of paper and practice these techniques before laying any ink on the actual piece you are working on.
Keep in mind that you want to layer the tree line. Sketch in the trees that you want the detail on and then work back with some of the lesser detailed foliage and so on. Once you have those sketched begin inking the outline of them in. Now here is where it gets a little tricky. You will notice that you have spaces of white left in between those trees…here is where vertical lines come in. I want you to use your smaller sized pens and fill in all the spaces between those trees. Remember your perspective and make both your trees and vertical lines smaller and smaller as you work towards the bridge. Now for the tree line behind the bridge this we will do with the same vertical lines but before you do this complete both sides of the road nearest to your subjects.
If you have any questions email me.

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A Cold Decembers Day...Lesson and Sample #1

OK I want to direct this piece mainly at the beginners but is great practice for the more advanced also. I used only my .25 mm and .30 mm pens for this piece along with a mechanical pencil for the graph and the general sketching and also have a Sanford magic rub eraser for any corrections that may need to be made during the sketching and also will be used upon completion of the work when all pen work is completed.
Since this was a commissioned piece I basically was confined to doing it from a photo provided. You’ll notice that the photo is in black and white. This wasn’t done specifically for a reason…the only reason was I had no colored ink left in my printer but having said that using a black and white photo as opposed to a color photo makes very little difference. As long as the photo has some workable detail then no problem.
When working from a photo, while doing the graph keep in mind that you are able to enlarge the piece by enlarging the graph that you use on your piece itself. Example: If you use one inch square graphing on the photo then enlarge the graph on your piece to one and one half inch squares. Just remember not to go much larger than two inches because will begin to distort. Get this completed and also complete the sketch in work and we’ll cover the beginning pen techniques in next post. Any questions email me.

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A Cold Decembers Day...

“A Cold Decembers Day…” This piece I was commissioned to do in late November. The subjects are my nieces Dana and Danielle. It was done for their Grandparents as a Christmas gift in 2008.
For this work I only used my .25 mm pen and my .30 mm pen. This work is a break from the last piece requiring less detail work mostly for the fact that it is only an 11” x 14” piece. I want you all to notice in the next post that I have included a photo of how I graph it out and also I want you to notice how I take many liberties on the actual composition itself. Like the fact that I added more snow than was actually upon the ground and also that I added less clouds but we’ll cover those things when we cross those bridges.
So in the mean time get your photo prepared and get your table and paper set up along with the graphs IF needed. This will be a simple piece and is ideal for the beginners also. Any questions just email me.

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Uh Oh!...Final lesson and sample in this piece

Now for the final lesson and sample for this piece you just need either Conte’ Pencils or some good quality pastels or pastel pencils…whichever you prefer and also your .25 mm pen to complete the stippling in the hat. Now I ca only go over what I HAVE done on my piece so I give it to you step by step. IF you do not have a self portrait of yourself on your piece then ignore this.
I first complete my hat by just lining it in with my .25 mm pen and then filling in with some loose stippling. Add more stippling by overlaying to indicate shading and use line work to indicate the stitching in the hat and also any logo’s on it. Once that is complete I clean the pen in my ink cleaning solution and set aside.
Now here is the simplest part of the work…this is nothing more than what we did as children with a coloring book our parents bought us. You just color it in! I first begin by using flesh tone colors on my face. I avoid placing any color in the eyes yet . I then switch to a sepia color but just go with what YOU feel is right for you. I sparingly add any shadows to the bridge of my nose and cheeks using a stump to blend both colors to soften it out. ALWAYS add darker colors on lighter colors sparingly because when blending with a stump you’ll be amazed how it can spread. I then add a dark brown to my eyes and use the stump once again to soften the tone. I do the same thing on the fingers starting from light to dark. You may want to leave the large hand for last because you do not want any smearing of colors but you basically will do the same on the small hand as you will on the large.
I’ll begin lessons on a new piece I was commissioned to do as a Christmas gift. Any questions just email!

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Uh Oh!...lesson and sample #5

Basically for most of this entire piece I have been using only my .25 mm pen and .30 mm pen. Except for the night sky and also the crow’s which I used my .30 mm pen to outline the high lights on the wings and such then came back and filled in with a 1.20 mm pen which makes filling in large areas of ink so much easier although be careful because does lay down a large amount of ink and tends to dry slowly so pay attention to any chances of smearing the ink into areas you do not wish it to be. Once I completed filling in the large black areas I then used my .30 mm pen to just add some small quick line work to the feathers but not all of them. Keep some of them free of any ink to give more high lights to the birds wings.
Now for the background of the sky I used my .25 mm pen and used the swirl technique but much more tightly spaced then in any other piece I have covered before. It is extremely difficult so if you wish you can use either just a nice stippled in background or more loosely placed swirls. It really is a wonderful technique because it just makes you see movement in a 2 dimensional piece. For the clouds I just used some loosely placed stippling to add some depth and dimension and also texture to the clouds.
In next post I will cover the mediums I used to create myself and my hand. Any questions just email me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I possibly can.

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Uh Oh!...lesson and sample #4

Now in the first step of this lesson I just want you to think of the sky in two simple steps. The first step will be the night sky and the second will be a more intense swirled sky. I’ll go over the first step in this lesson.
First sketch out any thing such as birds or planes or stars or what have you that will NOT be completely covered in with ink. Once this is completed then all you need to do is take the largest pen size you have available and begin filling it in. I suggest you use your pens but you can use a brush BUT keep in mind that using a brush will tend to leave lighter areas and you will need to go over these but when you do keep in mind that a large amount of wet ink in one area will make the paper buckle AND can also damage the surface of the paper. Using your pens may take longer but is so much more controlled and it tends to force you to be patient and pen & ink requires patience above all else! I like to go over any large area that has been inked in like this several times and going in different directions much like you would with cross hatching.
In next post we’ll go over second step of completing the sky. Any questions just ask.

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Uh Oh!...lesson and sample #2

When I begin detailing the tree and surrounding foliage I first will decide which ones will be the prominent and those that will look detailed but in actuality there is very little detail involved. I began working on the tree closest to me using my .30 mm pen and using the techniques I have previously went over (refer to flickr account and look for the tree’s and foliage worksheet) and I complete that tree first. I then move on to the second most prominent, the third and so forth. If you’ll notice on the second prominent tree I have used very small circles tightly bunched together. This technique offers a great texture for tree’s that you want to indicate some detail but you do not want to overpower the more prominent tree’s. Once I completed all the circles I then just over it again using my .25 mm pen and just scribble in some shading in the leaves themselves. For the most prominent tree to my right I only shade near the visible branches using the cross hatching technique. This will be the ONLY tree using the cross hatching technique because of the fact that when you are trying to convey foliage which in and of itself has absolutely no straight lines using cross hatching to much will leave the piece looking very two dimensional…try and avoid this as much as possible unless you give each line a slight curve and this can be difficult not only in the hours it will add to your work but cross hatching in foliage can go very wrong very fast …use this technique ONLY when you feel completely comfortable with your pens.
Practice on some scrap paper all the different tree and foliage techniques and see what most fits your ability at this time. Get these completed and I’ll cover the distant foliage and also the beach sand. Any questions email me and I’ll get back to you asap.

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Uh Oh!...lesson and sample #1

When you are doing your initial sketch only sketch out what you need to see. Don’t go overboard sketching out every little detail such as the blades of grass or the leaves or any other detail that you will just basically go over again anyways. It may help you in some areas but what you will soon learn if you do that consistently is that it really is a waste of time and effort. There are pieces I have created that have so much stippling in it that I have blisters in between my fingers…if I tried to do this with every piece I would be literally unable to complete more than five to six pieces a year if I were that lucky…KEEP IT SIMPLE…it’s a sketch!
I first want to get a feel for the piece I am working on and to do that in this piece I began laying ink to the birch tree directly to “my” right. I use my .30 mm pen and just ink in a few of the leaves there…just to give me a feel of how the depth of the tree line as it progresses towards the distant Marquette lighthouse. I choose several of the tree’s that will be the dominant foliage. These are the ones I will apply detail as opposed to those making up the distant tree line. As I work my way back I drop down to my .25 mm pen. Once you do just a bit of each this will help you keep in mind of how heavy you want to apply the ink or how lightly. I then just finish those prominent tree’s for now.
This should take you all about three to five days so I’ll go over so get your sketch worked out and I’ll go over detailing the leaves and foliage in next post. Any questions just ask!

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who is judging who?

First my apologies for the two month hiatus but I have a solo show in May 2009 and I am concentrating on more surreal realist works. This is the next piece I will be breaking down in steps for you all. This piece is titled: “Uh Oh!…who’s judging who? , Pen and Ink/Conte Pencil , 24 inch x 36 inch , $3000.00USD.
This piece is now on exhibit at the Oasis Gallery, 130 W. Washington Street (Masonic Building), Marquette, Michigan 49855 in their annual Donor’s Show 2009. A reception will take place on February 20th at 7-9pm. Which will coincide with the Sled dog races that begin in Marquette. That doesn’t mean I will be there but can be upon request…I so hate crowds of people. But I will try and be there if I can convince myself too : ) So please go and enjoy the exhibit, it runs from February 1st thru the 28th and most importantly support your local artist’s and galleries!
Now back to the piece. We will go over every step and technique I used to create this piece and for you more advanced I expect you to be able to super impose yourselves onto whatever similar piece you choose so get your equipment ready and stretch those fingers…time to get them incredibly sore! I will make sure to post the lessons each week at least until mid April when I may have to take another two week hiatus because will be getting works delivered to The Kerredge Gallery in Hancock for the May show so until next post get your subject ready and your table set up!

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CALL FOR ENTRIES!

Here are some upcoming art competitions I want to pass along to any interested. First of all is Strokes of Genius 2: The best of Drawing Light and Shadow. DEADLINE: March 31, 2008. Artwork Eligibility: Artwork can be in any dry medium or wet medium applied in a linear fashion that would be traditionally considered drawing. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, pencil, charcoal, conte, PEN & INK:), scratchboard and silverpoint. Colored [pencil, pastel and even some paint mediums if used in a drawing-like manner are acceptable. E-mail for more info or an e-mail of the application form...time is short for that! The next is The Artist's Magazine 25th annual Art Competition. DEADLINE: May 1, 2008. This competition also has a Student/Beginner Division. Compete and win in 5 categories: 1) Abstract 2) Animal/Wildlife 3) Landscape/ Interior 4) Portrait/Figure 5) Still life Go to http://www.artistsmagazine.com/ to download and application form and also read the rules and prize information.

Trees & bushes...

First of all I apologize for not updating lesson sooner but I had the flu and just didn't feel like it BUT I do apologize for the inconvenience! Now as I said before, I want to practice on some very basic tree and bush techniques. You can make any tree incredibly detailed but lets keep it relatively simple to start with. The example photo is another great practice piece. This is a very simple technique I use to create distant pines and the like. It only really requires two of the basic pen techniques we have covered before...fine line work and scribbling. Fine line work outlines the shape of the small pine while the scribbling is used to fill the tree in and give it excellent texture. In the next blog we will cover bushes then jump back on the piece.

Creating trees and foliage...

Before I go any further on the piece I want to share this simple study & practice lesson I use at my workshops for beginners. Here are some basic ways to create trees and foliage. I use a lot of vertical line work when doing far distant trees and bushes that are too far away to see such things as branches and the like in any sort of detail. If you will go to my Flickr account I have an album there where you can find many useful study sheets if you do not want to wait for me to post a lesson. In the next blog I will continue on the road as you practice the basics on trees and then I will share more detail lessons on trees and foliage.

"The dead end road"...distant details

I've once again tried to enlarge this study photo so you can see how I have really loosened the stippling as I went towards the distant end of the bridge. I always draw simple rough outlines of where I may want to indicate shadows. I follow this outline with tighter stippling but as I reach the outer edge of those outlines I put more and more space between each single dot. Do not just go from tight stippling to noticeably spaced stippling, gradually increase the space between each single dot and avoid hitting the same dot twice. It only intensifies the stippling. I really do stress the fact that a bit of practicing before trying to do this type of stippling is a must. I will go over the shading on the left side of bridge and some of the road in the next blog. Also I want to remind everyone I am getting ready to make a switch over to a new site where I will continue posting lessons & tips and any other information you may can use. http://www.stacyvaughndavis.blogspot.com/

"The dead end road"...snowbanks & shadows continued

I continue working towards my horizon's vanishing point and use my .25 mm pen to work my way stippling in the shadows of the banked snow. Now when you are working on your piece and you are creating snow on your piece, keep in mind that you do not want a lot of really tight detailed stippling on snow. If you try and do this you will quickly begin over working it and adding so much detail to a shadow it just will not look good at all! Try to remember to always keep it simple when you are doing snow in pen & ink. Also study the sample photo to see how I continually & gradually loosen up the tightness of my stippling as I work towards my horizon line. Now, on a separate matter. I am now in the process of moving my "lessons & tips" blog to another site due to the upcoming changes at Yahoo 360. I will try to continue posting blogs here at 360 but the following address will be my main blogging site from now on. anyone & all can still view the lessons there as well as ( hopefully) here. My Flickr photo samples will also remain available for everyone to view and study as needed and I will add a link at the following site: http://www.stacyvaughndavis.blogspot.com/ In the next blog I will jump back over to the left hand side of bridge to begin adding the detail to the shadow cast by the railing and also begin on the snow covered road.

"The dead end road"...details & shadows of the rail

I hope you can see this well enough. I wanted you to see how I have gradually stippled lighter and lighter as I worked to my vanishing point. I also have stippled in the shadows of the vertical rails of the bridge. I stippled these in with extremely tight overlapping stippling to create a very dark distinct shadow. I also have to keep in mind that, because the way I "kind of" play with perspective, I have to cast the shadows as if my light source is coming from many different directions. I love doing this because no matter how "wrong" this may seem...it completely works! It just doesn't look good when I don't do this technique. I also love how as I continually add more and more, the piece is already grabbing you! In the next blog I will complete the rail and and begin working on the distant road towards the gate.

"The dead end road"...A closer look at stippling (ink dots) continued

Now this will be the final look at stippling before I get back to the pieces progression. I have attempted to enlarge a section where I have a more softer stippling pattern on the snow and pillars. The stippling here may seem less involved then the previous example but it is just as difficult and sometimes much harder just for the fact that when you are trying for many differences in the tones and textures and you want to do a very even and continuous shade, one little misplaced stroke of the pen can cause BIG headaches and can ruin a piece. Try to study how I evenly place stippling for the front of the pillars using my .25 mm pen and then how I have a much tighter, slightly overlapping stippling pattern for the side in shadow using my .30 mm pen. Now lets look at the shadows in the snow. I used only my .25 mm pen and have kept a fairly solid tight stippling pattern ONLY loosening as I indicate lighter and lighter shading in the lumps and shapes of the piled snow. I will be coming back to this later also to add more depth to the shading once more of the piece is completed.

"The dead end road"...A closer look at stippling (ink dots)

I want to take a closer look at stippling. It's extremely difficult to explain how to "stipple" over this blog and have you comprehend what it is I am trying to pass to you. So I want you to study this photo enlarged to let you take a closer look at how I actually stipple. Stippling is not just random quick dots laid down quickly. Chances are if you do try and do very quickly it will look bad and you most likely are doing great damage to your pens because if you are trying to do this quickly, you are jamming the tip of your pen down way to hard and this will bend the fragile pin like tips of the pens. You have to do not so much slowly as carefully. Study how the stippling is basically well placed and spaced and ONLY begins closing when I want to indicate shading. The "self portrait" is only roughly 7" inches high and about 3" inches wide. http://360.yahoo.com/stacyvaughn68

"The dead end road"...snow banks and road

Before I begin on the snow banked along the sides of the bridge, I take my pencil and do some light sketching in of where I want the "shadows & shapes" of the snow banked against the rail. Hopefully if you can see the sample photo of the basic outlines to indicate where the snow has been piled higher in some areas and lower in others. I do this all the way till I reach the far end of the bridge. Remember to continually do the "shadow" shapes smaller & smaller as the distance becomes farther & farther away. I then take my .25 mm pen and begin filling in my outlines. I will fill in with fairly tight stippling until I reach the outline of my "shadow" sketches, then begin gradually stippling looser and looser. Again, keep in mind to stipple lighter & lighter as you go farther & farther away. In the next blog I SHOULD...be completed with the banked snow and will begin on the road. I am really not quite finished with all the extra details I want to add to the bridges railings and the snow but I will be able to get a better feel of how I want my final pen work to play out as far as how dark or light I will shade something more when I have more filled in on my piece. http://360.yahoo.com/stacyvaughn68