This was to be my new piece of work, until after 6 hours of drawing I decided to attempt the first whisker by indenting into the paper, having practiced a few times with different darning needle points etc I made my first mark and knew straight away that not only was it not wide enough for the whisker in proportion to the drawing but it was also not smooth enough to give a realistic effect, I had considered drawing them using the negative drawing effect and now wish I had tried that first. I have tried to disguise the damage by drawung leaves in the background but in my eyes it still stands out and slaps you in the face, so this is now heading for the filing cabinet marked dustbin, and I am starting all over again.... not a waste of time really as another lesson has been learned.......
16 comments:
Sorry about your discovery with the whisker, you did such a beautiful job on this cute big kitty!!!
I think though, your not a successful artist unless you do have blunders like this :)
your work is lovely, very realistic !!
Annie
Hi Annie-Maree thanks for your comments, I guess it's all a learning curve, and so long as you dont keep making the same mistakes you have to keep moving on forawrd..
Aw, so far the tiger is beautiful. And the whisker really doesn't bother me, but of course it probably looks different in real life.
Thanks Kathleen but this one has already been scrapped, the fault was to bad to hide, so best to start all over again..
Oh dear... those lessons that we learn the hard way. I recently sent a portrait (that was almost finished) to the scrap heap. Like you, I learned a valuable lesson. But on the bright side... your work is gorgeous and you're still growing as an artist.... what a great place to be!
I think whiskers must be tricky in any medium. I have had difficulties drawing whiskers on pastel. I find it hard to draw them freely and easily so that they are smooth and not to thick or thin. I do the whiskers last on my pastels so I am always afraid I will muck up the whole portrait. Occasionally I choose not to show the whiskers at all if I think they will detract from the pastel. I am sure your tiger is going to be wonderful!
Oh well, it will be wonderful next time, no doubt! I've never liked that technique. I think the whiskers should stand out but this makes them sit 'in' the paper and always jars with me. Likewise with scratching - I did that right at the end of one of my few commissions - can't count the hours but it took weeks! - to put highlights in the hair and it was just awful! It was only one scratch but it stuck out like a sore thumb and I had to do my best to smooth it out, too late to start again.
Hi Teresa good to hear from you, some things you have to learn the hard and painful way, just so long as I dont repeat the same mistake again I can live with it...
Hi Sally, as you know once you have indented the paper there is no going back, maybe someone could invent invisible paper filler!
Hi Felicity, I think the same, it looks its best in small areas, I think these whiskers are just to big for this technique, when its your work no amount of covering up will hide a mistake you always know its there, and I know this would have just eaten away at me, so best to start again and this time I'm trying the negative drawing effect, watch this space as they say!
Hi Grahame. I love this piece. I know what you mean about the whiskers. I have tried everything and I cannot get the right needle width for the whiskers to look natural. I have toiled with the idea of getting a stylus. so far the best luck I have had is a Papermate Tuff Stuff eraser and used a craft knife to chisel the end. It does give a nice fine line.
Great job as always. I wouldn't trash it yet. Hope you can salvage this.
Hi Dors, it'a already at the recycle centre! though a new one has been started and is already past this stage of the drawing, will post soon,
Graham, I am sorry to learn about the whisker ordeal. Too bad you feel you have to trash it and start over as it is already an outstanding piece...but I do totally understand you wanting it to be absolutely perfect.
Thanks Colette, If it had been possible to hide the damage I would have drawn it out, but it would always have shown
I have never tried this but it is just a thought! Is it possible to press the indented whisker out of the paper from the reverse side?
Hi Sally, good idea and one I looked at , but I use Mellotex paper which is harder and thicker than Bristol Board, so impossible to push through from the back, its a pity there is not some kind of invisible filler like tipex to fill the indentation...
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