GRAPHITE TUTORIAL:

 

Elegy (stage two)

 

I don't do a lot of pre-work such as roughs or color studies, and don't ever rework my pieces. I do just one rough sketch in the beginning to work out my composition. Sometimes, if I’m particularly fond of an idea, I would start by creating a less rough, more detailed sketch in my beloved Moleskine sketchbook, but not all my pieces start there. Most of the preparatory work for a piece usually goes on the non-physically existent canvas of my mind.

 

“Elegy” was created on 500 series Strathmore Bristol Vellum, but I’m equally fond of the Smooth version of the paper. Vellum has subtle texture; Smooth results in a silkier-looking finish.

 

For the preliminary sketch, I used a 2B mechanical pencil, applying very light pressure so that none of the lines engraved into the paper and could later be erased easily.

 

When I had the composition down and all the details drawn in, I did linework using a 2B mechanical pencil. Some lines were only meant to be guides for future shading (such as the folds on the shirt sleeves) so I used a lighter grade pencil to work them over. When I was finished, I took a kneaded eraser and gently erased all the leftover sketch lines and grime that I might've added accidentally. The drawing was now ready for shading.

 

Of course, you can choose to skip this step if you’re looking to achieve a more realistic, less stylized look. I like to use bold lines in my work, in large part because I’m a huge fan of Art Nouveau. While I do want to maintain a certain amount of realism, at the same time I don't want my works to look like photographs.

 

 

 

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