Deborah’s 100 Day Figure and Head Challenge

[Debbie H]

Hi everyone. Thanks for your comments. Just letting you know that I’m not posting because I’m up visiting and helping out with my sick dad again for the weekend. I had hoped to still have time to do a little drawing and post whilst away, but it hasn’t been possible. I’ll reply to your kind comments once I get home. Thanks and I hope you’re all doing well 🙂

[Bryan Mccabe]

Sorry to hear your Dad is not doing well. It is good that you are able to be there for him. My dad had a big heart operation earlier this year, and I know it meant a lot to him just having me there with him, even though I couldn’t do much to help him.

[Debbie H]

Day 54: Today I did more head studies from the 3D model, showing both skeleton and flesh outlines. I didn’t allow myself to measure today, only to use the ratios you see and take a few angles. I wanted to test whether my observation skills are improving. It seems they are, but are still weak in areas. I had the most difficulty with the nose and mouth. These are not very big, only about 4cm tall and I find that harder because every tiny line matters and there’s no room for error. Steve Huston says it’s crucial to practice drawing at different scales. Lots more practice needed.

Hi Jan. Thank you for your kind words. It is exciting to be learning new skills. Whilst I enjoy drawing from photos, I really want to be able to get beyond that, to give me the freedom to be able to draw and compose at will, without having to find the perfect reference to draw from. I’m having to take the training wheels off gradually so I don’t lose heart and I’m learning to be okay with that. I’ll look you up too. Thanks for following 🙂.

Hi Bryan. I’m back 🙂. Are you surviving the hurricane season? Covid? I’m sorry to hear that it’s hit your country among others so hard. Thanks for your message about my dad. It was good to see him and all of my family. My mum is pretty stressed – she’s not young and it’s a lot for her to cope with. My siblings and their families all live close to them and are helping out a lot. I wish I could do more. The doctors are still giving him radiation and chemo, but both are to help manage pain, not curative. I’m sorry to hear about your dad’s surgery – that’s a big deal too. Just being there is probably the best gift you could give. I hope he’s recovered well.

[Bryan Mccabe]

Hello Deborah. I’m glad that you are back 🙂. Your drawings look good. It looks like you are figuring out how to draw heads and faces in small sizes 🙂 We haven’t had any hurricanes yet, just very hot temperatures and a Saharan sandstorm so far. My family is doing well dealing with COVID so far because we all listened to the precautions and wear masks, social distance, etc. The problem in our country, and especially in Florida, is that we have so many science deniers in both our political leadership and citizenry. It makes it very difficult for our state government to take any kind of decisive action on anything. That’s good that your siblings live close. Dealing with the realities of cancer is so tough. We live about an hour and a half away from my parents, so I get to see them and help out quite a bit. My Dad is doing better now. He was really lucky to have to his surgery before COVID got really bad in the hospitals.

[Jessica]

Hi Deborah! Glad you are back! Hope your Dad is feeling better. Really like your latest drawing showing the under structure at different angles.

[Debbie H]

Day 55: More contour head drawing – I’m not thrilled with yesterday’s work so kept at the same challenge of practicing drawing the head and particularly the face without measuring (same sketchbook page). This seems to be working somewhat better. I just need to keep doing it over and over until it clicks. Sorry it’s boring for you to look at, but I need to work on my weaknesses. I was wrong about my measurements yesterday – they were actually 7cm tall and approximately 5cm / 2″ wide each. Today’s ones are each 12cm / 5″ tall.

Thanks Bryan. Leadership issues are always very challenging. I do very much hope you and your family stay safe amidst it all and a vaccine is developed quickly.

Thank you Jessica. I’m finding this structured drawing very useful and it’s certainly showing me that I have a lot of work to do! I’m glad you like it. Thanks for your kind words about my dad.

[Debbie H]

Day 56: I decided to work on noses today, following Steve Huston’s lesson.

[Debbie H]

Day 57: More work on noses and a little on eyes. I’ll spend time rendering another time – I’m just trying to understand the contour forms at the moment and give some hint at shading form.

We know the face so well and yet when I come to draw it, I realise that I don’t know it at all…

[Debbie H]

Day 58: Time with Glenn Vilpuu’s head drawing lesson, communicating structure. I’m reading the book ‘Grit’ by Angela Duckworth for the second time. It’s a great book. She talks about deliberate practice, working just beyond the zone of your current ability. It’s hard, but it’s the road to improvement and I find that helpful.

[Bryan Mccabe]

Looks good Deborah. You are really getting good at drawing heads/faces from all different angles 🙂

[erikdennes]

Nice quotes.  Very inspiring.  That Glenn Vilpuu knows a few things about drawing.

[Debbie H]

Day 59: Using all of the structural knowledge I’ve been learning, I’ve decided to try doing a rendered portrait. I could only make a small start today, but feel good about understanding how to set up the head structure. Two months ago I wouldn’t have known where to begin.

Thanks Bryan 🙂.

Hi Erik. Yes, he does!

[Debbie H]

Day 60: This is all I had time for today.

[Bryan Mccabe]

Nice work Deborah🙂 Looks like you are handling a very tough position well. I like how you sectioned off the face into shapes. I’ve been doing that as well lately.

By the way, last night Gordon Ramsey’s show called “Uncharted” was on tv with an episode on Tasmania. Looks like a fascinating place.

[Debbie H]

Day 61: Progress

Thanks Bryan 🙂. The things I’ve learnt so far are helping enormously.

Gordon Ramsey was here?! David Attenborough did a documentary on Tasmania also, not too long ago. I’m glad you got to see a bit of my part of the world. Do you remember any of the places he showed? It’s a diverse place and quite beautiful. Our animals are pretty odd, but the people, I think, are reasonably normal 😂! I’ll post a photo of our view so you can see what I look at every morning 🙂. We’re on 5 acres, so you can’t see the neighbours’ houses, but they are there.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Debbie H.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Debbie H.

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