[Beth Barnard]

[Beth Barnard]

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Kat,

Thanks so much! I’ve never seen that before. Now I’m hesitant to post what I did today, because I’m sure it will have the same problem, but live and learn, right?!!

I really appreciate you taking the time to provide the information.

Best,
Beth

[Beth Barnard]

Thanks, Kat!
i didn’t catch that! I’ll go back and redo it for my own personal growth. I think I’m going to try to do a clay bas relief of the piece to try to get the planes more integrated in my brain, so your feedback will be really helpful with that.

Cheers,
Beth

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Kat,

I did! This is Day 3, 4, & 5. I hope I can stick with it!

Thanks,

Beth

[Beth Barnard]

[Beth Barnard]

I’d like to start the 100 Day Art Challenge to try to improve my observational, drawing, and sculpting skills. I’d also like to see if I can begin to draw or sculpt from imagination. Eventually I’d like to gain enough confidence to try the Russian Academic Drawing. If it’s a day when I have little time or energy, I plan to do those quick one minute sketches or make “robot” figures from my imagination, but otherwise plan to do portrait or figurative work. The piece I’m uploading today is from Day 1 and 2.

[Beth Barnard]

I’ve decided to just hold off of sculpting for the next hundred days as I try a challenge of drawing something everyday. This is Day 1 and 2. I wish I could draw and sculpt, but I just don’t think that I have the bandwidth for both right now between Covid, work, and our current life circumstances. Eventually I want to try to do Russian Academic Drawing, but first I have to get more confidence and refine my shading. 100 days of drawing and on-line classes will hopefully help with that.

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Kat,

I clicked on your above drawing and was then mesmerized by all of your drawings! I only hope that I can eventually draw as well as you could draw on Day 1 of the 100 Day Challenge by the time I reach the end of it (if I ever start the Challenge), but perhaps you have given me motivation to try the Challenge. We’ll see.

Keep up the good work!

Best,

Beth

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Andrew,

I’m just learning more about drawing myself, so I feel a little brazen giving you feedback, but one thing I might suggest is to work with a naturally softer medium, like a number 2 or 3 pencil (graphite), so that you can create shadow without having to work so hard. I remember Iliya saying that it’s not about how sharp the pencil is, it’s how long the lead is, and he recommends getting a box cutter to be able to sharpen (lengthen) the lead. That way, you can draw more with the side of the pencil rather than the tip, and you can also purchase a paper stub, use a paper towel, or toilet paper to soften and smooth your strokes. As you gain confidence, you can get a sanguine or charcoal pencil which will also give you a soft finish and help with light and shadow. 

I hope that helps. Keep in mind that drawing will be a process rather than an event. You have a really good start. I bet you’ll be surprised where you’ll be a year from now. I’m still a novice in terms of learning about anatomy, but I found that taking an anatomy course was really helpful. I want to take another anatomy course from NMA, because I find that we tend to pick up different information from different teachers, and there is so much to learn that it takes a while to integrate the information. 

Keep up the good work and take care,
Beth

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Robert,

Just thought I’d mention that Glen Vilppu has some good videos on drawing gestures, circles, squares, and then cylinders to do figurative drawing. The cool thing in learning that (which I’m also trying to do) is that this technique allows you to create figures from your imagination. It also helps to study anatomy rather than solely drawing by what you visually see. I’m a novice at anatomy, too, but over time I hope to eventually do some anatomical drawings from the Russian Academic videos which I think will really help understand figurative drawings at a deeper level.

Hope that helps,

Beth

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Joshua,

Thank you! Each of your comments are spot on.

1. The increase in the twist of the spine looks much better in your drawing. I knew that I was doing something wrong, but I couldn’t figure it out. Thanks!

2. So…question: do you mean that the breast should be above the ribs rather than on the ribs? I suppose that’s an important distinction in terms of the age of a woman.  Hopefully I’ll remember that going forward.

3. Yep, she’s way off balance and I even tried to photograph her a little more upright but it didn’t help.

 

Thanks for the cast shadow reminder. Hopefully I’ll remember to follow the form with it next time.

I really appreciate your feedback and all of the responses. It’s helping me grow. I’m finding that as I put energy into drawing right now, I seem to have less motivation to put toward sculpting, but I know that if I just hang in there, it will eventually all come together. I never thought that I’d be able to draw from imagination but I can now imagine that as I learn more about gesture and anatomy, it will become easier. Previously I thought people either “had it” or didn’t, not thinking that drawing from imagination was something that could be learned. Thanks for helping me see that.

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Lizzie,

Thank you! By long and short poses, I guess you mean in terms of time. This was definitely a long one. I’ve tried doing some of the one to five minute drawings and I find that I tend to hate doing them, but I know they will ultimately help me, so I’ve got to get back at it. Thanks for the recommendation about Steve Houston’s classes. I’ll definitely look him up. I’m having fun switching between a number of drawing courses, because I find that I pick different things up from different instructors. I have done some of the early Russian Academic Drawing courses and am now doing Glenn Vilappo’s course. I think I’ll go back to the RAD course when I have a little more practice under my belt. I had some initial resistance to starting from scratch in that course, but am starting to understand and appreciate why the course is taught in that way. It will be worth it in the end. It’s nice to be able to slowly integrate so much information from different instructors. Thanks again for the feedback and the recommendation of the class and keep up the good work yourself! I’ll definitely look for it!

Best,

Beth

[Beth Barnard]

Hi, Elizabeth,

I can only imagine the time and energy that you’ve put into your drawings! Your detail is jaw dropping! I don’t know how long you’ve been drawing, but if this is what you can do at this point in your artistic development, you’re going to produce some really amazing work! Because I only have a general level of anatomy and beginning level of seeing and understanding light and shadow, all that I can say is that I hope that you keep posting your work. I’ll be on the lookout for it, because it is inspiring and gives those of us who are beginners, a level at which to aspire. I’m glad that Iliya has been able to give you more specific feedback at a level that your work deserves.

Best,

Beth

[Beth Barnard]

Thanks! I’ll check-out your link. I should have added to the eyes when I did the shadowing, but I didn’t have the right material to do that, so they don’t really mesh with the shades that are used. I think I should have also clarified the upper jaw-line better, but maybe next time. Thanks again for your feedback!

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