Just John

Lian is busy in Holland with domestic chores moving house and has been unable so far to do any drawing. So this week's gallery is just John's work and I will publish Lian's later once she has found time to complete her practice. 
This week's gallery has brought up the key issue of shading! 

To be fair we haven't covered this yet as a session in our lessons and will be doing so in a week's time. But it is true to say that shading is one of the most difficult skills to teach. 
Not so much how to do it but how NOT to do it!

So since this came up in John's comments of his work this week I have addressed it by example at the end of this gallery. 
Normally I don't change the content or quality of the drawings done by my students but I did so to one of them this week to give an example of my 'Bauhaus' style theory of shading which is 'LESS IS MORE'.

The first task was to draw a flower in a glass of water from an elevated position.
But, being completely enthusiastic about the idea,John ended up doing three views of the same subject...read his commentary below.

Arum Lilly #1

Arum lily in vase - #1 (1hr 10 m): Started without a frame and viewer, but soon realised it would go pear shaped! So within a frame I set out some key points, and then drew the outlines. Found the curves of the vase very difficult and did not get it right, but went back to the bottom of the vase later and corrected it. I amazed myself at the flower – perhaps a bit small but quite life-like, I think. Certainly easier than the camellia of 4 weeks ago!

Arum Lily #2

Arum lily #2 (55 min): The flower and vase were put on the supper table and I was mesmerized and just wanted to draw it again from another angle. Candlelight threw some lovely shadows on the petal, but were so hard to capture. And how do I get that feeling of the flower leaning towards me? Initially I was not going to include the vase – just the stalk – but the challenge of these damned curves got the better of me, but I ran out of space at the bottom of the page! The light refractions and shadows on the water are fascinating.

Arum Lily #3

Arum lily #3 (40 min): This is getting obsessive! Stood up to pack it in, looked down on the lily so it was much flatter, and … The shadows thrown by the stamen are fascinating but difficult. How do I capture the bright glossy yellow of the stamen? And how to capture the folds of the leaf?

'All in all my favourite of all of these drawings is the first one John. I know you had problems with the curves of the vase, but the simplicity of the lines and the excellent observation of the shape of the arum made it a lovely composition...and the refraction of the stem in the water of the vase. I have used the second image to show how less shading reveals more!'

Here all I have done is reduce the amount of line and shade on the front curve to suggest the structure of the flower, where you drew your correct contour line..remember that the line is there because you have observed a difference in light, so below the curve remains clear, representing the highlight while the shadow remains behind, up to the contour line you have drawn.
I also removed some of the lines at the top of the lily where the light would have reflected on the outward curve, but leaving enough shadow lines to indicate the funnel shape of the centre.

'

 Potting shed (1 ½ hrs): The most enjoyable drawing so far. I feel more confident in setting the sharp negative spaces, and also being freer with the more fluid lines of the bags and sacks.

At the back of the shed, in the gloom, was a folded-up white sun lounger – as I quite softly drew some of the obvious edges, the outline appeared, so I thought it best left at that to convey the rather vague outline in the gloom. (Good move, since you need to identify which parts of the composition should take precedence)

At the bottom left hand corner was the top of a sack, but it seemed to do nothing for the picture, so I erased it, stood a spray bottle in its place and redid that corner. Probably too left brain!

I’m not at all sure about the extent of shading – but the whole scene of the unlit shed is quite ill-defined. I loved doing the jumble of stacks of pots.

Hand whisk & tea towel (1hr 10 m): The folds and abstract shapes of the tea towel, and the shading of the pattern of the material, were really hard, and I think are a mess! 

I need help as to how to emphasise the firm, yet all-white, edges of the machine; in comparison with the smooth folds of the material. I think the machine alone would have been a nicer drawing!

OK so in this example John, I have made your shading blurred by blending the shadows rather than shading with pencil lines ( remember the q-tips?) And, since I don't have the still life in front of me I have suggested where the light would be and taken out the shading before the contour lines.
By blending the shadow you automatically suggest a softer fabric than the machine..therefore the machine looks cleaner and the lines are harder. To help with that effect I also erased any smearing on the surface of the mixer, which may not be on the original and may just be and artefact of the scan. But once you have done a drawing it is always a good idea to check for smearing and smudges and remove them with your eraser.

I hope that has been helpful.

Finally here are three lovely little sketches from three different viewpoints that John did from life. You can see the view in the photo below. He has been busy this week! 
Well done John.