Request for advice - edited, WITH drawing ;)

[Ann1790 Profile]

Hi everyone,

I’m a newbie on this forum. I started drawing recently.
I began with a portrait drawing of a young girl, so 'close up' that I didn’t even have to draw hair
Then I did a close up of a part my dog’s head.
My 3rd and current drawing is a portrait of a man.
And I would like to have your advice, because once I’m done with the head, I will be stuck … because of his shirt

I used two reference photos.
1) a fairly good quality photo of the face with also a part of the shirt
but focus is on the the face, the shirt part is a bit of a blur …
2) a poor quality photo of the bigger portrait, including hair & rest of the shirt
shirt is all blur

Plus the shirt is as black as night; that doesn’t make it any easier.
When lightening with software, I can see a bit of texture (stitches on the collar) but that’s about it. Elsewhere, I can see change in values where the folds are.

Having zero experience, I’m stuck with drawing this part …

Also, because the rest of the drawing is in realistic style (or at least I try to), how do you cope with this?
Any suggestions?

Rgds,
Ann

here's a picture of the drawing

[Kenneth Reaume Profile Website]

Hello Ann1790, looking at the drawing - I personally don't see a lot that's 'wrong' with it at all. It's a lovey piece. It's also great to see a unique, spontaneous pose being rendered.

I personally would finish up the shirt as best as you can. Scan it and then experiment with the levels in a photo editing software.

In order to get better (for me anyway), I think it's important to finish drawings and learn from them so your next one will be even stronger.

Hope that helps! Great work btw.
K

[Mike Sibley]

First, I think you're doing a splendid job with this! From the creases in the skin and the way you've handled the hair I feel you were understanding what you were drawing - you were drawing what you knew about it and not just copying the reference.

Now use the same thinking with the shirt. It's a secondary element, so it doesn't need to be very accurate or sharp. You know from the shadow under his nose that the light is positioned above him, so picture the same light falling on his shirt. You already know where the creases and folds occur. If it's a white shirt (does it have to be black?) concentrate on the internal shadows. If it really does have to be black, tone it down a bit and concentrate on the highlights instead. Supply just enough information so we understand it three-dimensionally but not so much that it becomes a distraction.

Just remember, there's no reason at all why it has to look EXACTLY like the shirt in the reference. That includes the folds and creases, which no doubt altered from second to second while the photo was being taken. So use as much artistic licence as you need to

And if you're unsure... take Kenneth's excellent advice and work on a scan first.

[Ann1790 Profile]

Thank you Kenneth and Mike for your advice.
I guess I just need a little more self confidence in drawing...
I DO intend to finish the drawing. As Kenneth says, you always learn from it.
I am still at the beginner stage, but I guess that in drawing (or anything else), no matter the experience/age/etc, .. the learning process never stops.

And as Mike suggests, I will use artistic licence for the shirt .. I already used some for the hair as well
I'll probably go for a shirt somewhere in between dark & clear. I'm curious to see how it will turn out.

Anyway, I'll post the drawing as soon as it's finished
Thanks again !

[PogArt Profile Website]

Hi Ann , I do love your drawing too, because is detailed and very well mastered
I'm only willing to direct your attention to the glasses area.
What I can see is that, when I'm looking through glass of the glasses itself I'm unable to notice any of distortion...
It's giving me weird feeling that there's no glass in the frame but clear air... Do you know I mean?
The edge line of the cheek is not disrupted by the glass, it's going perfectly undisturbed throughout
I can see the glasses are very thin dear Ann but I wish I could notice a little bit disruption to give me an idea of the glass being fitted in that frame
It is NOT a criticism Ann
It's only some minor detail that I could notice waching your beautiful drawing !
Please forgive me if this is something you've drawn for purpose and with intention, as I don't know what you plan in next steps
I can see some interruption when I'm looking at the eyebrow, though
But again, the edge of the forehead line seems to be in one perfect line...
I think it would be better to give the viewer kind of imagination there is a real glass fitted in the glasses frame...
I'm new in drawings and still learning on my faults, so if other artists picking up something I did wrong, it's opening my eyes and it's helping me to understand better what I'm drawing
I am having though time when drawing, because many things I just don't know, and I'm guessing rather than know how the things should be drawn
But to get this experience, I need to learn by practising
I've drawn my friend who's wearing glasses...
The glasses are well thicker than yours, so I tried to drawn her eyes a bit magnified, because of the thicker glass, and I tried to make the light reflection below the glasses, just to give an illusion of the light reflected by the glasses, if that's making any sense
Again dear Ann, it's not critics, it's just some minor detail I've noticed watching your portrait
I just wish I could help?
Thank you
Can't wait to see when it's done

[mwgpe Profile]

Hi everyone,

I’m a newbie on this forum. I started drawing recently.
I began with a portrait drawing of a young girl, so 'close up' that I didn’t even have to draw hair
Then I did a close up of a part my dog’s head.
My 3rd and current drawing is a portrait of a man.
And I would like to have your advice, because once I’m done with the head, I will be stuck … because of his shirt

I used two reference photos.
1) a fairly good quality photo of the face with also a part of the shirt
but focus is on the the face, the shirt part is a bit of a blur …
2) a poor quality photo of the bigger portrait, including hair & rest of the shirt
shirt is all blur

Plus the shirt is as black as night; that doesn’t make it any easier.
When lightening with software, I can see a bit of texture (stitches on the collar) but that’s about it. Elsewhere, I can see change in values where the folds are.

Having zero experience, I’m stuck with drawing this part …

Also, because the rest of the drawing is in realistic style (or at least I try to), how do you cope with this?
Any suggestions?

Rgds,
Ann

here's a picture of the drawing

In my opinion, you are doing a fabulous job on this drawing. You say you are just starting out, but it does not look it from this drawing! Like the others said, don't worry too much about the shirt, make it what you want...maybe even lighter than what you say is black in the original. The face is the most important element and you seemed to have nailed it (very well).

I understand your hesitation of not knowing where to go. Sometimes I will edit the drawing in a program like Photoshop and play with different tones of grey to see what works best for the shirt and/or background. If not in a software program, then I will also redraw some area in pencil on another piece of paper to get an idea of what might work. You could then cut out the shirt on the second drawing and place it over what you have drawn, or I will do the same in Photoshop and meld the two images together. All to see what something will look like without touching the original drawing. These exercises give me the confidence to move forward on the original.

Just some more input, my 2 cents.

[Ann1790 Profile]

Oh dear, I'm a litte embarrassed now
As I didn't find the time to continue working on my drawing (and didn't look here either), I missed the two latest comments

Pogart, you are absolutely right about the glasses! How did I not see this ?
The outlines were done based on the large reference photo, where you can't see the distortion because of the low resolution (you just see 'digital blocks' there), but I should have seen this on the better photo of the face only ...
This week I'm going to MAKE time to draw and I will try to correct this.

And thanks for the tips mwgpe !

This is what this forum is about, isn't it ? When I ask friends or family, they all say it is wonderful, beautiful, etc...
That is very nice to hear, but I don't learn from that.
Thanks again

rgds
Ann

[PogArt Profile Website]

***This is what this forum is about, isn't it ? When I ask friends or family, they all say it is wonderful, beautiful, etc...
That is very nice to hear, but I don't learn from that.***

This is exactly what you can benefit while posting your work on this forum dear Ann
I used to post my very first drawings on my Facebook account, and I were receiving nothing else but 100% likes The critics aren't something I enjoy to read, it's actually making me down... But even though, I know this is the only way to learn I believe, if no one ever did critic my first drawings, I probably wouldn't ever improved my skills?!
I easily would keep dreaming my dream, that my drawings are perfect
They never been perfect and they will never be
I'll repeat myself with comparison to the martial art...
Even if you're master you never will tell you have mastered everything perfectly If you're already master you're working even harder to practice what you know, and to learn even more
I'm thinking about drawing like about way of the life.
There will be always something to improve with, and always some great challenge to take

Good luck Ann !!!