Mark and Mom

by Sharon
(South Africa)

This is no painting, just a drawing. I used different B-range pencils on this drawing. It is the first time I've drawn 2 portraits together on one page, and was this fun!

My observation-skills are developing gradually, and my confidence is raising, thanks to your tips, Delmus.

My personal photo-album (consists only of pencil-drawings)is coming on, and I feel so proud about it. The size of my portrait-drawings are A4, small but efficient. I used a "softer touch" on this drawing, as I want it to look sincere.

I included the reference photo for you to observe my drawing, accordingly. There was a time when I used to draw "hard" drawings, but realized afterwards, that the drawings did look "unfriendly".

Do you know that I've learned NOT to be so hard on myself, and to give myself credit when due?

All the critics has made me more stronger. Thank you!

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Editors Note: Hi Sharon,

"Just a drawing?" No, this is a nice pencil portrait of two very special people in your life. I can see the care for them within the work.

Because you haven't used any charcoal, the darks are not going to be as dark as they could be. Think about using these within your works as you can really make a stronger value range in utilizing charcoal within your pencil drawings.

One other bit too, hope you don't mind.

In the area's where your shading goes from light to dark will be some mid-ranges. Also in areas where you go from the white of the paper (your highlight) to a shadow, you will see a very light change of tone. If you do not use a "stump" or some other instrument to slightly smudge the graphite, you will be unable to get those very subtle shifts in shadow from light to dark.

Very experienced graphite artist's can achieve this effect with very hard pencils and very light strokes. For me, I like the stump or "tortilon" which is a cylinder shaped tool from rolled paper or some other material, that is used to smudge pencil marks.

I would also recommend, if you haven't already, to check out Cris's course found here Christopher Sia's Pencil drawing review. It talks about some of these issues.

The main thing about any portrait, capture a likeness. And you've done that here brilliantly. Anyone in your family and close friends that know these two will recognize them in your drawing!

Keep them coming for more!

Best wishes,
Delmus

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