Can anybody learn how to do this? Yes, without a doubt.
The only absolute requirement is a dedication to
the craft, and a deep
rooted desire to learn.
Beyond that it is simply a case of determined practice.
And really what you are learning to do · is learning to see.
Surprisingly enough, it is not a case of learning to draw, but learning
to see clearly.
Because if you can see it, you can draw it.
One of the benefits of this vocation is that you do become more
conscious
and observant of everything in your surroundings.
You may forget birthdays and anniversaries, but you will certainly
remember
the minute details of what those individuals look like.
How did you learn? Well for starters, you must appreciate that some people
are self-taught, and some people learn from others.
There is nothing wrong with either approach.
But learning from others is definitely faster.
Secondly, no matter how much experience you may have,
you never stop learning.
And if you really enjoy something, I believe you actively seek sources
that will further your knowledge as well.
I certainly have to acknowledge the teaching skills of Mark
Tumber.
I have been studying with Mark for several years now and I am
grateful for the gift that he has very generously shared with me.
Mark has an extraordinary gift of observation · I continue to be
amazed at what he sees.
Please visit his site if you have time www.marktumber.com I also am constantly reading and researching other artists that are
devoted to this vocation.
I am a firm believer in acquiring knowledge from as many sources as
possible.
In my opinion everyone has a different take on the subject, and
everyone has their own specific skill or specialty.
In other words, with an open mind, you can learn something from
everyone. J.D. Hillberry is a master of texture and
has written a very insightful
book on the use of mixed media to create monochromatic
images
(thereās more to black and white than just graphite).
You might enjoy reading his book, ćDrawing Realistic Textures in
Pencilä.
His renderings of still life are exceptional.
He calls his work Trompe LāOeile which in our jargon means ćto
deceive the eyeä.
And he fooled me · I would recommend that you visit www.jdhillberry.com
I also think you should visit Terry Miller.
Terry is an artist with a gift for composition.
I was so impressed with his grasp of life · in my opinion he brings life
to wildlife art.
And I also enjoy the juxtaposition of man and nature that has been
used so effectively in a number of his images.
Make sure you visit www.terrymillerstudio.com
And finally I think you should visit Ryan Jacque.
Ryan is another artist that has an intimate understanding
of his
subject matter.
Both wildlife and portraits are executed with
consummate attention to
detail and composition.
I would suggest that you take
the time to see www.ryanjacque.com
As I said earlier you never stop learning.
This is a journey that never ends.
But itās still a lot of fun · and learning something new is always very
satisfying.
What Kind of Tips do you have? If I offered only one tip to an aspiring artist, I think it would be that
the subject should be accentuated.
By that I mean that the subject gains life with contrast.
Be bold.
I like a portrait that breathes · a portrait that has a luminescence.
I think most artists falter in terms of application of tonal value.
The failure of most work is that the image addresses the mid-range of
the value scale only.
In other words the image is bland and conservative.
The value scale runs from 1 to 10 for a reason.
Donāt be afraid to use a 10.
And while you are at it, look at what is happening within the shadows.
I believe that what really sets a picture up is the judicious use of the
values of 8, 9, and 10.
In my opinion it is these subtle details that magnify the realism of your
work.
Do you work from photographs? Yes.
And the more the better.
Because I will see different things in different pictures, that will help
me to compose the illustration.
I will work from either black and white, or color photographs.
What gives a better result · a photograph, or a picture? I know this may sound self-serving, but I believe that fine pencil
illustration will deliver more detail and realism than a photograph.
Why?
A camera will deliver detail on a set focal length. So the foreground
and background may be fuzzy. Thatās ok if we wish to achieve
atmospheric perspective, but not so good if you wish to see detail in
that fuzzy area.
And a camera flash oftentimes will wash out an area of the subject.
And again the detail is lost.
The objective of fine pencil illustration is to go beyond the realism of a
photograph and deliver the detail that may be missing.
What tricks do you use to see better? Experience is always good.
Itās very hard to beat experience.
But there are some tricks.
Itās surprising what you will see if you turn your work in progress
upside down, and compare it to the photograph.
For some reason, we tend to focus subconsciously · and consistently
· on a part of the work. And sometimes we miss the obvious. When
you look at the work from a different perspective it is amazing how
flaws will jump out.
Another technique that helps to identify an oversight is to create a
small paper picture frame with a 2ä square opening. This will block out
all other elements of a picture that may distract your attention, and
will exaggerate the small area that you wish to inspect. You can focus
on this specific area of the picture for tonal value, and line accuracy
(compared to the original) with absolutely no visual distraction.
And finally, I find that distancing yourself from the work for a period of
hours, or days, can highlight obvious problems.
How many hours did you spend on this picture? Although I donāt say it · the first answer that comes to my mind is
about 3 to 4 years.
Because it takes about that long to acquire the experience necessary
to tackle any projects of this type of detail.
However, if you were to pin me down, I would say that most projects
are months in duration, depending on the complexity of the picture.
And I guess it depends on how engrossed I become with the project.
Sometimes it seems that you could spend a lifetime on a project,
tweaking and tuning the detail.
At the end of the day, the real trick is knowing when to stop.
What materials do you use? Every artist needs to use that gray matter on the right side of their
cerebellum.
Thatās common to every artistic medium.
However, one of the benefits of fine pencil illustration is that any
additional materials required are minimal.
Unlike oil or water color painting where you need time to setup, and
then cleanup · pencil illustration requires very little preparation.
And quite frankly thatās what appealed to me.
I liked the idea that I could pick it up spontaneously, and basically
leave things when I wished · with no consequences.
Aside from the powers of observation I mentioned earlier, you only
need a series of graphite pencils, blending stumps, erasers (even anal
retentive personalities make mistakes), paper, and a fixative to protect
the final result.
Did I mention you need a lot of patience as well?
Specifically what pencils do you use? I like the Staedtler product and find that I can accomplish the majority
of my projects with 4 pencils.
I always use a 2B, B, HB, and H graphite pencil on a picture.
However, on occasion I will use a 3B, or even a 6B, to achieve a real
deep, penetrating black.
And sometimes I will use an F pencil to either achieve the gray tonal
value I want, or to achieve the level of detail that I need within the
picture.
Iām always experimenting with new materials, and new techniques.
I have collected a series of mechanical pencils that I use for intricate
details.
I found these tools essential for ćThe Engineerās Officeä.
And I have recently done some work with charcoal pencils.
I would like to try various blending media on future projects.
Thereās no end to this experimentation.
But thatās what makes this fun, because you never stop learning.
Do you accept commissions? I wish I had the time.
But, I find that I have little time left for commissions beyond my
immediate family.
And quite frankly, I prefer to use the balance of my time for projects
of personal interest.
Iād rather spend my time on subjects that appeal to me, and I
certainly hope that my interests appeal to you as well.
I must admit they are very personal in nature and I was either drawn
(if youāll pardon the pun) to the subject because I felt an affinity to the
individual and time, or I stumbled upon a striking photograph of the
individual that struck a chord with me.
What material do you use for the originals? My originals are drawn at a size of approximately 11ä x 14ä
on 14ä x 17ä
sheets of Strathmore Bristol vellum.
I like the heft and body of this 100 lb paper,
and the smooth finish is ideal for detail work.
I once made the mistake of working with lighter paper,
and was very disappointed to put a crease in the original
that I had just completed.
Lesson learned?
Use a paper that can take a lot of pencil work, and
a paper that can take a fair amount of handling.
How big are the copies? The copies are printed on 8 1/2ä x 11ä, 110lb acid free cardstock.
How many copies do you offer of this original artwork? I will only run 100 copies of each piece.
They are individually signed and numbered.
I will not offer more than 100 pieces.
Because I just don’t see how they would have any value otherwise.
How Much do You Charge for the Copies? The copies are $40.00 USD, including shipping
and handling.
Are all of your images for sale? I have to respect copyright.
And for that reason I have chosen to withdraw
celebrity images from my offering.
I certainly enjoyed drawing these individuals,
and I plan to do more, as you can see.
But in all fairness to the famous, I canāt market them.
However, you can see that I do have several wildlife
images for sale, and I do intend to devote more time
to this type of subject matter in the future.
You will see more Animal Kingdom images,
and I would like to tackle some nature studies as well.
Thereās certainly no shortage of material to work from.
The onus is on me · I just have to use my imagination,
and find the time.
Thanks for all your questions, and I hope to see you again soon.
