My Weekly Themed Sketch and Other Art Works

I like the contrast of the black and red against the lighter colors of the background. I haven't used color pencils in a long time and probably have spent too much time using school supplies for young kids (that are designed to not stain or be more of a mess than necessary!) so I guess I think of color pencil being light in shade. Or the kind of thing kids scribble with til the paper's ripping so doing a black bird would probably mean a nice big black crayon!
 
Pen and ink would be cool but very difficult unless you chose pointalism. Color pencils or pencil watercolor would be a wise choice as it could expedite the render and offer a fair upgrade in separation of the subject and melting of background.
Don't forget that I do a lot of washes with ink. It ends up being more like watercolor. I could probably get away with crosshatching the black.

I like the contrast of the black and red against the lighter colors of the background. I haven't used color pencils in a long time and probably have spent too much time using school supplies for young kids (that are designed to not stain or be more of a mess than necessary!) so I guess I think of color pencil being light in shade. Or the kind of thing kids scribble with til the paper's ripping so doing a black bird would probably mean a nice big black crayon!
I like them with a blender (see the 5 kitchen items somewhere). I use a fairly light touch but I can get some bold color if I lay down the layers.
 
A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series. I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.

1. The reference photo. I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.



2. Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them. Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.


3. Define the lines. I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance. Well, adult coloring books are popular!

I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet. The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.


Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.
Nice sketch, Charlie! I happen to like outlines - maybe not all the time, but in a sketch like this it would likely help with separation of the bird from the background. I don't know why that technique seems to draw the ire of some a artists and art teachers. Geez, van Gogh put it in your face! Fortunately, he went his own way and did his own thing.

You mentioned crayons, so I have to suggest oil pastels, since they're so similar. With colored pencils for details. Though I'm sure you'll make it look great with one of your famous ink washes.

Off to a good start ! :)
 
Thanks, everyone.
 
These are fantastic!


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Thank you. I'm sure I could do much better if I spent more time on them. New Year's resolution - more art.
 

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