Tiger- WIP Update

Well, I got a little carried away today while working on this painting and forgot to stop and take progress pictures.  I used all the same colors as the previous post an also introduced new colors to the painting.
The new colors were:
102 Cream, 165 Juniper Green, 168 Earth Green Yellowishh, 184 Dark Naples Ochre, 233 Cold Gray IV, 181 Payne's Gray, 230 Cold Gray I and 131 Medium Flesh.
I continued on with the fur and started added in the darker areas. I also started on the leaves.
Hope you like it!

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Tiger - WIP

This drawing is based on a fabulous photo used with permission from Woxy on deviantart.
This drawing took a very long time to get right and when I finally got it transferred to my working surface, for some reason I was afraid? to start the next step with this one but finally bit the bullet today and just started it.
It's been fully drawn out and transferred to the final platform  which is a 9 x 12 Sheet of Steel Gray Mi-Tientes Pastel paper since March 9th.  I will be using Faber-Castell PITT Pastel Pencils to complete it.
Ha, just realized it's been exactly two months since I finally finished the drawing. 
I haven't done any art on this color of paper and I've only completed two other pieces on colored paper so this is definitely going to be a learning experience for me.  

For some reason the scan of the drawing lightened the paper considerably.  Not sure why.  The second image is closer to the actual color of the paper.


I'm trying to create a step by step with this one so there will be a lot of pictures showing the progress.

Hope you like it!

 
Transferred Drawing:

The transferred drawing

I believe the eyes are the windows to the soul and I always try to capture that from the first pencil stroke.  
I want to get the expression and eyes accurate before I continue on with the rest of the portrait.
If you get the eyes right, the rest of the portrait just flows!
If the eyes are not right, I can't continue with the portrait!

Because I'm working on the Steel Gray paper and the eyes are mostly a light yellow, I started with an underlayer of 101 White and then added 103 Ivory. Marking in the highlight and filling the lower eye area with White then putting a layer of Ivory over the top (avoiding the highlight) and also starting on the white fur around the eye.  I put a little bit of the 177 Walnut Brown around the eye to start getting the shape and depth of the eyes in the very middle of the walnut brown I added a touch of 169 Caput Mortuum.

Next I brought a little 183 Light Yellow Ochre and 182 Brown Ochre into the eyes and added 177 Walnut Brown for around the eye and the under coat on the pupil. 
Using the 183 Light Yellow Ochre and starting at the top half of the eye and bring it down into the mix of the Ivory base gradually getting lighter with your pressure. With the 182 I did a light layer on the top half of the eye and lightly over the pupil. The 177 was then added around the eye and over the pupil. I used the 103 Ivory and the 182 Brown Ochre for blending the colors in a nice gradual gradation.
These eyes are less than an inch across so care had to be taken to not lose the highlight in the eyes.

Adding the color

I outlined the eyes in black, put black on the pupil and started branching out from the eyes. 
I try to create a gradation of light to dark to capture the spherical shape of the eyes and the depth under the eye is created by adding the gradation from dark and moving down the eye.  Stopping at the halfway point with the darker colors and blending them into the light colors.
The darker colors used in the eyes were also 173 Olive Green around the outside of the pupil  and 182 Brown Ochre. 
I added a touch of 140 Light Ultramarine Blue in the highlights to reflect the sky.

The markings are first done in the 177 Walnut Brown and then Black is put on top.  
To further enhance the black stripes, I added a touch of 151 Helioblue.
For the rest of the fur I've used 101 White, 103 Ivory, 183 Light Yellow Ochre, 182 Brown Ochre, 187 Burnt Ochre

Moving out from the eyes

Continually branching out from the eyes.
This is as far as I've gotten today. 

Today's Progress 5/09/2013

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Different pose

Not my usual subject but I saw this pose and wanted to see if I could accomplish it so the challenge was on to sketch and complete it. 
I worked on the hair for a little over the two hour mark.
This was done by building up the layers with three grades of graphite.  I started out sketching with an HB graphite pencil.  Next I started identifying the darkest areas and where the high-lights will be.  The darkest areas were refined using the 2B and then the 3B graphite pencils.
Using a brush, I brushed and softened the graphite in the direction of the hair, dark to light. 
Then to put in the highlights, I used a  blu-tac putty rubber.
Hope you like it!

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Two Day Sketch

Ha, this started as a two hour sketch and then I just had to continue it into a drawing because I was having so much fun getting the water right and then the fur and features.  There are a few things still not completely accurate with it but for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it.  The reference was from a fantastic FB site called Artist reference photos.  Nutty Binder provided the photo I based this off of.
Approx. size 6" x 7"
Graphite 2B-4B
Heavy Weight Drawing Paper
Hope you like it!

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Change of Pace

Well, this is definitely a different subject than I've been drawing and I totally screwed up the proportions on it but still played with it to practice new techniques.  Drew this freehand with mostly a a #2 pencil and then threw in a little bit of 2B.  It's not done but is as done as it's going to get.  I debated showing it but decided to show it warts and all!
Approx 9 x 12 on heavyweight drawing paper.

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Practiced Nostrils

Todays sketches were practicing the nostrils.  It's interesting how the nostrils change shape depending on the horse.  If they are nervous, their nostrils will be pinched and tight looking.  If they are excited their nostrils will be almost completely round and open as well as when they are trying to get the scent of something.  So, today I attempted to catch a few shapes that their nostrils will take on.
Hope you like them!

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Equine Eye study

I just realized I didn't post this last night.  This was a quick sketch of an equine eye. Nothing fancy, just used 2B-4B and my brush.
Hope you like it!

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More hoof and leg studies

Today's sketch was to add the other two hooves and legs to yesterdays hoof study.
WOW, I never realized that hooves would be such a challenge.  Even more so than bones and joints! NOW I know why a lot of people only draw the horses head or hide the feet in grass etc...
I know a couple of them have perspective issues but enough for this sketch.  I still need to draw the entire portrait and hopefully the next time I do these legs, I'll get them more accurate than this time!!
Hope you like my study!

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Hoof Study

Continuing on with my study of equine anatomy, here are a couple of less than two hour sketches that I completed tonight.  I wonder if I'm the only one that does studies like this.  I don't think so but I've never heard of anybody else doing this.  Am I over thinking things?  I want to be accurate no matter what size I draw or paint.
Do any of you do studies?  If so, what of?
Hope you like these hoof studies!

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More Anatomical sketches

I've been challenging myself to sketch more freehand.  No grid and no measurements.  So, this is what I've been doing for the last few days, training my eyes and hands. I've been working on getting all the anatomy correct on whatever subject I'm freehand sketching.  If the sketch isn't right, the final painting/drawing won't be correct either!  The last few weeks it's been equines.
Hope you like them!

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Quick Sketch

I wonder if I should start numbering these daily sketches.  This one started out with the eye and morphed quite a bit.  It's on my Heavy weight drawing paper and is approx. a 3" x 5.5" in size.  I was trying out some new styles and over all, I'm pretty happy with how this came out. As you can see, it's way to close to the spiral of my pad.
Hope you like it too!

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Tender Moment with Cow and Calf

I saw this lovely photo on FB taken by Book Family Farm and couldn't resist the challenge of a two hour sketch to try and capture the moment.  Then I needed to contact and get permission to be able to show it because of the copyright issues.  Just so you know, I did this sort of backwards.  Well, I was given permission and now you can all see it to :-)
This little calf was born on April 2, 2013 and is named Sage.  Mama's name is Ginger :)
The name they used for the photo fit so perfectly that I kept the same name. 
I really think I want to do a another one and spend more time on it but we shall see.
Introducing... "Wet Behind the Ears" two hour sketch.
Graphite approximately 10" x 7"
Heavy weight drawing paper
Hope you like it!

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Equine Ears

Today I practiced a little bit with drawing the equine ears.  This is an adorable little filly owned by a friend of mine.  I may actually draw this one bigger and not as a sketch in the future. This sketch was done with a #2 pencil on heavy weight drawing paper and is approx 1.5" x 3".
Hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed drawing it :-)

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