Wolf Not in Colorado Yet

[JayS]

Hi Mike, I'm struggling with the light areas because I'm trying to draw them instead of working with negative drawing. I lose contrast because I used 6H to draw light areas instead of using H or HB to draw around the light areas and give them the contrast they deserve.

[Mike Sibley]

I'm struggling with the light areas because I'm trying to draw them instead of working with negative drawing. I lose contrast because I used 6H to draw light areas instead of using H or HB to draw around the light areas and give them the contrast they deserve.

I'm sort of wondering why you're doing that... when you know the solution?

That 6H shading is removing the possibility to use white in any highlights.

And you're gambling on softer grades finding any tooth to grab hold of in the 6H shading.

I can only talk about the way I draw, but working dark to light, and thus soft to hard, always works. The reverse has the problem of soft grades skating over hard. And working light to dark involves multiple layers (because you're constantly readjusting everything as the drawing darkens) and that leads to very soft, blurry, and overworked drawings.

[JayS]

Why is a habit of doing things even when conscious thought is wrong. So the habit requires redoing until the wrong is right. Thanks to you I'm learning. Here is some progress.

[JayS]

Several hours later....

[Mike Sibley]

By all means shoot me down in flames if I'm wrong. No, really... hit me with the HIMARS if I deserve it... but...

There are areas of very believable hair along the back, and on the tail. But the rest looks as though you're establishing the three-dimensional form first, before applying hair.

PROBLEM 1: You've adulterated the whites that you might need as highlights in the hair.

PROBLEM 2: That's not how we understand form. We understand it because of the highlights and shadows within the hair.

You appear to be shading the skin, which we simply cannot see. So, use the hair to describe the form. Just as you did in the tail.

[PogArtTi]

I do appreciate the effort you've put in, and challenge onto yourself to keep improving your skills JayS, but Mike is pointing out very interesting aspect of the way you're shading the form.
From my point of view, you are creating shapes, patches, and with your patches you building up, creating forms, which requires great skills, but at same time is less convincing for realistic look.
I did notice it long ago, but I did appreciate it as being your own unique style of drawing, rather than trouble you having - if that comes in sense JayS.
Following now this wolf study with you, I can see, this isn't your style, but the issue, that you are trying to improve?
I can see many geometry shapes involved in your artwork, I can see patches, that are looking more like geometrical forms, they're here and there, and like puzzles they're involved to make a form of this wolf...
These forms I'm mention, overkill the natural look of the fur of the wolf.
So if it isn't your unique style of creating your artwork, then I was misleaded of thinking it is JayS.
To make your artwork more realistic, you will need to get rid of those geometrical patches somehow - but I don't know how to achieve it?
We all are unique people, we all see things differently, I can not draw the way you do, so I bet it won't be easy for you to draw like somebody else?

[LindasPencils]

I can only talk about the way I draw, but working dark to light, and thus soft to hard, always works. The reverse has the problem of soft grades skating over hard. And working light to dark involves multiple layers (because you're constantly readjusting everything as the drawing darkens) and that leads to very soft, blurry, and overworked drawings.

yeah...nah... well, yeah, Mike is correct. But some of us LIKE drawing the other way around. I never go as hard as a 6h, but I will often begin my fur drawing with a 2h in line work first (not shading), sometimes over a selective light wash of color (keeping certain areas white), line in limited color, then switch up to a 2b to establish the darkest areas, again in line work. Then back to an HB or so. Pencils always super sharp and line only. I will only use tone as an F pencil circular fill over the top towards the end as required. See the post 'Sneak Peak' in this forum to see the results.
But it can be a more difficult way to draw if you are not careful and aware of where your highlights are needed - as I also seldom erase either. Or only very occasionally. And I also always establish my darks first, like Mike does... but being contrary, I like how the softer pencil lines will skip over the hard pencil lines. As I say though, my work is generally all line first, tone last.
Each of us has a certain 'hand' and way we draw, we learn from each other - Mike has taught me a lot - especially about establishing darks first - and I have taken his lessons and tried to blend them into my own style. By adding the darks early and working back I have learned to avoid the readjusting that multiple layers can cause. Like he says!

[JayS]

Greetings to Mike, Arthur and Linda...I hear you all. In scientific inquiry there are the questions of who, how, when, where, what and why. I will resist addressing the question of why as my answers will all be rationalizations. And the study of history produces the understanding that a person who has self-interest in a subject cannot be rational. In short it does no good to explain why as it is colored by self-interest. The much more productive question to answer is how. The question of what is also an important question to answer. The reference is primarily one of shapes defined by geometric areas. (to Arthur's point). The photograph does not reveal the shape and shading of hair in all areas. So I try to invent the dimensions. (to Mike's points). With each pass over an area, I try to define the shadows and highlights within the hair. It is really too bad that I don't have a real wolf. To be able to touch it would be wonderful. Linda's description of how she works is terrific. It helps me understand the way I am working that works against me. I begin with an outline of the shapes of the wolf. I then employ a process of successive approximation where I build up the areas to look like reality. In doing this I made a mistake in trying to define the hair with the 6H. It would have been better to shade shadows first. The second mistake is that when I work through an area I am ignoring the shadows. I need to rethink how I draw each area. It would also be to my advantage, I think, to pay more attention to the mid tones of the values. In short I'm working in ways that create too much evenness in an area. The places that work like the tail pay attention to the shadows.

[JayS]

More progress. The wolf hair is slightly improved. Beginning background.

[rideum51]

great start