Hair On My Hare

[28moons]

I welcome critique from all. I feel like I am over doing or under-achieving in the hair business! The ears are a challenge because references I enlarge on my ipad are not giving me any definition. Any suggestions or improvements to what I am doing wrong are appreciated. Thanks so much.

[Mike Sibley]

Could you post a larger image? This is about 288 pixels wide, and you can go up to 1000 here at DWM. I've tried to enlarge it a bit, so I can see the hair more clearly, but it hasn't helped much.

RENEE-HARE.jpg

I can see, however, that your thinking is correct. You appear to be correctly drawing the spaces between the hairs and not the hairs themselves.

For anyone not understanding the difference: if you draw the hair, you're drawing it against a white scalp. But in reality, the hairs cast shade on the scalp, so the scalp is always darker than the hairs. The reason why we can see each hair is because of the darker spaces either side of it. - and that's what you draw... the darker spaces. That leaves white hairs that you tone down later.

Coincidentally, I haven't seen a hare for a while. Then I was mucking out the donkeys yesterday, and driving the tractor to the muck heap and back, and I disturbed a lovely big chap. He ran the full length of the field before darting through the fence into the maize (corn) field next door.

[28moons]

Thanks so much! I hope this works. There is a piece of tracing paper off to the right with scribbles. I was feeling like I was doing too many hairs in the ears and that I was losing whites. Can you see this picture? One more thing... how to keep that chisel point chiselled? I keep flattening it out.

[28moons]

P.S. I love that the real hare made his presence known to you! What a treat.

[Mike Sibley]

I've delayed commenting on this because I'm fearful of creating more harm than good.

So, this morning I've finally arrived at the conclusion that... there is nothing I'd want to see done differently.

RENEE-hare2.jpg

What I initially saw as being potentially "hesitant" and "spidery" - that is, chopped mark-making rather than carefully considered lines - is simply your style and exactly what this drawing needed. And it's working remarkably well for you.

It's vibrant and alive.

And, it has to be said, realistically scruffy. I have no doubt the hare in our field - if I could have got close enough - would have truly looked just like this.

Now to your questions:

I was feeling like I was doing too many hairs in the ears and that I was losing whites.

You NEED to lose the white. Hares aren't white - other than the edges of the ears, a very few other places, and strong highlights within the hair - and even those aren't actually white.

RENEE-HARE-ref.jpg

Try this on a test piece first - DON'T RUIN THIS DRAWING! - recreate a bit of ear and then lightly layer it completely with 2H or similar. That will tone down the white and make the ear look far more solid. It will also make any TRULY WHITE areas a lot brighter.

I might have overdone this, but you get the idea...

RENEE-hare3.png

Now the eye highlight contains the only true white. The very light hair is brighter. And everything is more solid.

Also, in the right-hand ear, where the long foreground hair is over the background body of the ear... try to sharpen the edges of the light hairs as much as you possibly can. That will really push them forwards and create a lot more depth. Personally, I might have indented the final tapers - but I'm not sure if that would work well with your looser style.

One more thing... how to keep that chisel point chiselled? I keep flattening it out.

Simple... every time the edge wears off, turn the pencil through 180 degrees, scrub the flat face on scrap paper, and you'll restore the edge. With practice, you can do that intuitively without any break in your concentration.

Keep going - I'm loving it!

[28moons]

Thank you so much! I felt like I was over-working it with too much hair, but I am definitely going to take your advice and do some more work on this! I tried to indent the whiskers - a skill I still need to work on. I'd like to be tighter, but I'm going to accept that my style might dictate otherwise. I have a lot of drawing background, like sixty years with thirty years of neglect and starting over. I have to compliment you many times over because I have attempted many instructors and in all of my experience, you have put the most light on the subject of graphite. I am having fun. I am so happy that I found you, your book and your membership. I notice that the book is slightly different than the units here which means one thing -- they compliment each other. Let me get to work on this hair with less white.

[Laurene]

Just adding my 2 cents here, but I couldn’t agree more with Mike. I love your style! It suits this subject perfectly.

[28moons]

Thank you so much. I am working on the suggestions Mike has offered. I can always improve! It's great to be here in this community . Thanks again

[LindasPencils]

Oh, I LOVE this Hare!!