"Tiger&Mystery Flower" - FINISHED

[PogArtTi]

Well, Annabel YES you can call yourself a Graphite Artist. Personally, I decided to be a pure graphite user, but incorporating carbon or charcoal doesn't mean you're not a graphite artist.

Thank you hhahahaaaa, good to know
I feel relief now , thank you Mike

[Mike Sibley]

This morning update of the photo, to see if the blue-ish tint gets lighter (whiter) when it [ArtGraf] is dry...
I can't see much of improvement, if any? Yes it is subtly whiter, I can see it, but should I carry on over it... At least now I know what to avoid.

I''m sorry you had to bin this but I fully understand. I also think you're going through the same process that I did, and you're not to be faulted for that.

You've tried more mediums than I did, but you're experimenting, and I think that's crucial to your development.

In the early days I tried Pen & Ink, then Scraperboard/Scratchboard. I moved on to graphite and mixed in carbon. Never charcoal though - it's far too messy!

As you found out with your ArtGraf, some things work for you and others don't. Eventually, I dropped everything except graphite. And I developed negative drawing to remove the need for erasers, gel pens, or acrylics for whiskers.

So, a hard lesson to learn, but you tried - it didn't work out - and you're stronger for knowing that.

I'll be back later after I've read the rest of this thread - but I've got a voice-over to record in the meantime

[PogArtTi]

but you're experimenting, and I think that's crucial to your development.
but you tried - it didn't work out - and you're stronger for knowing that.

Thank you again Mike.
Somehow I can see my problem cristal clear...
It's my will to learn some new, it had pushed me throughout multiple mediums, to find out later their positive and negative sides for my likeness.
I think this is why I just can't stick purely to the graphite medium only, because I have already been somewhere else... beyond that
It seems I'm eager to discover something new, that might work for me...
Even if it won't pay off (the tiger and ArtGraf).
As you kindly mentioned, I tried it, I know what the ArtGraf is alike, how to use it, dry or wet, and I know its blueish appearance too!
Now I can use it for my favour, at places I'd like to achieve this blueish effect.

You've mentioned negative drawing technique for whiskers Mike...
Just at the moment, when I'm hardly thinking how to make those loooong whiskers on my tiger...
I wish I could see how you'd proceed to draw them if possible Mike...
This lesson might be very beneficial for my future.
Thank you

[Mike Sibley]

... so I use Krylon workable fixative now. It has the advantage of letting me work after spraying if I want to... This works for me and I haven’t had problems with smudging. I never tried rubbing the drawing hard after spraying though.

Coincidentally, I'm about to try that - rubbing after fixing. Today I finished all the animation for the next YouTube/General video - FIXATIVE USES AND REMOVING SHINE. I still have all the action sequences to film and one of those is rubbing a fixed area with a tissue to see if it's actually fixed. I'm seriously hoping it won't pick up any graphite or the voice-over won't make any sense!

Artur, I can't help you with your fixative problem because I only use one (Winsor & Newton) so have no experience of others. I will be featuring four or five well-known brands in the video but not actually using them.

[Laurene]

I’ll be interested in seeing those results Mike, although now I’m also wondering if some of the special pencils that Artur is using (like the 9B) will tend to smudge and lift more than say a 2B burnished with a HB and a 2H.

[Mike Sibley]

You've mentioned negative drawing technique for whiskers Mike... Just at the moment, when I'm hardly thinking how to make those loooong whiskers on my tiger... I wish I could see how you'd proceed to draw them if possible Mike...
This lesson might be very beneficial for my future.

The long whiskers... I'd indent them, just as you've done. Nothing else produces such clean parallel-sided lines. That said, I would have left the area you've just completed in the mouth until much later - when I no longer needed to put my hand on that area to work elsewhere. Like Linda, I tape a bit of card across such areas if I have to rest my hand on it. I could also fix it, but I never do. I just fix on completion.

The only video I have at present that includes negatively drawing hair is Linda's RILEY.

No whiskers, but 99% of the hair is negatively drawn. That is, all my pencil marks represent dark gaps between hairs, not the hairs themselves. But you already know how to that, as your Tiger shows.

NEGATIVE DRAWING: I'm heading in that direction. The next three videos will cover Negative Space, and then there will be three on Negative Drawing, including part of a dog. Later (5 videos later) there will be four videos on drawing hair, all using negative drawing.

[Mike Sibley]

I’m also wondering if some of the special pencils that Artur is using (like the 9B) will tend to smudge and lift more than say a 2B burnished with an HB and a 2H.

That's a very good point. Because 2B is the softest I use, I'd not thought about the effect of fixative on softer grades.... But I soon will

The script says I'll be using 8B for the shading. I'll fix that. And then rub with a tissue to see if any can be removed. I'm hoping none can, of course, or I'll have to alter the script and re-record the voice-over

[PogArtTi]

Coincidentally, I'm about to try that - rubbing after fixing.
I'm seriously hoping it won't pick up any graphite or the voice-over won't make any sense!

I'm afraid you will pick up the graphite
Have you checked yet the photo of my finger, where I picked up the graphite from the varnished tiger? (Scroll the page 2 to find it, or actually I'm going to post it below again for you ).
I did discover it coincidentally, and it has shocked me, because I didn't expect that happen!
It's three layers of Lascaux Fixativ, the drying time after each aplication was for at least over an hour.
The next day after fully settled varnish I picket the graphite up Mike

Artur, I can't help you with your fixative problem because I only use one (Winsor & Newton) so have no experience of others. I will be featuring four or five well-known brands in the video but not actually using them.

It's ok Mike, can't wait to watch it!!!

[PogArtTi]

Today's efforts
Just building up the layers of the fur...
Slow process

[PogArtTi]

"...until much later - when I no longer needed to put my hand on that area to work elsewhere.Like Linda, I tape a bit of card across such areas if I have to rest my hand on it. I could also fix it, but I never do. I just fix on completion.

Dear Mike thanks a lot for keen advice about it, but you probably haven't read my answer to Linda's kind advice of this matter on an earlier post somewhere...
I'm actually drawing having the paper fixed vertically, so I never rest my hand or anything on the paper, so I don't need to worry about it...

The only video I have at present that includes negatively drawing hair is Linda's RILEY.

I will check it out just to refresh my memory
Thank you!!!

NEGATIVE DRAWING: I'm heading in that direction. The next three videos will cover Negative Space, and then there will be three on Negative Drawing, including part of a dog. Later (5 videos later) there will be four videos on drawing hair, all using negative drawing.

Can't wait