My Tutorial on Graphite

I started a Drawspace Tutorial a few days ago and thought it may be best to show the stages I went through. A fellow Drawspace Artist was kind enough to devote his talent and knowledge to refresh those who got away from doing Portraiture using the Grid System.. For years I did that and suddenly found that I was losing what I had learned by thinking I could just see it and know it.. .. Always good to know that we can go back, So far I am learning that I must slow down and look at what I am seeing.. What is really there and not what I want it to be,, The mind will fool the eyes.. getting back to a grid has been a good experience so far..

I will post as I go..

This is the portrait that we are using as a reference.. Marilyn Monroe.. Oh my all that darkness.. I shivered when I saw it.. So many stages to get there.

First stage was to copy the photo and draw out the grid ,, I used a one inch segment and the withing the one inch on the part that needed extra tightness I quartered them.. Around the eyes and nose and mouth areas..

Then to transfer those same grids on to a clean piece of drawing paper the same size.. and begin to draw it in  paying attention towhere the dark areas meet the light..

Here is where I got in to trouble.. I used a 4B wood pencil when I should have used a 4B mechanical Pencil.. I did not realize that the 2 were different in softness.. So my drawing came out a bit lighter than the teachers did,,, I continued on and will add to it in layers to get it to the darkness I needed.. I am just hoping that it doesn’t take away from the tooth of the paper before I get there.. Time will tell..

Next step was to lay in the dark areas not paying to much attention to detail.. that will come later.. Mind you mine was far too light at this point..

Next step is to smooth in the shading on the face using a Stump, a Tortillion, and a click eraser..I loved the effect but was so wanting to get it darker.. I will restrain and stay up with the others..

This is the second layer of the dark areas .. Now I am beginning to like what I am doing ..Finally !

The 3rd layer of Dark Areas and detailing of the hair and midtones, I am still working on the shoulder area so it looks a little funky right now.. I have gone through 2 #4B pencils.. Oh My.. !!

Doesn’t look like I did much more than the last one ,but trust me another half a pencil was used !! Ha .. Marilyn is done .. was going to sign it but it’s so dark I had to sign the back .. Great tutorial.. Thanks so much Poe..

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