tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315455977176118592012-01-27T19:04:14.921-07:00Blog of pencil and charcoal artist Heather Ward.<br> Comments about new and upcoming work, <br> book reviews, and tutorials.Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.comBlogger2541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-79726507470204741692012-01-27T19:04:00.000-07:002012-01-27T19:04:14.930-07:00

Last post I showed the two new wonderful slabs of wood I am going to be using on my next project. I have almost finished the sanding process (much longer than I thought, but a vital step), and have accumulated all the hardware I need for that "surprise part" I was talking about. The problem is, I need a drill press to finish the job, and was really hoping someone nearby would let me borrow one

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-82316941242305080442012-01-13T15:53:00.000-07:002012-01-13T15:53:25.897-07:00

These are two of my three new pieces of wood. The third is similar but much smaller and with a cut edge on one side (that will probably be my practice piece). These two are both 19"x24.5"x1.75" and pretty heavy. The wood is maple, which usually has a nice, light color well suited to pyrography. Where these cuts are unusual is that they are burl. Burl has no grain. It is kind of like a tumor on

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-35480582354363751422012-01-12T21:51:00.000-07:002012-01-12T21:51:07.734-07:00

Yahoo! Finished. I am very happy with how this woodburning turned out. I currently do not have a title for this work, but the original and prints are available. My next project will be another pyrography on a much different type of wood. Once I finish getting the wood prepared, I will post a photo and write a bit about it.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-42976022296605608952012-01-10T15:02:00.000-07:002012-01-10T15:02:00.952-07:00

Progress on the giraffe. The leaves are actually pretty easy, as my bent spear shader is leaf-shaped. I have actually made a bit more progress than this, and the next post will be the finished piece!

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-10063192144826486862012-01-05T09:30:00.000-07:002012-01-05T09:30:44.368-07:00

I just finished the art book I started a couple months ago. The book was 20 pages long, and since I didn't have time to do the full-detail drawings I usually do, I worked on my sketching. Below are a few more of the sketches from my "cycle-of-life"-themed book. Now I will ship the book to the CIAO Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming for an exhibit.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-6434412349533521382012-01-02T15:17:00.000-07:002012-01-02T15:17:47.670-07:00

Happy New Year! I have been working hard on this one, and I am quite happy with how it is coming out. The textures in a giraffe are amazing, I never really noticed before. After I do his right ear the head will be complete, then I will continue the neck and the background. Burnin' away!

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-3404211093294007702011-12-21T11:51:00.000-07:002011-12-21T11:51:37.917-07:00

I have done quite a bit more work on the giraffe so far this week. It is really starting to take shape. For most of the short hair, I am using the ball nib, and for the longer hair I'm using my go-to, the extra small round skew. For shading, I have used the spoon shader, though I think the flat shader will make an appearance soon, too.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-28663657393025715242011-12-16T20:15:00.000-07:002011-12-16T20:15:17.833-07:00

This time of year is so crazy! I have been busy with a lot of personal tasks and am finally finding some time for drawing again. This is the start of the giraffe pyrography I have been planning for several months now. The size is 11"x14", and this photo is only the small part of it that I have been working on. More to follow soon, I promise!

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-88256374461150780712011-12-08T11:50:00.000-07:002011-12-08T11:50:39.095-07:00

I now have two miniatures for sale, the silverback (charcoal) to the left and the merlin (graphite) below. Both are standard ACEO size, 2.5"x3.5", and come in a protective plastic sleeve. I will have them both available as cards soon, too. Please email me (link on the right sidebar) if you are interested. Cards are $5.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-17246916978328627752011-11-22T11:04:00.000-07:002011-11-22T11:04:01.265-07:00

Now you can have several of my drawings in less traditional form. I have just opened up a Zazzle shop with phone covers, mousepads, greeting cards, and more. Surf on over to my store under the name WildlifeDrawings. They make great gifts!

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-55102922100175332032011-11-20T20:37:00.000-07:002011-11-20T20:37:21.792-07:00

In time for the approaching holiday season, I have lowered my prices for open edition prints and calendars. Giclee prints can be purchased directly from Fine Art America on your choice of paper, canvas or acrylic. Several are also available there as greeting cards. Calendars can be purchased through RedBubble.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-17181466518475364082011-11-20T20:24:00.000-07:002011-11-20T20:24:35.641-07:00

I just finished this commission of a little chihuahua. It is 8"x10" and done in charcoal. I have space available for one or two more commissions before Christmas. If you are interested, please email me at wildlifedrawings (at) gmail.com or visit my website commission info page.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-31365394684014156352011-11-02T11:48:00.000-06:002011-11-02T11:48:22.862-06:00

I am currently working on a small, but also large, project. The Ciao Gallery in Wyoming will be hosting an exhibit of art books, in which I am participating. The books themselves are small, about 8.5"x5.5". There are 20 pages to fill, and each artist chooses a theme from which to work. I chose "The Cycle of Life." These are the first three sketches I have done. I started with a pregnant gorilla,

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-7399657041753199312011-11-02T11:37:00.000-06:002011-11-02T11:37:26.366-06:00

Admittedly this is a couple days late, but I wanted to show off this year's Halloween pumpkin carving. Instead of the usual flying creature, the bat, I went with something that would take advantage of the orange glow: the monarch butterfly. When carving a pumpkin, it is important to cut out pieces in the right order. Start with the smallest first. In this case, I had a ton of tiny dots. Those

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-46367950785576795052011-10-27T10:12:00.000-06:002011-10-27T10:12:24.380-06:00

I don't have a lot to show right now, but I am working on two new projects. The first is a pyrography of a giraffe (got a great photo at the zoo a couple weeks ago). I have the layout sketched on the wood, but I have a bad cold right now and can't work on it - burning fumes plus runny nose is not a good combination. The other project I recently started is a sketchbook. The CIAO Gallery in Wyoming

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-34949719917618535882011-10-13T08:04:00.000-06:002011-10-13T08:04:00.516-06:00

This is a recent commission of two Siberian huskies. The one on the left is a red and white with light blue eyes, about two years old. The one on the right is a black and white with one blue eye and one brown eye. He is a few years older. This drawing is 8"x10."

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-75109800055807400962011-10-04T21:12:00.000-06:002011-10-04T21:12:21.482-06:00

The old lion is finished. That mane sure took a while! I do like pyrography but it is hard to do with the weather getting colder (meaning: closed-up house, less ventilation). I hope to get at least one more done while the weather is good. But first, I have another dog portrait commission! Prints are available.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-53756904833968165822011-09-25T16:35:00.000-06:002011-09-25T16:35:49.056-06:00

I have started working on the mane. I'm using primarily the flat shader for this step. The right side still needs to be darkened.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-13423574622877625322011-09-15T09:48:00.001-06:002011-09-15T18:03:20.723-06:00

I will be the first to admit I don't like this picture. I think it looks crooked, that the mouth is too big, and a host of other problems. However, this is still in-progress. Now that the face is blocked in, I'm going to go over it and increase the shadows to give it more dimension. Pyrography is fun, but un-erasable. You can make things darker but not lighter, so it's best to err on the light

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-54698760069538792942011-09-12T19:19:00.012-06:002011-09-12T19:19:00.045-06:00

I made a bit of progress on the lion. At this point it is pretty much obvious that the scars play a dominant role. So far I have used the spoon shader for the eyes and nose, the extra small round skew for most of the fur, and the writer for the short muzzle fur. To see what these nibs look like, please see my earlier post on pyrography tools.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-85738103918792035752011-09-09T11:44:00.000-06:002011-09-09T11:44:11.651-06:00

This pyrographic piece has been sitting in the back of my mind for ages now. I haven't done pyrography in so long I figured it was time! This will be a male lion.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-30517328897760514132011-09-02T16:30:00.000-06:002011-09-02T16:34:14.363-06:00

Here is the completed Alaskan malamute portrait.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-38449499327089126232011-08-31T15:44:00.001-06:002011-08-31T15:44:19.038-06:00

This is a drawing of a friend's beautiful Alaskan Malamute. He is about nine years old (the dog, not the friend). This is not a commission, I just wanted to have a dog drawing on hand.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-21615781687383764392011-08-29T13:48:00.000-06:002011-08-29T13:48:34.682-06:00

I am quite honored to be able to announce that my recent drawing Evicted has been featured on the Scientific American blog Symbiartic, a collection of science-related or -inspired art.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-38711497477555260652011-08-26T11:28:00.000-06:002011-08-26T11:28:12.059-06:00

This drawing is based on my recent experience with a wildfire. The background is based on reference photographs I took of the fire the day it started and the day we were allowed back into town. While my town was spared, many houses in neighboring areas were destroyed. Wildlife were also hard-hit by this, the largest wildfire in state history. Animals are coming into town looking for food. There

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-12558099752620773122011-08-23T21:43:00.001-06:002011-08-26T11:31:43.527-06:00

The bears are in place but still need work. I'm also adding a little to the background here and there to give it more depth, and I ended up putting the grass in with a brush instead of a pencil. My next post will be the completed drawing!

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-10600249660812369562011-08-17T11:11:00.000-06:002011-08-17T11:11:34.835-06:00

Here is my progress on the wildfire drawing. With the exception of the four large trees, the entire thing so far has been using paintbrushes or the chamois to apply charcoal powder. I used the chamois for the sky and smoke, the round-tip brush for the foreground trees, and the angled brush for the tree trunks and burned mountain trees. The foreground will be grassy, which I will probably do with

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-61421081870360652512011-08-12T16:18:00.000-06:002011-08-12T16:18:39.601-06:00

I know the saying is usually the other way around, but in this case it is true. I often get ideas, or inspiration, from things I see. And what could be more inspiring than witnessing Mother Nature in one of her more violent forms? I was recently evacuated from my home due to a wildfire. Even after they let us back, the fire raged for weeks. It is entirely contained now, but I doubt it is

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-58524280037743384722011-08-09T11:21:00.000-06:002011-08-09T11:21:31.397-06:00

The client who commissioned this drawing gave me permission to post the final lab portrait, so here she is! If you are interested in a commission, please shoot me an email or check out my commission info page.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-89744712864910110682011-08-01T07:13:00.004-06:002011-08-01T07:13:00.921-06:00

Oh, how I wish I could show the finished lab portrait! But it is going to be somebody's birthday present so I'm going to wait until the end of August to show it here. Tomorrow it is being shipped to Florida.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-74630146715110246692011-07-26T20:33:00.000-06:002011-07-26T20:33:30.241-06:00

Here is the chocolate lab portrait I'm working on. I had to make a few changes from the reference photo (namely moving the right ear into place), but it's coming along nicely.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-79754354760074451112011-07-18T21:33:00.001-06:002011-08-01T10:57:59.935-06:00

Here are the siamangs all finished. I have an idea for a bear scene I'm tossing about in my head, but first I have a commission to do of a beautiful chocolate lab. Siamang prints are available.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-24860227240999512882011-07-14T08:21:00.000-06:002011-07-14T08:21:01.313-06:00

After some more work on the siamang gibbons the past few days, this is what I have so far. The second one is nearly finished. I want to add a few more foreground leaves, then finish off the gibbon's hands, then I will add in some background. I'm working on editing a new video of me drawing the second siamang, taken over my left shoulder this time. If I can figure out how to condense it, I'll get

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-77785237479991811732011-07-11T16:13:00.000-06:002011-07-11T16:13:30.163-06:00

I finally started a new drawing this past weekend after returning home from my evacuation. This will be a pair of siamangs in a tree. Siamangs are a type of gibbon, the largest gibbon in fact, and live in pairs mainly in the rainforests of Sumatra and Malaysia. Every mid-morning, they do a series of calls from the treetops to see (or, rather, hear) where other siamangs are and to announce their

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-56037945574087174142011-07-03T21:20:00.000-06:002011-07-03T21:20:00.687-06:00

After being evacuated for seven days, I'll be heading home tomorrow. The fire is only 19% contained at this point, but it has moved far enough from the town that there is very little chance of it coming back. The light rain we have have had the last two days has certainly helped the 2000+ people working on putting out the fire. However, because the fire is still burning actively, the air is still

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-13581943995544940392011-06-27T22:06:00.000-06:002011-06-27T22:06:32.399-06:00

There is a rapid-spreading wildfire threatening my town. It started yesterday and already has grown to 50,000 acres, forcing evacuation. I am staying about 2 hours away, but I will not have access to any of my work for an undetermined amount of time. Here's hoping my originals and the rest of my house will still be there when I get back.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-34281784758684125612011-06-22T22:19:00.000-06:002011-06-22T22:19:58.879-06:00

So here she is! I can't believe that the year is almost half over and this is my first charcoal drawing of 2011. I will be offering limited edition prints of this one.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-35507611212663237782011-06-20T13:49:00.000-06:002011-06-20T13:49:59.908-06:00

I've sold two pieces in the last two months. The first was the Bobcat drawing from a couple years ago, who found a home in New Jersey. The second was the recently-finished Maroon Lightning Clownfish, which will soon be on its way to Florida after the exhibit is over.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-35139221386980136532011-06-20T13:42:00.000-06:002011-06-20T13:42:58.853-06:00

I did a bit of work today on that leg. It was a slow process of building up the background value, then adding the dark wrinkles, then taking out highlights with the kneaded eraser. It has a little more work to be done, then I can move on to the shoulder area and finally the ear. I don't know why I saved the ear for last, I was planning on doing the bottom right corner last. Not everything

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-88202107358268538242011-06-16T22:04:00.000-06:002011-06-16T22:04:28.287-06:00

I've made a bit of progress on the elephant. My reference photo doesn't include the trunk, so I think I have a bit more work to do on that, but I think it is going pretty well so far.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-76740820182901884122011-06-12T13:17:00.000-06:002011-06-12T13:17:42.903-06:00

This is the start of the elephant calf drawing. In the previous post I showed how I did the daisy with a frisket. I'm using charcoal powder on a chamois to apply the background and the base coat of the elephant. I started in with the eye with the 6B charcoal pencil, a very small blending stump, and the kneaded eraser. I am also using the indent technique to get the eyelashes and hairs visible.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-23794704366368428052011-06-03T10:39:00.000-06:002011-06-03T10:39:46.619-06:00

It has been a long time since I posted a drawing tip, but I want to share with you the benefits of using frisket. I first heard about it in the book Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil by JD Hillberry. At the time I thought it was an interesting technique, but never thought I'd use it. Frisket is a clear, sticky paper that you cut into the shape you want and put on your drawing. Once there, you

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-77656270300893761362011-05-26T09:34:00.000-06:002011-05-26T09:34:26.715-06:00

I've started a new drawing, though it is still in layout phase so I don't have a photo yet. There is a baby Asian elephant at my local zoo, and when she was about one year old I finally got to see her and take several photos. I'll be using one or two of those photos (not the one you see here) as references for this drawing, which will be in charcoal.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-20710958892170881432011-05-10T17:22:00.002-06:002011-06-01T11:35:42.065-06:00

Last time I wrote about the Fill-A-Frame event hosted by my local frame shop. I picked out a frame and had to make a drawing to fit it. Choosing a subject for this maroon and black frame was hard, but I came upon the maroon lightning clownfish. I figured the fish was appropriate not only for its color, but also for its size - the drawing is 5.8" x 5" (colored pencil). They will have an exhibit

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-59440172424904241822011-05-03T21:17:00.000-06:002011-05-03T21:17:19.608-06:00

Sometimes life seems to get in the way. My kids have been sick off and on for the past few months, and we decided to start a mega-spring cleaning of our house (about a month into it, we are only half-way done). I still try to get some drawing in when I can. The commission is temporarily on hold per request of the client, but I do have another project I'm working on until I can resume that one.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-12550550606827995082011-04-08T22:13:00.000-06:002011-04-08T22:13:03.841-06:00

I've been a little absent from the computer lately, but the reason is I've been working on a new commission! This one will be considerably different from most of my work, but I am excited about the challenge. The client is looking for a collage of sorts of different Australian animals and trees in black and white. I'm almost done with the layout, but I won't be posting any in-progress photos.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-89534091895015062972011-03-25T21:44:00.000-06:002011-03-25T21:44:52.482-06:00

I recently purchased a pad of Hahnemuhle velour paper to continue to experiment with it. The pad is 9.4" x 12.6" and comes with one sheet of each of ten colors. There are mostly earth tones, which is great for animal drawings. I pulled out this black and thought the white rooster (from a local farm) would contrast well, looking like he's stepping out of the coop in the early morning. It was

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-78573866753182956382011-03-25T21:30:00.001-06:002011-03-25T21:45:43.857-06:00

It's hard to believe it has been a month since my last post. I've been sick and had two sick kids, then my computer's video card fried and I had no access to the computer for nearly a week until I got a new one. But in the meantime, I did finish the Highland bull as well as another, smaller pastel painting of a rooster. This painting is the same size as the jaguar, roughly 25"x19". I do love

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-16957566707396521272011-02-26T15:02:00.002-07:002011-05-03T22:32:24.269-06:00

If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I have no art background. I am nearly entirely self-taught; I learn by experimen-tation and by reading books. I like to share the books I have and find helpful with the hope of helping other artists. James Gurney is the creator of Dinotopia and author of the blog Gurney Journey. I was drawn to this book because of the cover

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-37841987587102686882011-02-22T21:02:00.000-07:002011-02-22T21:02:17.825-07:00

The Highland bull is nearing completion. I've mostly finished the bull itself, but I need to work on the grass and sky.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-41775056570541367692011-02-15T15:05:00.000-07:002011-02-15T15:05:31.008-07:00

On the drawing board: a highland bull, my first farm animal. I'm back to the Mi-Teintes paper for this one (the color is that orange spot on the right). I wanted to get to that coat so much I started it before the background. I'm going to finish the trees and grass before I complete the bull.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-63425416933519862622011-02-10T22:15:00.001-07:002011-02-10T22:19:25.118-07:00

I'm still testing out the water when it comes to pastels, but I want to share what I've learned about the three types of paper that I have used: Wallis sanded paper, Canson Mi-Teintes, and velour. Wallis: I took a class on pastels several years ago, before I really got into drawing. The instructor said that a rough surface is best for pastels because the tooth really holds the pigment. Wallis is

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-57707034779539230782011-02-10T21:06:00.000-07:002011-02-10T21:06:53.455-07:00

This pastel painting was intended for me to practice drawing fur and also to try out velour paper. I'd like to say that I believe both were a success. The velour paper was perfectly suited to painting the soft fur of the wolf. In fact, I just started laying out another painting on "regular" paper and I don't like it nearly as much. Velour is much more expensive (about $6 for this one 19.5" x

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-46468703782905786782011-02-08T20:18:00.000-07:002011-02-08T20:18:22.713-07:00

I'm quickly getting the hang of the process involved in painting. This is going remarkably fast considering how big it is. I might even finish it by tomorrow! I'm sure that the velour paper is mostly the reason for this. It is so soft and takes the pastel so well.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-48007383568697601302011-02-07T10:33:00.000-07:002011-02-07T10:33:52.816-07:00

I recently started this wolf pastel painting, based on a photograph from Jason Morgan (used with permission). By the recommendation in a book a have by Lesley Harrison, I am trying out velour paper. This one is light gray and approximately 21"x27". I was unsure of the paper at first. I used up nearly half of a half-stick of pastel just filling in the dark area at the top. However, when I started

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-34263352427240102052011-01-21T22:06:00.003-07:002011-02-10T21:11:49.167-07:00

At last, I can call this, my first pastel painting, complete! The official dimensions are 25.25" x 19.375" and I've been working on it since late October, about three months. I guess I like to dive right in when learning a new medium. I never did spray the bottom layer as I was planning, but it didn't seem to need it. I used Rembrandt soft pastels for, well, almost everything except the fur and

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-66552431995178727032011-01-17T11:34:00.000-07:002011-01-17T11:34:41.771-07:00

I almost forgot to post this, but my penguin drawing was accepted to Infinity Art's Animal Art Exhibit, which runs now through (I believe) Feb 15th, online only. Do check it out, there are many great pieces.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-88631155265382559452011-01-11T10:45:00.000-07:002011-01-11T10:45:54.304-07:00

In the past couple weeks I have been much better at managing my time, so that I now have about an hour every evening to draw. I've been working mostly on the background of this piece, and I only have the upper right corner to finish. Then I'll finish the back end of the cat, then the log he is sitting on, then the foreground leaves. Then it'll just be touch-ups here and there. I hope to have

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-85904166336097224902011-01-02T17:04:00.000-07:002011-01-02T17:04:28.549-07:00

I'm not usually one for making a list of resolutions, but I guess it's only natural that I find myself looking forward to the coming year. What have I done this past year, and what can I do next year? 2010 was pretty busy for me. I had two solo exhibits plus the birth of my son (now five months old already!). In the early part of the year, I worked on expanding my charcoal drawings to be more

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-42992126375637253882010-12-11T21:29:00.000-07:002010-12-11T21:29:57.256-07:00

Slowly but surely I am making progress on the jaguar painting. I finished the base layer (decided not to spray it with fixative) and have started adding detail. I'm working mostly on the background but have also started some of the fur around the eye. I only wish I had planned out the area behind the fern a little better. For the foliage, I am using mostly the soft pastel sticks, and for the fur

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-62830153337041240932010-11-04T11:36:00.000-06:002010-11-04T11:36:12.805-06:00

The jaguar is really coming along. The base layer of the body is nearly finished, and I have made significant progress on the background. The orange paper is actually helping with the fur. All that's left for this first layer is the other paw and the log he's sitting on. I'm really enjoying working on this so far.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-2170370639042204352010-10-28T16:32:00.000-06:002010-10-28T16:32:21.391-06:00

Things are still crazy as ever here. My little boy is just over three months old and starting to take longer and more predictable naps. Which means... I can actually get some drawing time in! I started this drawing this week - it is a jaguar in pastels. I am using a pale orange 19"x23" sheet of Canson Mi-Teintes paper. I chose the color because I thought it would be a good base for the jaguar,

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-2845104831057803372010-09-23T14:28:00.002-06:002010-09-23T19:47:11.210-06:00

tiger Given that I don't have time for drawing these days, I thought I'd try to keep my drawing skills sharp by actually using my sketchbook. I've been going through my zoo animal reference photos and have been doing quick 5-minute sketches in ink. Here are a few of them. snow leopard cub lion

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-81199942416249484872010-09-02T16:11:00.000-06:002010-09-02T16:11:49.503-06:00

As I venture into the world of pastels, I want to find my way methodically. Thus I thought it would be best to start by comparing how pastels perform compared to charcoal. To get the best comparison, I took color out of the equation and used a black pastel. The brand I am using here is Rembrandt, which I have heard are a little harder than many other brands of soft pastel. I am also using smooth

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-52447560779582082322010-08-25T11:19:00.003-06:002011-05-03T22:34:15.257-06:00

I usually draw in only black and white, but occasionally I have the urge to do something in color. I've tried colored pencils but they don't resonate well with me, so I figure the next step is pastels. So of course I went looking for a book that combined that with the painting of animals in particular, and found this. Let's start with what this book is: It is a decent introduction to pastel

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-87997481230063142792010-08-19T15:25:00.000-06:002010-08-19T15:25:50.978-06:00

After a solid month away from the easel, I finally picked up a pencil today to draw. Not for long, because naps are short these days, but it was still good to get something done. I've been getting really excited about this crocodile drawing I set up, though I know it will be difficult. You can see the progress I made below. For those of you who don't already know, I took the past month off

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-7987997763221484832010-07-08T11:28:00.000-06:002010-07-08T11:28:04.574-06:00

It's been kind of a crazy few weeks around here. I haven't had as much time to draw as I've been getting ready for my second baby to come along (next week!). I have started a crocodile drawing, but something went wrong and I have to start over. It has given me the opportunity to practice a little on the water, though, before I do. Hopefully I'll have at least one work-in-progress to post before

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-13017696848684009492010-06-17T21:59:00.000-06:002010-06-17T21:59:09.859-06:00

Finally, it's done! For the past two weeks I've been toying with details trying to get it right, and I think I finally did. The original is 18"x24", and it and prints are available. Next on the drawing board will be an active scene involving a crocodile.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-88509215835008068082010-06-05T17:46:00.001-06:002010-06-05T17:49:06.003-06:00

Today is Drawing Day, and for the event I put together a quick drawing of a pair of African hunting dogs. I've had a bunch of photos of these guys for a while, and I really want to do a large drawing with several of them in it. However, I realized that black and white would not suit these wonderfully colorful dogs. So... that gave me the idea for this drawing - a small-scale test, if you will,

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-38287336630656789212010-06-03T13:00:00.000-06:002010-06-03T13:00:58.901-06:00

After taking a few days off for the long weekend, I'm back into the swing of things. I finished the grass around the male lion and started blocking in the rest of the grass and the two lionesses. The one partially climbing the tree has been the most problematic as far as sketching. Since I have no reference for her (or any of these particular animals, for that matter), I'm having to rely on

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-76277902777192783122010-05-27T13:44:00.001-06:002010-05-27T13:44:43.224-06:00

This birdhouse will be donated to an auction for the Relay for Life, along with birdhouses from several other local artists. I chose to decorate mine with five birds that are local to the area: the black-chinned hummingbird, lark sparrow, Scott's oriole, red-breasted nuthatch, and ruby-crowned kinglet. The design was burned onto the wood, and then I stained the roof, base and perch. The auction

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-33308615415432841362010-05-21T22:07:00.002-06:002010-05-23T07:28:04.160-06:00

The big day arrived! I actually set up my exhibit nearly three weeks ago, but tonight was the opening reception. I got a lot of praise from the visitors and even had a few people come in from out of town just to see my stuff. There was a group exhibit going on concurrently in the other room with a theme of "reflections," and the whole thing looked great. Here are a few snapshots of my area (see

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-5105581360261107812010-05-18T13:05:00.000-06:002010-05-18T13:05:59.361-06:00

I've been working down the left side of the drawing. I wanted to get the male lion in place, and to do that I needed to get some of the background done first. Next I will put in the two females and start working towards the lower right corner.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-10834322987842560192010-05-15T21:16:00.000-06:002010-05-15T21:16:04.968-06:00

The top third of the leopard/lions drawing is done, minus some tweaking later on. I started blocking in the male lion as you can see. There will be two females, too, but I keep changing my mind as to exactly what their positions will be. Until I work that out, I'll continue with the male lion and the background foliage. My tools are pretty simple. I'm using 6B, 4B and 2B charcoal pencils and a

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-61855913774733869462010-05-11T14:26:00.000-06:002010-05-11T14:26:01.525-06:00

Gosh, it's hard drawing a dead animal, particularly one draped over a branch. I spent ages trying to figure out where the shoulders and elbows should be. Now the gazelle is almost finished. I've started brushing charcoal powder on the leopard to give it a little definition before I continue with the spots, and I started blending in some more charcoal powder on the background where there will be

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-90107272042245066202010-05-06T10:20:00.000-06:002010-05-06T10:20:11.690-06:00

I've been very busy the past week or so getting ready for my exhibit. Everything is set up and I finally have time to get back to drawing! As I mentioned in my last post, this one is going to be a leopard guarding its recent kill in a tree while three lions circle below. This will be my first drawing with more than one species. In this situation, it is important not only to get each animal in the

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-56966208291580055982010-04-27T14:34:00.000-06:002010-04-27T14:34:12.543-06:00

People often ask me where I get the ideas or inspiration for my drawings. To be honest, they come from almost anywhere. I take tons of photos when I go to the zoo, and often at least one will spark a drawing when I get home. I try to use my own reference photos whenever possible, but sometimes I have an idea that I have no photos for (the humpbacks are an example). Other times, I will read

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-79480928926915212892010-04-22T21:37:00.000-06:002010-04-22T21:37:20.500-06:00

First, let me say: Wow. Then I want to thank the folks at Blogger for naming this a Blog of Note. What an honor!

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-29277543659995355372010-04-22T13:32:00.000-06:002010-04-22T14:19:50.989-06:00

This is the third in my mother/baby series. I contemplated doing it on white paper like the other two, but the blue matboard was calling to me. I am quite glad I chose the blue! When whales are born, they come out tail first and only have fifteen seconds or so to catch their first breath of air. The mother lifts the newborn up to the surface with her snout. I haven't decided yet whether I will

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-12746939973369623202010-04-20T13:25:00.002-06:002010-04-22T14:31:04.380-06:00

After much deliberation on several ideas running through my head, I decided to do a pair of humpback whales as my next drawing. This will be the third in the mother/baby series, and I am working on blue matboard. This isn't the best photo, but after laying down some black along the bottom and white sun rays around the whales, I started at the top (the baby is not quite finished). The hard part

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-10525590088492468062010-04-17T16:13:00.000-06:002010-04-17T16:13:29.848-06:00

Every now and then, I like to play around with color. I took out my old pastels for the first time since I started charcoal. I've been scrutinizing other artists' pastel work and some online tutorials, and figured the best way to proceed was to lay down an underpainting with the soft pastels (heavily blended), then add detail on top with the hard pastels. Now, I only have a set of 30 soft pastels

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-38390287896485944842010-04-15T13:27:00.000-06:002010-04-15T13:27:57.989-06:00

Here is the final version of my most recent commission - a pair of Italian greyhounds resting on their favorite couch. The clients are very happy with it. Charcoal on 11"x14" smooth bristol paper.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-29533411904718024982010-04-10T21:04:00.000-06:002010-04-10T21:04:50.905-06:00

At the gallery in my town, there are two rooms. In the main room, they hold juried exhibits based on some central theme. In the second room, a single artist (or group) is able to show several of their pieces at once concurrently with the main exhibit. I was accepted to show my work in this second room later this summer, but after a change in management at the gallery, my exhibit has been bumped

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-87729259042733306362010-04-01T20:58:00.005-06:002010-04-01T21:07:10.800-06:00

I've been working on a commission the past week or so. After getting the layout just right, I started with the drawing sort of reverse from what I usually do. I did the eyes and noses first, then went straight to the background - a dark leather couch covered with a soft fleece blanket the dogs love to sit on. The client has approved my posting of the work in progress, so here it is. Can you guess

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-23462953085810099082010-03-18T21:19:00.003-06:002010-03-29T22:36:44.562-06:00

Here they are, finally finished! I am offering open edition prints of this one, and a portion of sales will go the African Wildlife Foundation.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-3170475150364706392010-03-17T10:15:00.003-06:002010-03-17T10:55:25.207-06:00

It's almost there! I've been spending a lot of time on the foreground, particularly the water. It's slow going, but it's coming together. All that's left is the strip along the bottom and some touching up. (The black part at the very bottom of the photo is the pencil tray on the easel.) For the water, I've been using mostly the 6B charcoal pencil and tortillon, followed by the chamois and kneaded

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-8371115682654714562010-03-12T09:10:00.005-07:002010-03-12T09:48:20.159-07:00

Here is the final version of the Mexican wolves, white charcoal on black Strathmore Artagain paper. Once the elephants are done (back to that one this weekend), I will be finished with the drawing part of getting ready for my exhibit this summer. All that will be left is a few more frames.Prints of this drawing are available.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-65247908972572557892010-03-06T22:01:00.003-07:002010-03-06T22:22:19.512-07:00

Occasionally I work on more than one drawing at once, although I have found I prefer to devote all my energy to one piece at a time before moving on. In this case, I have been working on the elephants for a couple weeks and have reached the point where I'm not sure how to continue. So while I let it sit in the back of my mind and figure it out subconsciously (hopefully), I started another drawing

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-21813424309385312092010-03-03T09:43:00.003-07:002010-03-03T09:57:50.454-07:00

The top two-thirds or so of this drawing is essentially done at this point (something I decided to do before continuing with the last elephant), but now I'm going to slow down a bit to make sure I get the water part right. I think the bottom elephant still needs some work on the head, and then I'll work on getting texture in the water and a few foreground plants. The color is a little off in this

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-66045970598960866612010-02-25T12:12:00.004-07:002010-02-25T12:29:49.019-07:00

The last adult is in place. Now the hard part begins, when I try to add the last young elephant splashing and playing in the water.

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-55651601666027452442010-02-22T14:43:00.004-07:002010-02-22T14:54:18.371-07:00

Okay, elephant number three is done, two more to go! Recently, I've been trying to do background before the animals, then foreground last. In this case, since the elephants will take up so much of the drawing, I am going to leave the background as simple as possible. And since I am working with a gray surface, I will most likely just add some simple clouds, and I'll do that before I start the

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-53858038198808429082010-02-18T17:28:00.004-07:002010-02-18T17:45:27.238-07:00

Incredibly, I was able to make significant progress on the elephant drawing this week, to the point where the first two individuals are essentially complete. I am saving the feet for later because I want to add foreground, probably some shallow water. I am guessing it took about four hours of work to reach this point, which is actually pretty fast for this size. I assume that is because I'm

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-18154032995197376922010-02-16T20:33:00.002-07:002010-02-16T21:01:41.233-07:00

I have always had a fascination of dinosaurs - much like any kid, but I never grew out of it. It is also a goal of mine to hone my drawing skills to the point where I can draw extinct animals, which obviously have no reference photos. So I was ecstatic when I was pointed to this article from National Geographic (dated Feb. 4) which showed the first scientifically colored dinosaur. A feathered

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-45236095560456556202010-02-14T20:52:00.005-07:002010-02-14T21:25:09.593-07:00

My zebra drawing from a few months ago came about because I had a large piece of gray matboard floating around and didn't know what to do with it. It was square, 32"x32", and I cut an inch off each side to make sure the edges were neat (it was in the closet for a few years, after all). After completing that drawing, I decided I'd like to do a series of drawings of large African mammals in the

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-61850238908447726702010-02-12T10:29:00.005-07:002010-02-14T21:27:43.193-07:00

I do enjoy working in white charcoal on occasion. I find it a little more difficult to use than black because it only comes in one hardness and has a slightly oilier feel, but it is wonderful for drawing night scenes. For this drawing, I used a photograph I took recently of a great horned owl. The Wildlife Center, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility in northern New Mexico, had an

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-43124629999438893132010-02-05T14:23:00.003-07:002010-02-05T17:04:58.030-07:00

So finally, here they are. I took several photos of this piece in progress, and I'm hoping to get them assembled into a slideshow. I named the piece Lookout because even though the cubs are busy playing and climbing on mom, she always keeps a lookout for danger.Snow leopards live in the mountains of Asia, and many call the Himalayas their home. They live above the tree line in summer, then move

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-63608139299585482972010-01-20T16:09:00.003-07:002010-01-20T16:15:43.677-07:00

After taking some time off for Christmas and recovering from various illnesses in the family, I am finally back full swing into drawing. As you can see, the snow leopard family is coming along pretty well. The cubs still need some work as well as the background. My new technique of applying the fur with the blending stump is not producing the deep shadows I was hoping for, so I have to go back in

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-63457979338824830482010-01-15T14:03:00.008-07:002010-01-15T14:10:22.975-07:00

I decided to try something new with this new snow leopard drawing (I just love these cats!), to loosen up my technique a little. I started with a base of charcoal applied with a blending stump to get the right value of the fur, then I added the spots with the 6B pencil and a bit of fur texture with the 2B pencil. I'm going to continue the rest of the drawing this way, and I think it's a good way

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-16271986600658053112010-01-13T21:15:00.002-07:002010-01-13T22:13:34.572-07:00

I've spent quite a bit of time the past couple weeks thinking about my goals for my art. I suppose I can call them "new year's resolutions," which is why I'm doing this now (I mean, what better time?). It has been said that one way to improve your art is to compare it to art you admire. What does your favorite art have that your own does not? So I look to the art of Robert Bateman, master

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731545597717611859.post-90821679147592017382009-12-31T21:20:00.004-07:002009-12-31T22:11:57.582-07:00

The most common way to draw with charcoal is by simply placing it on the paper and moving it around. You can get nice, dark marks or even thin, light ones this way. But there are times when you simply cannot put so little pressure as to get it light enough, especially if you are looking for a smooth, even texture like sky or skin. This is where you need tools to apply the charcoal for you. (You

Heather Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236805562906727894noreply@blogger.com6