Nature Journaling and Field Sketching

Very fun...but not very realistic...not a chicken! it is an onion!! ha...I loved learning about Chiaroscuro. I love that kind of information because it helps me to better understand what I'm seeing.

For me this is a whole new way of looking at things. I can see how the different shading and blending techniques really make a difference in your drawings. Lighting makes a difference too. Today was very cloudy and the lights in my office were casting weird shadows which made it difficult for me to see some of the highlights and shadows.                            

I like being able to use different shading techniques, and especially the blending which is new to me. Thank you. I found that some objects are easier to shade/shadow than others. For example, a lightly tanned potato was difficult because the smooth skin mostly looked the same from any angle. The image inserted below shows what I selected as a difficult object--for a beginner--to draw, namely a piece of firewood (which I had sawn and chopped for our wood stove!) I would appreciate a critique, please. When all the colors are similar shades of brown and gray, how do we differentiate? Suggestion: Could Liz or a colleague present a demonstration video on how to shade complex objects, such as a log?In other words, could the class have an additional video that applies our basic skills in shading the ball, chiaroscuro, to show how to tackle a more difficult object, please?  

these are garlic and tomato, I wish they'd look more 3d. Need more practise I guess!

I can see the changes in light on objects a lot more now.  My eye searches for the different shades in the shadow too.  I am drawing objects to compare shading so yes drawing a lot more than I ever have before and enjoying learning about light reflection.  I have never studied that before now.

I guess rome wasn't built in a day.  They are very rough but I did learn alot in this exercise.  It's fun to look at the variations in light and shadow.  I'm not a very good artist but as soon as you apply some of the shadows it gives your drawing a more lifelike appearance and makes it pop.  I definitely need more practice but am looking forward to applying the concepts in my journal.    

This one was fun too!  Trying out these drawing skills, and with squinting it is easier to see where the highlights, light, and shadows should be placed.  I am beginning to feel more comfortable putting marks on the page, and realize I'm not being graded or in a competition makes this fun and worry-free.  I think I need to continue to work on this, as well as the other skills being taught in this course.  Practice, practice!  Thank you Liz for this course.  I initially signed up to help deal with stress, I love to draw and watercolor, but need more help in improving my work.  I also love nature and getting outside, so this is a win-win for me.  

My delicious mango... It was easy to see where and how the textures were, and I feel a lot more comfortable putting marks on the page. I also think that I need to work on shading and the shadows. 

This is a challenging exercise, especially when applied to objects other than a shiny sphere. The squint test is incredibly helpful. It has been so interesting to look at the world as variation between light and shadow.

This is always a tough one to learn. More practice needed.

This was a great exercise! I have never sketched in my life. I love nature, gardening to attract pollinators, nature photography and bird watching. I saw this course and thought I would try it to relieve stress and I loved the idea of journaling and sketching. So I decided to draw a single eye from a barn owl. It was fun and learning about depth of field is exciting. Thank you Liz for this course.

This is the ginger and garlic I drew. The light source is in the upper right corner. Through comparison, I found that due to the different textures of the objects, sometimes it is possible to distinguish light and dark quickly, but sometimes it is not possible. For example, ginger and garlic, the surface of garlic is smooth, so it is easier to distinguish the highlights and shadows on the bright surface; while the surface of ginger is rough, so the highlights are not particularly obvious, and it is also a little difficult to divide the layers in the bright surface. In addition, I also found that by adjusting the curvature and strength of the strokes, the objects can be better represented, but I am not proficient in this area. By the way, where do you start drawing first when you are drawing and what is the order of drawing? I sometimes don't know where to start. Practice makes perfect！Come on!

I liked this exercise, it was helpful.  I would still like to work on adding details to the drawing and the shadows.

Am feeling more confident committing to paper but making silly mistakes.  I still want to work on working quickly to get the concept of the shape down.    

this was a fun exercise! I don’t really draw realism ever so it was good practice doing something with light source and depth.

I feel like I need more work on my values, but this was a good lesson moving forward. I like crosshatching, but I have to be careful not to over-work it! Getting the reflective light was key to a 3D effect! I got inspired to try drawing my dog because she is black and white.

I'm much more comfortable with the more simple line drawings, and I'm having fun experimenting with the mix of drawing and writing.  

I'm not yet good at the light and dark ranges to get the 3-D effect, but it's fun to practice.

I chose to represent the curious Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, or the fingered citron. The mark making techniques I used are top row from left to right: outline, side shading, contour shading; mid row left to right: cross hatching , watercolor pencils, stippling; bottom row left to right: scribbling, blending, side shading. Perhaps my outline drawing would have been better without the horizontal lines. I think I need to work on the contour shading because there are areas where I overlap lines and get crosshatching. And my cross hatching is never just bidirectional rather diverse. I like how blending using a blending stump turned out. I was taught never to use this technique in school, but it is described as a technique used by scientific illustrators in the Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration! So I guess I will be blending away in the future. As always, I am pleased with the Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils. If there is lack of detail it is due to the brush I used. All in all, an interesting exercise and I look forward to the next one!

Feeling somewhat more confident, but there is still a lot of practice in my future.  I am enjoying what I am learning in this course.

trying out the chiaroscuro technique, biggest challenge is getting the light parts to blend with dark parts.

I tried to draw an orchid in a pot using the markings to create some three-dimensionality.  It was not a roaring success, but that was before I listened to the chiaroscuro lesson, which made sense of the marks for me.  Now I can see how to work with the hatchings, scribbles, etc. to create depth.  BTW, can anyone tell me how to get my photos from my google phone transferred here?  I'm android, not Mac.

I think I picked some difficult subjects for this task, but I love my collection of seashells and want to be able to sketch them a lot better. I had difficulty trying to depict the texture lines while also trying to use the hatching and dots to depict shadows.      

I'm getting more familiar with putting marks on my pictures. However, I'm still not very good at creating the 3D vision.

I feel most comfortable with depiction texture and dimension, however, placement of shadows on the object and at the base of the object need more practice. Study of light source and effect on subject matter will help with my drawing and my photography skill understanding and application.  

Japanese Maple Twigs

I am starting to feel more comfortable, and I'm certainly starting to see where all the different techniques can be applied. For the chiaroscuro lesson, I started with an apple. It was tricky because (in addition to me being a beginner) the apple had a variety of light and dark colors independent of the amount and direction of light falling on it. My wife suggested a lime, and I think that came out better. With the apple, I used a lot of contour hatching to try to get the indentation where the stem was that then shifted to the overall round shape of the apple. I tried to use some scribbling for the area around the light part on the bottom left of the apple. With the lime, I started with contour hatching, didn't like it, and then switched to regular/straight hatching. I figured if it worked to show the roundness of the ball, it could work for the lime as well. I liked the overall effect. I did some scribbling at the ends to get the hard/dark parts. I also tried a few circles to get the dimples, but that didn't seem to work very well. I used blending to obscure these...somewhat. I liked using hatching for the shadow, blending it, then adding more hatching. The blending helped smooth out the value shift from the darkest to the lightest parts of the shadows, and it softened the shadows' edges. For this birch round, I used a lot of contour hatching for the growth rings. I tried to overlay that with straight hatching to show the straight grooves left by the chainsaw. I used stippling for some holes I noticed in the outer dark layer of the wood. Scribbling seemed to work well to create the lenticels in the outer bark, and a little contour hatching helped with the curls of bark spiraling every-which-way around the edges. A little blending of denser hatching at the various dark spots on the surface seemed to help with the value difference in parts of the wood. I'm guessing these were formed by slight burning from the friction of the chainsaw when I cut the round.

• Trying to put in practice several `hatchings´ for this drawing, but when I took the draw´s photo, lights and shadows appears in the opposite distribution as you can appreciate.- I hope next time.

My Binoculars

I used a combination of stippling and hatching to attempt this value exercise. The most challenging thing for me is achieving the transitions between the values. This drawing probably would have been more successful if I had stuck with just stippling.

When I drew textured objects with light shadow contrast - I became so preoccupied with the form and light shadow that I forgot to try out the various types of shading

While in general it was easy to see where some of these techniques would be applied, I wouldn’t say it is really apparent to me when I am looking at things. How to decide which of the shading techniques to use in which situations isn’t particularly clear yet….but I am totally new at this! Rebekah Hamilton

I enjoyed practicing 3D techniques. Happy with my acorn by blending with the stump. The pear was not as convincing. I used contour hashmarking for the pear and crosshatching for the shadow. Tempted to finish with the stump but I was hoping to get an effective hashmark

I think I need to work on contrast and values the most at this point.  The chiarosco, while interesting, doesn't seem like it would be applied a whole lot to field sketching moving objects.  I realized while doing this squash that my lighting is not the most desirable.  I have three bulbs in cages that each act as their own light source and cast their own shadows.

I am starting to see better how to use different kinds of marks to make the kinds of textures that I see.  It was fun to scribble on the top of the bison head to make the curly hair. I don't think I was quite able to capture the texture of the lichen that I was going for.  Perhaps zooming in even more would be more effective. It is still difficult to get the values input correctly on something that is unevenly lit like the dog close-up at the bottom. I want to work on using the squint to get the values more accurate.  When I can get them right I feel like the image is most successful.

This is hard but I'm enjoying the journey and playing around with the techniques

It's not easy, but with practice everything is possible. I tried to draww a mallard, because I´ve seen many of those lately.

This was great practice and now that it's on the screen I see a lot of areas that need more attention. The crosshatching, which I played with a little here, is super tricky and I'd really like to figure out how to use it well.

This is definitely a progressive work in progress technique. I will need to practice on my blending the different regions in my sketch. Renee Milton

Ran into a tarantula on the trail. Tried to sketch one using lessons so far.

  trying to do chiarscuro of big cucumber.

I tried drawing the vegetable exercise. It's going take some practice, but starting to see how to make objects appear 3D with shading, light and dark.

I used this pine cone and hatching, contour hatching, and blurring to practice finding appropriate value that provides a 3D illustration. I'm not sure that a pine cone was the best option (I've never drawn a pine cone) and I got a little lost (!) but I tried to refer to a scale of light and dark to consistently convey where the lightest/darkest parts of the cone were observed.

Very helpful techniques.  think I will wait awhile before sharing any of my attempts however really enjoying seeing others.  gives me hope mine will improve as my comfort level improves.

How challenging it has been to draw a pepper! The grain of the paper I use has been a factor as well. Will switch to a smoother grain. Color has been a challenge, too. shades of green, for example. Better luck with grey/black tones. But promising results with a touch of color on a peach. The pine cone was relatively easy, for some reason.

Here are some of my attempts at using the skills you have taught us. I can see how to apply the techniques but will definitely need more practice. I did enjoy trying them all out. It was fun learning ways to draw and how to use the different marks. Also I found I was more relaxed, not worrying too much about the finished product and just having fun. I like to write notes in the journal as it helps me remember what I did and what techniques I used as well as anything special about that particular sketch. I found the 3D shading difficult. I am looking forward to more lessons and practice

After trying some of these drawing skills, it was a little easier to see where and how each could be applied. I am definitely starting to feel more comfortable putting marks on the page compared to before. I want to work on my shading a little more though. I decided to do a robin, although there wasn't much contrast and the proportions were a little off, I'm happy with how it turned out.

This is my last drawing and painting and is the result of all of your advice and the techniques taught by you during this course. I am quite happy because it has given confidence to continue with this endeavor. Dear Liz your advices have been very helpful and I have really enjoyed your talks. I will continue doing the exercises to improve this hobby .Thanks

I am starting to find it easier to find details and textures, as well I am getting more comfortable with putting pencil to paper. I had some challenges with chiaroscuro but I’m thinking it’s because I was to tense with my apple drawing and need to take a step back, maybe get the techniques to work for me. It was fun regardless and I am finding my work is starting to get better slowly with practice.

I have some problem making shadows look real - they seem too harsh. Any suggestions? I also need work on the distinction between showing value and showing surface texture. 

It is getting a bit more obvious where light and shadow appear on an object.  Now, to work on the gradients of shading.  

I  found it very difficult! Need more practice... the hardest bit is how to show the difference between details of the object (coloured lines on the apple) and the hatching to show darker zones.

Nope. I think I'm kind of thick on where to use the shadowing. I'm fine on a bit of fruit, but say something with feathers? Gak!

Yes, it was fairly easy.  I am feeling comfortable.

I am a little more conscious of the six different techniques in sketching for added dimension. Practice will perfect the technique. I sketched the bufflehead, the crow and a small bunch of  red grapes on a dish. 

Yes, I’m feeling more comfortable. The course encourages me to draw more frequently and, as with anything, the more I practice the more comfortable it becomes. I like the way the course offers a step-by-step progression. I’m familiar with some of the topics & techniques, but the way each builds on those that came before provides fresh perspective. Also, by focusing on technique and tools the results become secondary. This frees me up to experiment and learn more.

I'm starting to feel more comfortable.  I've been noticing the lights and darks in nature more.  I'm still working on making marks to represent those lights and darks.

I am definitely feeling more comfortable putting marks on the page, and the squint test is VERY helpful. I tend to rely on hatching and scribbling, so I'd like to try expanding my experiments with cross-hatching, stippling, and blending. I have also been relying on photos rather than going out in the field, so now I want to try sketching in situ, perhaps in the early morning and evening when the light is from a striking angle to practice chiaroscuro as well. 

Acorn Squash with natural light from the window. Imperfections are hard to draw! 

  It was easy to see the reflected light and highlights on smooth surfaces like an apple or pepper, but the orange was more difficult even with the squint test.

The squinting technique definitely helped me to distinguish where the shadows fell on the artichokes and to not be as distracted by different colors. For example, the artichokes had purple, brown, and yellow on them in addition to shades of green, so squinting helped me ignore the colors and just look for light and dark. I used a couple of different shading techniques and that really seemed to help add texture as well as depth to my drawing. I want to keep practicing different shading techniques to create more variety of middle tones and also to get faster with shading overall.

My observing skills are improving with you directions. so far I have just used the graphite pencils, except for the clematis that I had sitting on my desk. I used watercolor pencils. Will you please give me a critique and suggestions? thanks

While I see the light and dark, I have difficulty putting marks on the page to reflect what I see. What do I want to work on? Everything! Practice, practice, practice.

I can see that the photographing accidently put more chiaroscuro on the page. I love this technique. This strawberry would be better in color.  :-)

The sketching part was easy but the blending and shading was a little difficult. 

I have trouble with the overall shape.  I find drawing hard work.  

To work on ... value scales ... to "draw" out the crescendo!

I'm beginning to feel more comfortable drawing or just making my marks. I need more work and practice but enjoy learning the new skills.

Starting to feel a little more comfortable, although having trouble with lines. I get caught up in the lines and shadow and forget to focus on shape. I would like to learn to use lines to convey light, shadow and dimension. This will take practice.  

Definitely enjoyed the exercise.  It is interesting the interplay of dark and light.  My situation was complicated by multiple sources of light.  I am getting more comfortable with marks on the page. 

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Vive ChiaroScuro! Follow the spiral path of Spirit. Surrounded by scuro, I follow the spark - the chiaro of change. As in my pencil drawing, the balance of light and dark is not always easy to see at first - there is no ink pen boundary line - no point of Tao where light defines the darkness - truly shades of gray. I have been deep soul diving in the darkest tones of pain and grief and despair: a Cast Shadow of CoVid. Yet adjacent to it is the Reflected Light of Compassion and the knowledge that we are in this together. Now the Core Shadow of my fears is resocialization - my true emotions have been masked - a kind of protection soon to come off. My hope is that Spring may carry me through the Shadow of my day, so the Light of my granddaughter's smile will herald the Highlight of new beginnings. I follow the Spiral path to see beyond my 3D drawing and peer at possibilities hidden ..................................... on the other side.

• Yes, it was easy to see where  how to apply drawing techniques.
• Yes, I'm comfortable in putting marks on the page no when sketching.
• It's a little bit difficult to identify the dark and reflection light on some objects easily. 

I’m struggling with light and dark, especially at small sizes, getting the full range of value. Wonder if I should work larger? Use a harder pencil? — I’m using hb on these. Start lighter? Maybe my 70 year old eyes are part of the problem? Can’t see detail like I used to be able to.

I like to collect sea shells and beach stones.   I am  finding it is difficult to use the marks for shading and to create the real shape of the objects.  So I need to practice “making the marks”.  And I can see that I also need to work on on defining the darkest darks and lightest lights.

chiaroscuro 

I am beginning to enjoy drawing, I’m beginning to see things differently when I look at them. I was captivated by this bluebird at the nesting box so I took a photograph and then drew this while looking at that.  I have a long way to go before I can remember something I saw and draw it later. This is fun. It wasn’t at first, it was new and intimidating. I want to work on how things fit together size wise and making things look three dimensional.

I am definitely more comfortable using these techniques with simply shaped fruit rather than more complicated shapes.  I think I need to work on using the different techniques together.

Getting more comfortable with this medium. I do have a question: how do you protect your pencil drawings from smearing?

This drawing I did of a fawn shows three dimensional effects - including the reflected light as the jaw turns under the head and the cast shadow of the head on the neck. I was careful to draw in the direction of the form. The original drawing is a little more distinct and the darks are darker. The scanner lightened and blurred the drawing a little. I'm sorry  don't have Photoshop now to correct it.

This was a good exercise and also challenging.  Will continue practicing to develop 3D skills.  I found the lemon difficult but the pear was a better attempt.  

This was fun! I like working with shadow and adding 3D effects to my drawings. I drew a banana and a tangelo. :)

I followed Fuller's course [and all the info her more experienced students offered], work as she suggested and have fun, be comfortable and not be too self critical. I've enjoyed what I gained, so far, but I've yet to complete the class. Since summer ends in central New England rather quickly, my perennials will survive. The last time I was able to sit outside with my sketch book and watch the birds enjoy that view I was able to do some planning for what was to come. Then the world [except for the birds I can feed in the winter] went wacky. Holly

I always thought that the difference between a tight conifer cone and one from the same tree that had opened up had to do with when they fell off the tree. These two drawings are of the same cone on two consecutive days. Bringing the cone inside, where it warmed up and dried, made it start to spring open. Much more of a challenge to draw! I still haven't gotten the scale patterns very well, and need to work on its looking cylindrical, but it was fun to try drawing the differences. 

Wow!  My attempt was with a cluster of Bananas. Here are some take aways. 1)  Dull skin not very reflective. 2) Indoor lighting cast three shadows. 3) The natural green around the stems was difficult to differentiate from the shadow , at least it was from this noob drawers stand point. Drawing image was saved PDF so couldn't upload.  I will convert the image and share in the next couple of days.

I'm having trouble finding the right balance between drawing and suggesting detail. On my pine cone, I found I couldn't actually draw what I saw--it just seemed too complicated. So I sketched it pretty quickly and I'm fairly happy with how it came out. I labored over the oyster shell, though, and got all twisted up trying to find the right degree of shading to suggest the contours. Not very happy with the 3-D effect of the barnacles. Anybody have any thoughts on how I could capture their depth better?

YInitial attempts at 3d object. Moon snail.Another attempt at 3d with an apple.

My first time drawing a 3D object! I have never paid attention to the light and dark values of anything before, so it was fun to see everyday fruit and veg from a different perspective.

I was pretty happy with this fat little lemon. It had a really shiny skin, which made the shading a little easier to get.

Capturing the shading on something that's highly textured was a challenge for me. Each little nub on this Osage orange fruit had its own shading, which I don't think I was successful at getting right.

It looks like a walnut! It looks like a walnut! The tip about practicing with fruits and veggies is a game changer. Too cold to take the journal outdoors this weekend. 1.4 degrees F tonight. I think I will stay with the nuts, seeds and produce indoors! Sticking with the various methods of shading, understanding value and practicing chiaroscuro for a few weeks will keep me occupied and feeling more confident. Thanks!

Also w/ my .005 Micron, a white breasted nuthatch creeping down a tree (from a photo).

I had this textured paper left over so I had a second go at using my .005 Micron to sketch (from photos) a blue headed vireo.

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Northern Spy Apple. It was hard to do the shadow and the reflection of the apple.

Nice exercice, for me it was difficult to get the tight textures

I enjoyed using my Micron .005 pen to do a lot of mark-making. This was done from a photo - I think my shadows/shading are off. But I'm happy with some elements of how it came out.

I still need more practice with light and shadow, and making objects look 3-D

I drew this damselfly from a photo I took - trying to get a 3-D look with shadows

I had some trouble with the shadow especially.

I was ready to jump to the next lesson, but have made a conscious decision to stay with this lesson for a while. There is so much to practice and there is plenty of time with covid, so I am trying to take my time and hone some skills. A few photos of my journal. The camera does strange things w the lead drawings.

Learning to observe shadows and light is quite the skill! I definitely see how it helps bringing three dimension to the images. It is hard to combine the dark and light colors at the same time. I am enjoying practicing and learning in the process.

A Pink Lady apple. The whitest white is not really popping.

The thing I find challenging is dealing with smudges. And keeping the whitest area white. This drawing used an internet photo for reference.

Mark making techniques help provide depth to this plant.  I was struggling with that.  I’ve been returning to this plant to record growth as I am working through this course.  Both the continued practice and learning the skills have made a positive impact and I feel like I am improving.  It helps that the amaryllis is quick growing so I see change easily.  I like incorporating notes along with my drawings which I haven’t done in the past.   The notes make recalling details easy and I am becoming more observant when I can note down what I see and feel.

Always struggled with shading, learning alot so far. Especially about looking for tonal variations.

The chiarosuro is a new concept for me. Especially the reflected light.

I tried to capture the apple twice, once with light coming from the left and once from the right and above. The cast shadow on both are too dark, I think, so that' s something to work on. The highlight on the left one doesn't need to be outlined--I just need to keep it blank. These are definitely my best apples ever!

It has been quite educational and relaxing some of the techniques instructed, moving from stick people to be able to put something in paper is an accomplishment ; improving observational skill also very nice, Thanks.

Struggling with the shape of the shadow for the orange. Also, not sure if I used the dotting affect in the picture, should I then use it in the shadow as well?

Funny, I have been sketching for years but was oblivious to the reflective light. This is quite an eye opener for me. Enjoying the learning process.

wow 2nd version is better! I think recognizing what I was unhappy with in the first drawing was what led me to be able to make the 2nd one better.

frustration!  It didn't look right. Oddly enough when I took the pic, the more contrasty pic looked better to me.  I used contour shading and it didn't give the look I was going for.  I remember somewhere in distant past that the SHAPE of the deep shadow is the same curve as the object -- is that true? I will try it again with same lemon and different contrast. I really liked one of the pics below where stippling was used - will try to add some of that. My blending perhaps made the pic too "muddy" with insufficient different between shaded areas.

I found myself quite frustrated after my first trial drawing garlic with cross hatching. I tried again with contour hatching, and although the second trial did turn out better, I gained a lot more understanding with how light and shadows fall on each clove. I LOVED using garlic for this exercise. It was a very fruitful experience (pun regretfully intended). I do feel much more confident in marking. I look forward to studying different subjects, and getting a better understanding of how light falls on different objects. I'd also like to eventually work on some other marking techniques like cross hatching.

Not sure where to put the shadow but I am pleased with what I have learned. My sphere looks like, well a sphere!

I definitely want to continue practicing capturing light/dark and dimension.  I have an easier time with this when I am drawing one object, as opposed to trying to represent a landscape outside.  Practice will help!

I found it easier to create the various light and shadow areas of the sphere than it was with the irregular round shape of a shallot. I used hatching, cross hatching and contour hatching along with some blending to try to achieve the roundness.  I struggled with the shape of the shallot as it was harder to pick out the components of chairoscuro.

I still don't find anything easy about drawing.  I believe I still have much to do to overcome a perfectionist trait in me.  It's still difficult to narrow the gap between what my mind wishes to do & what my hand does.  It's not comfortable finding oneself in the midst of this struggle; but I'm not giving up.  I will continue plugging along...  rather--scratching along.

I tried to find the easiest image to draw- a lemon.  The highlight was obvious, regardless of the angle and so was the cast shadow.  I struggled with shading the values of light, shadow, and cast shadow.  Cast shadows look like a band of darkness, and I seem to struggle with which direction to shade.  Blending with my finger helps cover some of the harsh transition lines as I try to practice the different pencil pressures.  I don’t feel comfortable yet, but I am not afraid of the page anymore.  I want to try and sketch and journal everyday to improve.

Still lots of exploring to do with the different techniques. Would like to excel at chiaroscuro : )

I'm starting to get the shadings and seeing the dark and light. Right now I would like to work on the pressure of my pencil... It seems to be another level of shade and light.

I am definitely a beginner at this!  I wonder if I should somehow draw in the general outlines first.  When I do not do that I find that I get involved in one small section and make too many marks so that, in the end it looks kind of muddy.  Also, the drawing tends to get lopsided or out of proportion. But, when I draw in the outlines it makes it hard to do highlighted edges.  Still working on the types of marks to use for different textures too.

Of all the new techniques you have put forth for us, I like most the BLENDING.  At least for me, it has a nice way to cover/hide many of my sketching sins.

Not always easy to identify the different values .  Trying to squint to see more clearly.

I'm still a bit frustrated that my drawings don't look exactly like I would like them to look. I certainly can see how the shading could work just am not quite there.

Harder than I thought but hopefully you can tell it’s a spaghetti squash. Something I want to keep practicing and observing.

 

I understand much more how to use light and shadow to create a 3D effect.  It seemed like a mystery or some artist alchemy before, but now I see it is just a skill of observing the basic shadow elements.

I loved to learn the mark-making techniques, the value scale, squint test and chiaroscuro. I'm fascinated by how much ligh and dark can transform a drawing that, at first, looks "plain" (not 3D)! I need to practice light/ dark more, though! I find it much easier with sunlight, during the day, than drawing at night with artificial light; that's what happened with this banana. I'll give it another try, during the day :)

I can't believe how much progress I made in such a short amount of time. Applying the various techniques doesn't come natural (obviously), but I really enjoy the process of thinking hard and also making mistakes. I'm very excited and I feel more confident with each try.

Struggling with the actual drawing and making it look real. Working each day will hopefully improve that. Also need to work light to dark

I really like the techniques you showed us. I like the options of using the hatching, stippling, and blending. The Chirascuro is hard for me to do. At first I couldn't even see it, but now I am starting to. This is something I need to work on.The squint test has to be the coolest thing ever!!

The mid tones, seem to be my struggle. I have a heavy hand and removing pencil can be an issue.

I found it interesting to practice the chiaroscuro technique both outside in natural light and inside with filtered light. The notes from this lecture were very helpful.  I was pleased with my drawings and more comfortable capturing the light. 

  It was difficult for me to capture the gentle curves of a tomato and still show light and shadow.  It had so little actual contrast that too many lines seemed too many.   It seemed overworked.  Not a good subject for this topic.  But the idea of chiaroscuro is excellent.  I liked the cloud attempt better.

I don’t find it the hardest thing to find the shadow, highlights, etc. I am getting a bit more confident using various shading techniques, like cross-hatching, that I have used before some. I think I should work on making shadows a bit darker, so the highlights seem lighter.

I can recognize the highlight, light, etc. Blending the different light is difficult. I an not a natural.

This course is AMAZING! Whilst I'm not exactly confident nor super comfortable making the first marks, I now feel it's okay to start and that I might even be surprised by what's possible. This is an empowering and exciting feeling! I loooove blending as it's so forgiving, I was surprised by how good scribbling can look and how simple hatching can be so efficient when there's limited time. Wow. Who knew I could draw a chilli?!

I still have trouble with depth perception in getting proportions correct, and do "just some more here" with shading that it doesn't always get the light quite right to look 3D enough to me.

Since it's a rainy day, I chose to draw an exotic ornamental just outside my home.  The intricate pattern of the scales and the harsh indoor lighting made it a bit more of a challenge. FYI:  This tree holds a special place in my heart.  The top is dead and makes a great perch for Merlins, Coopers Hawks and Great Horned Owls.

I have really enjoyed my drawing practice, I usually work with colors not only in my paintings, but also in my Photography. Going back to the basics is like opening a window to when I was younger and I sketched everything I saw.

While looking at objects trying to capture each on 2-D paper, it was a bit challenging to decide which mark- making technique to choose. When the pencil touched the surface of the paper, it kind of depicted shapes and tones swiftly. I found it really nice to experience each technique by itself, then compare and contrast between drawings. It helped to draw after Liz to get a since of the techniques, looking at her drawing and then looking at mine, then work on a new drawing while putting techniques together. It was hard at the beginning. It took time. Yet, the result was rewarding. The stippling is the technique that needs more effort because the dots sometimes had a tail to it. Sometimes when  lifting my pencil  it sketched a  mark showing a spot that looks like a tail to the dot.  

Really fun. Such a good teacher. I'm learning lots. Needing much more practice.

Wonderful course, I'm learning a lot! In drawing this onion and pair of magnified coffee beans I too was chasing shadows (similar comments below). Not so easy to capture the chiaroscuro effect on the round onion... I'm pleased with how the drawings turned out all the same.

This is my first drawing course. These new drawing skills were helpful but challenging for me. They definitely made it easier and as a result I feel more comfortable. I would like to work on chiaroscuro & finding shadows. I found the pineapple very challenging to draw.

I actually found it relaxing drawing a 3D ball. I'm not new to art but it's still a good reminder to go back to the basics sometimes, I tend to forget about the reflected light.

I must confess that life got in the way of continuing with the course as I had planned, but cheers to coming back. Wanted to share a sketch of an egg from back in March. I remember feeling like I was improving and I am excited to continue to practice and actually take my journal out in nature. My journal is pristine and I've been nervous to break it in, but it is happening - taking it on my 3-day backpacking trip starting tomorrow! Nature sketches to come!

I still want to work on everything! But I took my first-ever drawing class in the fall and was introduced to most of these concepts. So I was not completely uncomfortable or unfamiliar with them. My goal is 'not pathetic.'     

I still struggle with value - my range seems to be medium dark to medium to  medium light - I don't get the contrast I'm looking for.

I tried using the marks and very much enjoyed the exercise and it was fun to walk around looking for objects.  I found it challenging to complete my drawing before the light changed.  I realized I was chasing shadows a few times.  I walked around the neighborhood squinting at everything, I looked like I needed a new pair of glasses.  I took my glasses off and I get the natural blur so I can see the lights and darks without squinting.  I just have draw blind!  I need to work on seeing the shadows and getting the right proportions. Pat

I found the techniques very helpful although I am working in a small scale which I imagine is easier. I have trouble with the squint test but I imagine it is a question of practice.

Since we are limited to 3 images per reply, thought it would be better to share the ones I had  issues with.

•  Sketching with a continuous one line gave me a sense of confidence. On the other hand, the sketchy lines technique hindered me; the more I sketch a new line the more I hesitant in visualising the shape I wish to sketch. I faced this problem while outlining all of the subjects: the daisy, the acorn, the gingko and the butterfly. Have you faced the same issue, anyone?

   

•  With the type of marks in sketching -- I sketched a blue sea crab; luckily, I found a dried one. I divided it into 5 parts to experiment with the marks ' types. I'm sharing the result with you. I'm not sure if I did well with the marks -- I tend to use tinny tip of the fine-liner pens; 0.05 and 0.1. Perhaps I need to try and sketch with a thicker pens/pencils to see the difference.

   

•   This is my attempt to try and look at the shades of a subject. I tried with this shell; Ancilla Glabrata. I used an artificial source of light instead of the sunlight - this shouldn't affect the result much but looking at the final result, I think if I was after the shades, then I should have tried to sketch it with one pencil colour.

I believe the most useful point on this session was the squint test. It is very practical when you don't have enough time and you needed to sketch and pin point the highlights n a subject much faster! Thanks for the tip :)

I like to use the scribble and spotting technique. The blending technique is what I probably use most. I find the crosshatching the most difficult to achieve what I want.

I enjoy sketching and the lesson on contour and shading was very helpful to me. The 3D part of it will take me quite a bit more time to learn.

Having never taken a drawing course, I've never actually learned any of the techniques in the "Making Your Mark" lesson set.  I found, however, that I remembered hearing many of my watercolor mentors talk about stippling, hatching, blending, and the like, when referring to the consideration 0f value as a means of infusing light into a painting.  I'm now feeling a little more comfortable with using value observations and techniques to help make a shape seem to be 3-dimensional.  I started with "Drawing Basics" on February 23rd, after posting my Yellow Warbler entry, did a bit more on the 26th, then didn't return to finish the lesson set until May 20th.  Now it's already June 2nd and I'm only just posting this entry.  I tried to apply the techniques of hatching and stippling recently, when I was drawing some rocks.  It takes SSSsssooo... long to draw a rock as a sketch the size of a postage stamp on paper.  I really do KNOW that practice makes perfect, and that I should practice every day.  In real life, though, it's not possible - especially not in the current state of world affairs, when I find myself practicing child care all over again with my grandson, while his parents are telecommuting because of the COVID 19 pandemic.

I feel pretty good sketching, I tend to use multiple textures and finish up with blending. I could still use the pencil more and make hard lines.

I’m starting to feel a little more confortable with lights and shadows without color. I still think my drawings are too light.

I really like the stippling and blending but my son likes to use cross-hatching and contour hatching and we're both enjoying practicing the new techniques together!

The more time I spent the more I began to see how to use the different marks. As in the last assignment, I began to see the differences in values as I drew...training my eyes I guess. One of the most helpful ideas was how to use the "flower" dots to apply stippling...thanks for that!

After six months (!) of neglecting this class, I decided to get back to work.  I've been having a great time today picking it back up, and am pretty happy with the results.  I think I need confidence in making darker marks, and just overall practicing for confidence. I couldn't resist adding color and ink to this one, where I was practicing values. Chiaroscuro is tricky!  By the time I got to the blueberry, I think I was starting to get the hang of it.  I found a good black & white photo with strong shadows to use for practice.  

I had to laugh when my husband told me my eggshells looked like hamburgers.  I experimented several more times, but have not quite mastered (well, not even close!) the values that make such a difference in definition for sketches.  I know what I need to do, but can't quite meet the goal yet.  I'll keep the lessons learned in this section as I go along.

I am amazed to see improvement in my drawings with the few cues I just learned. The chiarocuro really helps in giving a 3D look. I was aware of that but was not comfortable applying it. To me, there was only 3 shades. Dark, mid, light. Also, I was not that good at seeing them. I never noticed the reflected light under the subject. Amazing! I still wonder how to combine chiaroscuro and the rendering of colors. But one thing at the time. As for the filling strokes, I don’t have the patience of doing straight lines or crossed lines... and it looks ugly when I try it. I would say that my technique is a mix of scribbling and blended lines... I don’t know if it is good or not but I have more fun drawing like that.                                      

It was a little bit. I am feeling more comfortable putting marks on the page. I still need to work on feather features on birds.

I found this very challenging but was amazed how the grapefruit took shape. Its a relaxing exercise to closely observe such everyday objects.  I found this time of day( late afternoon)the light changed quickly so I just had to pick one and go with it.

Not to say I am proud of everything on this page, but I am excited that I filled a sheet of paper with my learning.

It is really like a revelation for me to define the chiaroscuro concept into 6-7 distinct zones. I was already aware of some of it, but to put it all together so neatly is great.

I'd like to work on the perspective.

Here are some of my random sketches of things I have easy access to. The elephant on the bottom of the second page came out cuter than I thought it would.

I'm a perfectionist and often don't start things because I can't decide the best way to go about it or the best thing to draw or whatever. One reason I wanted to take this course is to draw more things without my own restrictions on whether or not it's a "good" subject, or if it's going to make a "good" finished piece. I used to work in an art museum and I did drawings and wrote in sketchbooks a lot over those years, and I have gotten away from it and want to get back. 

I really had to force myself to relax. I found that once I did relax, things went much better. I like the shading process.

I found this hard - it takes patience to observe the nuances of the light. Something I am trying to develop.

Sort of ok. Needs tabletop for context, so it isn’t  floating in space like the ghost of tomatoes past.

It was fun trying to get the lights and darks right. As I was drawing the light started changing and the highlights started shifting around. More practice would be good! I liked the explanation of how to look for the lights and darks and where you may expect to see them.

Taking the photo of my drawing made me realize that I would like to practice getting more definition in the middle values. I like the way you pointed out that when you squint you may be surprised by some of the bright and dark spots. I also kept smearing the pencil marks as I was drawing (haha...accidentally blending where I didn't want blending).

I keep forgetting about using stippling and I love the daisy technique you showed us. I still want to work on ALL of them!

First try at chiaroscuro.  More successful in pencil than colored pencil, I think.  The contrasts on the pepper were much more dramatic and yet I had trouble capturing that.  Maybe because it needs more blending?  I like to look at what others have done and I saw some comments that others felt their own drawings suffered in comparison to others.  When I feel that way, I remind myself that comparison is the thief of joy.  We will all improve and as someone else pointed out, we are not all starting from the same place on the path.  I am enjoying re-discovering this part of myself.

Representing Lights and Darks: the Squint Test I continue to have to make conscious choice each time I set out to draw: discouragement and frustration, or discovery and curiosity. It is not easy, but is a valuable skill. Drawing is completely new to me, and I find it more than a little difficult to make accurate representations of shapes and proportions.  I can see where and how they are wrong, but can not replicate them. It is an interesting look into the brain.  Meanwhile, I have now dedicated a full sized new eraser to my drawing box! I am also very slow. It would take several more sessions to "finish" my stick (which is how I did my "Jump Right In" warbler), but sometimes I don't want to spend repeated sessions on one drawing.  If you are slow and outdoors, the light changes faster than you can capture it. However, the squint test really works! Sometimes squinting helps me "find" the shape, as well. I added a scribbly background of a tree trunk, palo verde sapling, brush pile, and bird boxes, which is not actually behind my "value stick" but was to my right. You can do that when drawing, unlike photography! (Photoshop not withstanding.) I hope my skills improve on shapes and proportions. Next up: chiaroscuro.

(Still haven't been able to upload images) It wasn't difficult to see where each could be applied and I'm starting to feel more comfortable doing anything!  Unfortunately, I think I chose natural items that were too complicated for my initial practice.  The areas of light/dark were too small for me to really distinguish the different effects - kind of frustrating but interesting - so instead I applied different shadings to a stuffed toy penguin to build confidence.  Better. It is still tough to maintain proportions, even with short pencil strokes.  I use the eraser a lot.  I expect everyone comes up with their own process - where to start, what comes next, etc.  My question - are there guidelines about this for starting out? I am really enjoying this course.

Actually, I don't feel comfortable putting marks on the page. The chiaroscuro is not really clear to me and i feel rubbish about it. I have seen the others are they are really good, while mine is a bit ugly 

I began with the pear, using a 5” circular fluorescent bulb for illumination, which gave a strange shape highlight. I then moved on to the juggling ball with the same lamp. The Roku pot was illuminated with an LED point source and the texture of the pot resulted in a second shadow below the reflected light.

This was an excellent exercise and the video clips are great. Thank you for the mention of the blending tool. I had forgotten the existence of it and after a search, I found one in a box of drawing odds and ends. I love it for making smooth lights and darks.

I have been working with pictures, trying to  improve my skills.  I think I am improving.

Having difficulty following through with posting. Finally figured it out. Will get back to drawing again.   Don’t know if I’m posting on someone else’s page or mine

I I really enjoy watching the instructional videos - thank you, Liz! And the exercises are great, so helpful.  Getting the texture and the lighting and shadow are ALL so challenging, but I realize it takes LOTS of practice.  Very inspiring to read and see everyone’s posts!

Such a good “looking” exercise!

I'm definitely starting to feel more comfortable, but I'm working hard on chiaroscuro because I still feel that is quite hard to distinguish the lights and darks on an object or composition

It is clear that all my skills will be needed to sketch realistically! I need a great deal more practice I think before I can use both light value and 3D markings both accurately and relatively quickly. I think practicing all techniques together will be the most useful for me. It is gratifying to see tiny improvements!

Oranges are hard to texture.  But I think this shows Chiaroscuro, the 3D, I am not as sure of.          I thought I submitted this last night but don't see it this morning so if it is duplicate, I sorry.

How can I show an area of whiteness that occurs at the edge of the object?  It becomes white on white page!  I'm am becoming less hesitant to open my journal and am enjoying the exercises.

I'm getting quite comfortable, but it's still a bit hard to find the reflective light.

Yes it was easier

I have been working from photographs because I find I can see the light better.  The fur on this vixen was a challenge.  Tomorrow I will try some real fruit.

I am always using value scales, still life set ups with my students to keep them in practice depicting every day objects. I use pencil,charcoal and graphite with them so I ache for color at the end of the day for me sometimes. I think I need it just to give me another challenge. Still learning....

I am really enjoying drawing,  I am getting much more comfortable with the process.  You make learning these skills controllable.  I am so glad I signed up for this class.

I

Yes, thank you very much. I send this example.

Now that I have practiced a lot, I have gotten used to knowing where different skills should be applied. I am definitely a lot more comfortable now with these new skills! So far I have done great with all of these exercises, so I am ready to do more!

It us easy to see which components are being applied.I am starting to fell more comfortable using these techniques, that said i do think I need to work on the core shadow. ]

Have been doing a bit more practice with capturing the light values of objects, I think there is some improvement! and I feel more confident of putting pencil to paper to create an image.

  Have been enjoying playing with the texture and getting the light & dark thing happening.  This is a start but lots more practice to go!

It has been a long time since I've done much sketching. It is coming back to me though.

Attached is my zombie looking face with a tangerine, tomato, and carrot. I noticed taking a picture highlighted the shadows even more. I went back and added in a few more shades using the photo. Practice makes perfect. I would like to get better at conveying the different textures.

More work needed on texture and shape. Enjoying the challenges of this course. This is especially nice since spring is here and there are many possibilities for practice outside.

Here is today's tangerine. Left side drawing is the flipped over fruit.

Enjoyed this lesson and realized I needed more practice with simple shapes before moving on to actual objects. Practiced spheres repeatedly and today will try a piece of fruit! Mechanical pencil made it hard so I switched to some drawing pencils I had on hand. Have not played with color yet. It was cool to see improvement in a short amount of time (first on the page is top left and last one is bottom left).

Does anyone have advice on distinguishing between texture and light/shadow? I find I struggle to include both elements--light and shadow serve as texture in many of my drawings right now. Any tips would be appreciated, thanks!