Sketchbook sketches

[junenez]

Brenda,

LOVE the sketchbook! I need to use mine more often. The birds are fabulous.

[Brenda]

Thanks for your comments. It’s weird. Sometimes I do really well with fur and feathers, and other times I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing.

Brenda

[Brenda]

Thank you June! I realized I need to do more practicing, and sketches seem to work well for that. I want to start a new course but haven’t decided which one yet.

Brenda

[LindaE]

Never used a sketch book though I’ve several. What a great way to prep for the work.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve gotten so many different ideas from every one here. So much talent.
Linda

[Brenda]

I’m looking at composition with this sketch. It is a downy woodpecker and carolina wren on a suet feeder in my yard. I think a smallish drawing done in landscape layout would work well, given the position of the wren. The wren is a bit large, and I erased a lot, but this is to help me figure this out before I pull paper and materials to actually work on a finished piece. Suggestions? Landscape looks ok? should I indicate the bar that the feeder is hanging from?

Thanks!
Brenda

[Brenda]

Or maybe cropped more like this? Lots less negative space. The background will be blurred foliage. Still feels unbalanced.

[robichon]

Hi Brenda - I like the way you cropped the second sketch. Maybe play with what you put in the background, having something in the lower right negative space to help lead the eye. Maybe a diagional branch?

Terri Robichon

[Brenda]

Thanks Terri! That bit of negative space is what’s nagging at me. I’ll finish out the sketch with it cropped like the second one, and see what I can do with it. I thought also about moving the wren down lower and the woodpecker up higher. I’ll also do some small sketches and see what that looks like. Do you think the hanger going off the top of the page is weird? It hangs from a metal bar from above. I hate to put too much superfluous stuff in it, though! Thanks for your suggestion!

Brenda

[junenez]

I like that second version. Since there are just 2 birds, I agree, you need something to balance it out. I never take the time to do thumbnails - thanks for inspiring me to know that I should!!!

[Brenda]

Thanks, June! After my experience with my drawing of Rosie, I will be more inclined to always do thumbnails or small sketches. It will show me the composition problems before I’m invested in the process. I’m glad you are inspired!!!
Brenda

[robichon]

Hi Brenda -
Nice to see you in the Live Lesson chat last night. I like the position of the birds in the cropped version, and think the hanger at the top is fine also. I’m still thinking a diagional branch with some leaves would give you the balance you’re looking for with one end of the branch going off the page on the right just a little below the birds beak and the thicker part of the branch just barely to the right of center on the bottom edge. I would have it less detailed than the bird to make it look like it is farther away. Maybe even lighter green as the background to look like trees in the distance with just a slight amount of variation, so as not to distract from the focal point. That way the viewer’s eye can go to the head of the bird on the right and follow the diagional of the branch back to the feeder and up to the other bird. Just something to think about.

Terri Robichon

[Brenda]

Thank you so much, Terri, for the very well-thought-out composition help. You described it perfectly! I’m taking some things with me on our trip. I think I’ll work on the piece’s composition and size while away. I’m certainly leaving Fran-Stan at home. she’ll be first on my list to address when we return.

Thanks for being so supportive and always helpful with your comments.

Brenda

[Brenda]

This is my new sketch for the birds-on-suet-feeder project. I’m still figuring out the tree. It’s a water oak in our backyard, so I’ve taken some photos for a few details. However, I’m going to try to make it appear farther back in depth of field, so I’ll have to be careful not to get carried away with details.

I like this composition very much, but if there are suggestions for improvement, I’m listening. I’m going to use colored pencils, but I’m thinking about pan pastels for some of the background.