Day 12 Unfinished Camellia Drawing, Plus some Graphite Tips

Last night I did a bit of late night tonal drawing for day 12 of the Challenge. I used a flower from the same Camellia cutting previously sketched on day 10.  It was a late start at 11pm, so I spent about 60 minutes drawing and I didn't finish it....but I quite like unfinished drawings, so that's fine.
I love tonal drawing, it's so easy to do, costs very little and requires little space....perfect!

'Red Camellia, Unfinished' graphite on Stillman & Birn Zeta Series Sketch paper, 7 x 7 inches. Completed using Faber Castell 9000 2H to 4B

And this is the flower, sorry terrible photo! It was dark and I worked in the dark with a lamp which is good  because it enhances the light and shade, 'Chiaroscuro' style. There's only tone to deal with so colour matching required light conditions are not necessary ....yes bad light is ok sometimes!

It was around 2008 when I first started tonal drawing and it's one of my favourite mediums now. It's an almost meditative process as the pencil floats over the paper surface with virtually no pressure, it's relatively easy to control really and can be learned easily. Funny really because I absolutely loathe coloured pencil!  I don't mean as a medium used by others, there are some amazing works using CP, I'm talking about using it, I find it the most tedious process ever!
When I teach graphite in my online courses and think it's extremely important to establish this as a foundation skill. I find that it's not so different from purist watercolour methods, especially for quite a dry painter like me....using the white of the paper for only the brightest highlights and layering different tones to build up a 3 dimensional form. It's also the best way of understanding tonal values before moving on to colour and is great for controlling detail. But you have to experiment to get the textures and desired effect too, just like watercolour dry brush work.

Building layers and texture. Working around the tonally light anthers and filaments being careful not to make any indentation or lines. small circular movements usually do the job but work with whatever the shape of the subject is...just go with the flow!

I don't invest in fancy tools, there is no need, they won't make your drawing any better. A set of Faber Castell 9000, are without doubt the best pencils and Staedtler are not bad too but a bit too soft for me. Some students find Faber Castell's a bit 'scratchy' at first but this is generally poor technique and too much pressure being applied. The weight should never be at the point of the tip of the pencil and pressing into the surface of the paper, but instead should be kept in the arm, so that the pencil glides over the surface without pressure or resistance. I have reverted to a hard rubber but also use a putty rubber but sometimes these can become sticky. A rubber should be used as little ar possible though. My best friends in the drawing tool kit are a good old Stanley knife and nail file for sharpening. Sharpening is really important and there are a number of variations in the way a pencil can be sharpened and used for different effects. Dark flecks generally only occur if you have rubber or other graphite debis on the surface of the paper, so dust off regularly with a big, clean dry brush and use tracing paper to protect your work from dirty marks. A magnifyer is a must for getting close in at the edges.

Some basic tools, the nail file/ emery board is a must have, and hand sharpened long leads are better than any sharpener on the market. I couldn't draw at all without a magnifyer.

 I sharpen long points and then fine tune with a fine nail file, this way the point tapers well and just requires fine tuning. Also important for a lazy person like me is the fact that the lead lasts a long time before further sharpening is needed. I don't really like continual sharpening!  I use HP watercolour paper Arches or Fabriano Artistico or Schoellershammer 4G for finished pieces but the Stillman and Birn sketch paper is good too. It all costs very little.  Sometimes I use a mechanical pencil, but you can buy cheap ones and put good lead in them!

Here's another unfinished - from a Skype tutorial with one of my students this week. I estimate to complete a life size tonal drawing of a tulip would take in the region of 5-6 hours. This one is in the early stages.

Here's a Camellia leaf, see how it's a good bit darker than the flower. This is achieved by layering with the softer grades. The underside of the leaf is much lighter though and these are the differences to look for. 

One of the most common errors in tonal work is the failure to add enough graphite. In the same way that every watercolour has a maximum saturation, every pencil grade has a maximum tonal value, so you can keep adding to smooth that tone ( using the continuous tone technique  ) it won't get any darker but it will get smoother as long as you are applying the correct amount of pressure. Thereafter, to go darker you need to move to a softer grade and so on with increasingly softer grades to get those darks. I do the majority of the work with 2H to 2B grades. The 2H is like the equivalent to a Tea wash, covering much of the surface apart from the main highlights. Quite often though students do not apply nearly enough tone and far too much white of the paper is left showing through. Neither is there enough variation in tone between light and dark parts, for example a Camellia leaf is significantly darker in tone than say a pink Camellia flower, yet often in drawings the difference isn't apparent. So to check tones, hold the subject against a white card and see how little white there actually is and also see which are the lighter parts and which are the darker parts. The other common error is reliance on outlines. In a tonal drawing the outline should not be visible. I make a very light outline drawing first and remove as much as possible with a putty rubber before starting to add tone. The tonal work should cover the line by working up to it. I often go back a grade to smooth out with a harder pencil too.....Like all artwork it's about trial and error and working out problems. You can tell people how to do it but you have to discover it yourself in order to fully understand.    

Hmm....30 day challenge = much faster Blogging skills too! albeit with the odd typo

Which Pencil?

Continuing from the last blog post I'm still working with graphite, this time for the Nature Sketchbook Exchange Project. It seems appropriate to do a bit more than just drawing a picture because it's a sketchbook project, so over the last couple of days I've been experimenting with a few different pencils brands.

Sketchbook pages, experimenting with different brands of pencil

  There are a number of pencil to choose from, all of which are suitable for botanical work, I tend to stick with the same pencils but having tried out quite a few over the years I've accumulated some unused ones. I try to buy from an art shop when possible rather than online because it would be a great shame to lose our art shops. I've been buying from Webberley's since I was a child in the 1970's. Webberley's is a beautiful old building and apparently it's been an art shop since 1913! Today it looks much the same with the old dark wood fittings and staircases. The prices are still pretty competitive and it's great to browse and try for real.
From experience my personal favourite is Faber Castell 9000 and find it the smoothest and most consistent pencil but I thought I'd give some of the others a try.

A selection of some of the pencils accumulated over the last few years

 The subject I've chosen to draw is a Clematis, I don't know the cultivar name but it's one my mum bought from the RHS show I exhibited at in 2008. I'm working from a few cuttings with a fairly 'free form' arrangement which sprawls across the two pages of the sketchbook. I haven't  really planned the composition but work with the natural shapes of the cuttings, which makes the layout fairly easy.

The sketchbook is a Stillman & Birn 270 gsm HP white paper for watercolour, line and wash. It's the best sketchbook I've tried and used by all of the artists participating in the project. It's slightly more white than the paper I usually use, my normal paper is Fabriano Artistico 140 HP natural. What is immediately noticeable is that the same grade of pencil looks a little darker on sketchbook paper compared to the Fabriano, so this needs to be taken into account when choosing grades. Always bear in mind that different brands of pencil may be harder or softer, so an HB in one brand may be quite different than an HB in another. That doesn't mean that you can't mix and match brands when drawing if you are familiar with the properties but if you're creating tonal strips for reference never mix brands. For this mini experiment I tried out three brands of pencils for comparison:

• Faber Castell 9000 Art and Graphic set ( my usual pencils) 
• Staedtler Mars Lumograph 100
• Derwent Graphic

Also used tried Cretacolour Monotlith, which is a graphite stick and lovely for softer grades and very dark subjects, it goes on velvety smooth! I also use some mechanical pencils but only for line drawing and fine detail rather than for tonal work. Mechanical used were: Staedtler mars Micro - mechanical pencil 0.3 and 0, Rotring Tikki 0.5 and Pentel 0.3. All are good. I still taper the end of the lead on fine glass paper (actually a nail file!)

What's in a Pencil?
A pencil is a stick of powdered graphite mixed with clay. Graphite is a mineral comprising almost pure carbon. In the mid to late 1500's a large graphite deposit was discovered in Cumbria, England and from its appearance was mistakenly thought to be a form of lead, which was named Plumbago, which is Latin for lead ore. Apparently locals used it to mark their sheep and wrapped string around the plumbago to use it as a primitive mark making tool. Further deposits were found in the US, Siberia and Asia but none so pure and soft as the Cumbrian find. The name ' lead' stayed with the pencil but pencils were never actually made of lead. However, the painted wood on old pencils did contain lead so it was possible to suffer from lead poisoning if you chewed your pencil! 

In 1795 Nicolas Jacques Conte discovered the process of mixing the soft graphite with clay and mixing with water slurry before firing. By adjusting the ratio of clay to graphite the pencils could be made harder ( lighter in tone) or softer ( darker in tone). Today pencils cover a range from 9H ( very hard) to 9B (very soft). The quality of the graphite can vary considerably though.

Poor quality pencils are very scratchy and rough and the core breaks easily when sharpened. The outer wooden casing tends to be cedar.
 
My Findings:
Sharpening
Long leads are definitely best! it saves constant sharpening of the wood and you can just fine tune on sandpaper. For a guide on how to sharpen see my last post.

Faber Castell (left), Staedtler (middle) and Derwent (right). All 2H Faber Castell seemed slightly harder than the other two brands. Both Faber Castell and Staedtler sharpened well but Derwent was prone to breaking.  

The Faber Castell sharpens well as does the Steadlter, which has lovely soft wood which peels away beautifully with the scalpel. The Derwent seems to have a harder 'pink' wood which is more difficult to whittle away and it tears at times.  Also with softer grades the Derwent breaks frequently compared to the other two  pencils, but if you do suceed in sharpening without constant breaking and still have some pencil left .......  they sharpen to a pretty good tapered point.    

Tonal Work
I found the Faber Castell to be a harder than the other two brands. The harder grades are therefore slightly lighter in tone. The difference is less noticeable in the softer grades for all brands. But given that I do most of my graphite work in grades between 2H and 2B this doesn't really matter so much. With this in mind I would say that the equal tonal value for a 2H Faber Castell could be achieved with Staedtler or Derwent using a 3H. The Staedtler felt very smooth on the sketchbook paper but I have found some pencils to be slightly scratchy in the harder grades and this was the case with Derwent, which was slightly  'scratchy' in application. All in all though a decent drawing could be completed with any of these pencils. The differences are minor, and a lot comes down to personal preference. I used different pencils on different parts of this drawing and it's impossible to tell and difference visually. I have heard students mention small marks in their graphite and while this can be a problem its often caused by small fragments of rubber rather than the pencil. I will probably stick with the faber Castells as they are still my preferred pencil, the Staedtler were also OK but I'll probably give the Derwent pencils a miss due to the problems with breaking and waste.
 The paper is equally important because an uneven or fibrous surface means the pencil picks up the paper grain. I didn't find such a problem with Stillman & Birn paper. One of the main reasons for imperfections seems to be where a non putty rubber has been used  and left some small fragments of debris 

Comparison between Faber Castell 9000 and Staedtler Mars Lumograph.  A slightly smoother ( less grainy ) finish is achieved with Faber Castells pencils. This test is on watercolour paper, particularly in the 2H to HB range.   

 

Comparing an F and 5B in the 3 pencil brands. Faber Castell is slightly lighter in the harder grades but all 3 are much the same in softer grades

When teaching graphite I put students through fairly rigorous tonal exercises in order to help them to gain control of the pencil. Squares of graphite should not be darker at the edges but smooth and flat. This skill is vital particularly when working around areas such as leaf veins. When the control is poor it's obvious on leaves and quite often veins look outlined where they shouldn't be outlined.

The correct amount of pressure must be mastered when using continuous tone, there is a maximum tonal value or  'darkness' of tone for each grade of pencil. There should be no need to add additional pressure to go darker and you should never make indentations in the paper or end up with 'shiny' areas. The weight of the pencil is kept predominantly in the arm /hand and not at the point where the pencil makes contact with the paper. If you find that the point where you start is darker it means that you are starting with a heavier pressure on initial contact - the pressure should be consistent.  It's actually much the same as watercolour washes regarding a maximum tonal value. Usually there is no point in adding more than 3 or 4 washes of the same colour because there is a maximum tonal value to each colour after which it just gets thicker and flatter looking but not any darker in tone, to go darker you need to add a complementary colour or neutral tint.......... But that's another subject for a different blog post.
With pencil If you want to go darker, don't apply more pressure but switch to a softer pencil grade of pencil.

The line drawing is made lightly using a 0.3 mechanical 2H pencil. For the tonal work I used the Faber Castells and started with a 2H initially to add a layer of continuous tone all over, leaving only the brightest highlights clear, there should be no outline as such once the tone is added, thereafter form is created by using increasingly softer grades, paying careful attention to the light and shade between veins and folds ( 2H -2B and all grades in between). Detail is added on the darker ares such as the spent dark anthers using a softer 2B mechanical pencil. I used a combination of Cretacolour 3B on the dark soft areas, such as the leaf tips and also the 2B mechanical pencil to keep the edges tidy. 

All three brands were used in different areas of the drawing and it's not possible to see any real difference. The only difference is in using different grades to achieve the same tonal value in each brand.

Day 5, 30 Day Challenge, Douglas Fir cone

Not completed a tonal drawing for a while so switched to graphite for a change for my 5th subject . A slightly battered Douglas Fir cone with the bracts broken. I collected it earlier this year from Vimy Ridge. Completed in the morning but not too happy so  added some more shade on the right side later in the day and think it's better now.

I used Faber Castell 9000 series pencils on 140lb Fabriano Artistico (HP), used grades H, F, HB, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B and 6B.  I prefer the surface of watercolour paper for drawings rather than the smoother Bristol Board etc because it gives a softer appearance to the work.

A Bit About Drawing 1.

I originally started this blog as a record of my progress whilst studying for a Diploma in Botanical Art with the SBA. I've been wondering where to take it and have decided that it's probably a good time to start introducing some simple instructional type posts to supplement my teaching.... and learning.

So here's a start  -
A Bit About Drawing. No 1  

Drawing from direct observation of an object, also known as objective drawing, is a core skill for any botanical artist, it underpins an accurate representation of any plant and should be practised regularly.
The way that we choose to represent an object through drawing can differ enormously between individuals, so the same object can be represented in a number of different ways. For example If you place an  object on a table and ask a group of people to draw the same object, each drawing produced will be quite different..... in the position of the object, weight of line, tone, shading technique etc. I'm giving you a glimpse into my method but it's important to find what is right for you, however some basic rules will be common to most people. 

To be able to represent a 3 dimensional object by line alone is the most basic type of drawing yet it is often most challenging and lays bare any technical errors. Being able to draw an object well requires good observation and technical ability but making a aesthetically pleasing drawing requires a greater knowledge. There are no shortcuts or magic formula's when it comes to drawing...it's hard work at times! Basic observational line drawings can be stand alone works or used as preparation or the first stage of a more detailed tonal drawings or paintings ( see beetroot drawing below)  or even used as starting point for more creative works.

Leaf detail from the drawing below

Beetroot from 2010

My own finished botanical drawings might be seen as very precise and technical, most are detailed tonal drawings and I will discuss the techniques that I use at various stages, from the planning, sketches, line drawing and shading techniques to develop a 3 dimensional form. I'm a firm believer that it necessary to develop a very clean technique with continuous lines in order to create accurate clean botanical drawings. Having said that it does no harm to draw in a more loose style in preparatory work and I would always recommend that botanical artist try other approaches and subjects to prevent stagnation and too rigid a style in their work.

A centaurea flower study x 2.5. Drawing is all about order and process. It requires a bit of discipline. Observation, clean lines and the corract range of tones from light to dark.

I always start by taking some time to observe the subject by moving it around to examine from different viewpoints and to understand the shape.
Most importantly you have to learn to draw what your eye can actually see and ignore what you brain tries to tell you about what you 'know' about an object  or 'think' you can see, you brain will try to fool you into making assumptions!
Some people are better than others at breaking things down visually and see a clearer picture from the outset, whereas others have to work harder to get there. Drawing what you actually see is hard and it takes practise to over-ride the assumptions made by the brain!

I find the best way forward is to adopt a systematic approach and start by breaking the subject down by size and shape; first by measuring and then by identifying the most simple of shapes within the subject - into squares, circles, ovals or triangles etc. My initial sketches tend to be fairly rough and I try to determine the shape or form of the object by making rough sketches - this allows me to see the 'whole' rather than the detail, which is an important starting point in any drawing, and, in creating the composition (which I will discuss at a later date). I like to think of these initial drawings as the skeleton on which to build the work. If the skeleton isn't right the drawing wont work.

Sometimes it's tempting to just start drawing, this works for some people, however without measurement and planning it is likely that you will build basic errors into the work, these errors will be amplified as the complexity of the work increases.

This is how I like to teach the process, not to spoon feed the student though, that's no use. The idea isn't to show a person how to draw a cherry so they can only draw cherries! the idea here is to 'take away' the 'process' - so that you can work out how to do it for yourself.

Materials, Measuring and positioning 
Basic Kit
Paper
 I use HP watercolour paper for my drawings, usually Fabriano Artistico or Arches because I like the surface but any good quality drawing paper with a smooth surface will do, try to work on paper with a weight of around 140lb.  For sketches use any good quality sketch paper, such as Daler Rowney Heavyweight Paper 135lb.
Pencils  
Faber Castell 9000 series, range from 2H to 6B. Again any good quality drawing pencils.
Eraser 
Putty rubber.
Ruler   
A long ruler, approx 60cm.
Sharpener
Craft knife and fine sandpaper block.
 

Measuring and Positioning

Botanical subjects are usually drawn life size, so first of all I measure the total height and width of the plant specimen using a ruler.  I also measure all the relevant parts e.g. stem length and width, distance between leaf shoots, leaf length and width,  flower head width and height etc. take notes of these measurements in your sketch book.

1. Measure overall size height and width, and, all parts.

 
I then plot the outer boundary of the drawing. Measuring the outer boundary will help you to position the drawing evenly on the paper. For finished drawings I always try to leave a margin of at least 2.5 inches of white paper completely clear, to give the drawing space and to allow for mounting. White space is very important - a cramped drawing will not look good so planning is important. You can always cut down the final image but you can't add - so leave plenty of room.

For sketches it is also wise to work on decent sized paper to allow for notes and additional sketches.

If your subject is very tall you may want to cut the plant and rearrange to fit your paper. If you are unclear how to do this take a look at my painting of a foxglove. There are lots of examples if you look at old botanical works and herbals, field guides etc.

2. Mark the outer boundary of the preparatory drawing, I have positioned the rose at an angle and measured the height width of the rose at this angle to lightly mark the outermost boundary for positioning on the paper.

I want to position the rose at a slightly more forward facing angle and observe the overall shape of the flowerhead. Try to look for patterns and shapes within the flower and the arrangement of petals. The petals form a Fibonacchi spiral arrangement ( more about this later). 

3.  A rough drawing of the basic structure and shapes is made by drawing the basic shape of the rose head in a rectangle, using the width and height measurements of the flower head. I start to draw some the basic shape of the flower which comprises a series of petals that form 'cup' shapes inside each other and which decrease in size towards the centre of the bloom. There are 5 visable layers of these cups at this angle.  I also plot a centre line to ensure the centre of the flower remains in line with the stem. It's easy to get confused with a flower like a rose so breaking it down in this way helps you to keep contol of the petal arrangement. I use an H or HB pencil for this type of sketch but keep the lines very light so that they can easily be erased.

4. Adding the detail to the structure.  Petals are easily added to the structural sketch. Try to keep lines continuous so that they are smooth, This is achieved by keeping contact between pencil and paper on flowing lines such as those on the stem. Lifting the pencil creates a jerky line so try to avoid this approach. I now have a a basic drawing and in this case have drawn over it using a fine liner so that there is no confusion over which lines I want to keep ( Also so you can see it! ). When I have completed the remaining leaves I will trace the drawing onto my paper for the final piece, making small adjustments if I feel they are necessary. I usually work by tracing my sketches onto the final paper in this way because it keeps the final drawing very clean. However sometimes I keep working on the sketch and use it as a final piece by erasing all of my working lines. 

That's it for now -  a pretty rough and ready drawing! 
NEXT UP I'll transfer the image to complete a line drawing and start to add some tone.  

   

SBA Assignment 1 Graphite and more

My first graphite piece for the SBA Diploma assignment, Iris reticulata. Enjoyed it so much I just carried on with the seedheads below

Poppy seedheads, saved from the garden

Iris seedheads

A couple more images. Seedheads of iris and poppy. The drawing of Iris reticulata was used for my first very first SBA DLDC assignment submission. Looking forward to the next assignment.