Blending graphite sketches with a stump

This is one of the quick little videos I did for my Quick Sketching mini-classes--I haven't had time to do much in the way of new videos lately, so I decided to make this one public. (And oops, no idea how to make it fit the blog, sorry...)

This is a fun technique that David Rankin often demonstrates.  You can see lots more in his book, Fast Sketching Techniques, and if you're on Facebook, you can find him HERE.

Thank you, David, for letting us share your work!

I've used a similar technique for much more complex drawings like the one of my sweetie in Revolutionary War garb, above, and botanical artists have drawn with graphite dust for generations. Blending, softening, lifting and even adding value with a stump or tortillon makes for some wonderfully versatile effects.  Give it a try!

WORK FAST!

We had robins up in the woods recently, flocks of them!  When we went out to the shed yesterday afternoon to watch the snow, they'd come down to the wild honeysuckle bushes to feast--these were right outside the door.

I grabbed my sketchbook and stood at the door as long as they were in the bush, working with a black Prismacolor colored pencil and just the shapes...they were all fluffed up with their necks pulled down into their chest feathers for warmth!  (Who could blame them!)

This is what the bottom left fellow looked like, just my rough sketch...

I shot a few photos, too, so I could zoom in for color details when I added watercolor later--never could really see their feet, though, they were keeping them warm, too.

I use my journals like a diary, and like a calendar--I can go back through years' worth and find when I saw the first robins (or those wintering over), when the first snow was, where we ate when we were in California, what we discussed at that meeting, who attended the sketchcrawl, when the tree fell on the van, and more.


And yes, this WILL be in my "fast sketching techniques" mini-class, I took photos as I went, once I was adding color!