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18th April 2023: Drawing Workshop with Linda Hampson
Thanks Penny, for these photos and for the write-up. Linda demonstrated a range of techniques of use in drawing accurately with graphite pencils. As well as a range of pencils ranging from 8H (hard, light) to 8B (soft and black) she used a pencil rubber [for accurate erasure], indenting tools to score the paper, a soft malleable rubber, and graphite powder. |
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Linda is very conscious of tonal values [darks and lights]. Without considering tone, indeed, a pencil drawing has precious little left to offer. One aid to considering tone is the gray Scale chart shown here. |
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An exercise Linda recommended was to crumple a sheet of white paper and place it against a black background, and to experiment with different side-lighting positions. A complex shape full of subtle shadings and different tones is instantly created. |
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Some of our workshop group watching Linda demonstrate shading.
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Linda demonstrated a careful and precise approach to drawing, beginning with lightest tone - perhaps using a 4H or 2H, and only slowly progressing through towards the high B's, the darkest tones. Erasing can be smudgy so it is better to be sure of those blacks by working towards them slowly. But one of the most valuable techniques was the indenting tool, a blunt point with which to score the paper before using the pencil, thereby creating a good effect of hair, fine feathering, etc. Marks might be short or long as appropriate to the subject matter but light hairs appear almost by magic as one begins to add the graphite pencil shading. |
Some notes from Linda on how to draw a realistic eye
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Work in progress, but already one can appreciate that with patience and skill, and with an orderly approach to building up tone from light to dark, work of extraordinary subtlety can be created,
Reference photo
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Some further notes from Linda
