Day 12
Spacing of features is still an issue for me, but the ability to get to this point with a sketch in a shorter amount of time is greatly encouraging. This took me about 15 minutes, as opposed to the near-hour this level of development was taking me only a week ago. Impressive results.
Day 13
This day feels like a backslide to me. I spent as much time working on this image as I did the day before, but didn’t get as refined a result. I struggled with the facial view — straight-on, in the image the day before, was much simpler. I keep learning more and more that the less I build up first, the better the drawing goes. Starting with a less-dark graphite, such as an H-grade or less, is giving me a more polished look. Part of getting back into the swing of portrait drawing, with traditional tools and digital ones, is reintroduction to the tools. I want to increase my familiarity with them. To be able to, without thinking much, reach for and get the performance I have in mind, without having to correct. That will just take time and more practice.