Sketching Part 3 Then!

Hi everyone - hope you have a few moments to spare!

Luckily the blog still continues to grow, and I'm really excited about it, with new followers who have taken the time to join since the last posting being - Bailey, JackT and Jenny - thank you all for joining and I really do appreciate your support.

The last couple of posts I have been, to be honest, a little worried about, thinking that they might have been a bit on the long side, so this one is going to be shorter - on purpose. By making it a little shorter it will give you all the chance to get your sketching practice well and truly running, and for one lady who is lagging so far behind already, to eventually get started (she knows who she is, but we don't mention names to purposely embarass folk, do we J..  whoops, almost let slip).

So all I really intend doing on this posting is to further show you what I mean by the use of shading, and how it can enhance your sketches. Below I have posted 3 sketches - done as I have told you before - light pencil, then ink pen over when you are happy with them, then lift off the pencil with the soft putty eraser. These are not my originals - I never lay claim to anything that is not completely mine, but they do show what I mean quite well. Simple lines can help dramatically, but also note the lack of a background leaves them "floating".

 Well I hope this is enough to help guide you along what I am trying to explain. A simple line can show, on this occasion, the woodwork of the handles, and then the criss-crossed lines showing differing levels of shading, tone and texture all go to complete the subject. Now imagine these done with a background, be it on the floor as if they were standing upright, or with back shading, as if leant up against a wall etc.

Just in case you were wondering, they are old style peat cutting tools - now you can sleep!

Until next time, whatever your art - enjoy it.

Paul