Process, #1

The first two images were scanned before I had recovered the software necessary to calibrate scans.  They are much too washed out.

at 2.5 hours

at 4.5 hours

The progress scan below was made tonight, adjusting the DPI,  brightness, and contrast.

This is my dear, beloved, cherished friend Jesseca Trainham - muse, teacher, healer, confidant fellow artist, and fellow spiritual wanderer. 

Given what I said about the elements that ahve in the past shorted out my mental process, imagine what it's taking to map out the stitching in Jesseca's hat!  It takes a lot to psych myself up for the next session.  Fortunately I have not just a printed photo but also the same photo on the computer - obviously more luminous for the screen, and it's a nice big resolution so I can zoom in.  I need to correct some stitching, and correct the cloth  past the buckle on her hat - a detail the printed photo did not yield to me an was revealed only on the computer copy.

This is a current project, on medium drawing paper, 8x10.  As you can see by comparing to the drawing of Dana Cooper, this paper does not allow the smooth shading I prefer afforded me by the cardstock.  The tradeoff is that this paper is much more durable and will hold up to more intensive shading with the harsh point of a mechanical pencil.  I can get  good contrasts with both papers, but risk  tearing the shit out of the cardstock surface!  I can also erase more cleanly on the drawing paper.  I've another tablet of drawing paper.  At this point I'm just trying out grades of paper to see what I like best.

Here is a closeup so that you can see the pencil strokes, tace how the image is developing.: