4 hours in

Last time I worked on this was a week ago, been dealing with other things since.  Mood has been fluctuating.  Ah, let's see...okay, last time I was drawing while sharing a movie on YouTube with Jesseca, 'My Dinner with Andre".  I enlarged the image and focused on the finer shapes and in so doing ended up feeling I'd screwed up the larger shapes - the way the jacket drapes and folds.  Discouraging, I didn't much want to look at the drawing compared to the photo.  I've been reluctant to start in again...but it looks okay.  This lead being so soft and smudgy, there would have been no erasing to correct.  Must remember: don't fuss it if it looks convincing.  It's close enough, actually closer than I'd feared.

As you can see, making sense of the collar and hair at the nape of her neck is not easy.  Those are not clear borders to delineate. 

I've gently begun to block in the shape of her  face, but I think I'm going to switch to a harder grqade of lead for her fade and torso, and perhaps her left hand.  This was an image I made an earlier attempt at in ballpoint pen, beginning with her face, and that didn't suit her at all.  the power of this image lies in its conrtrasts, so the skin and features of the face must be drawn more tenderly.  harder lead means softer, lighter tones that I can control more easily.  I do love this soft lead for acheiveing depth of black in the jacket and will look great or her hair.

I've always thought Sharon Mitchell to be an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Those two light spots near the right shoulder of her jacket are either snaps or zippers - buttons,  I think.  The photo is impossible to make out at that point.  Possibly I can get by with leaving them alone, but as I'm certain there must be pockets there it would do with looking at shots of similar coats.

2 hours 45 in

Give or take.  I'm finding that lead at this softness smears way too easily, and while I'm using a barrier I still have to clean lead dust off the edge of my hand.  Keep having to erase smears off the page. 

Enlarged so you can see how it works.  So, am I getting the right look for the leather?  Some of it I'm  still unsure of.

Copping a Feel

(Which I never do, BTW.  It's rude and intrusive.  It's abuse.  Just so we're clear.)

(detail, slightly enlarged)

This is one hour's work, using a 0.3mm pen on medium texture drawing paper.

You'll notice there is no clear line for the inner sleeve.  That's because I cannot see it in the photograph.  What you want to do is forget what you know should be present and draw just what you see.  Trust me, when it's done the sleeve will be there - not delineated but indicated.  You'll "see" it, and so will everyone else in spite of the contour not being present.

The cuff looks nice!  The pocket area may need more work but for now it will do.  because the image is dark, jt's difficult to exactly follow each shape made by the tonal shifts.  I'm doing my best but not fussing to get each shape right.  It's more important to capture the fel of the leather.  pay attention to the rhythm of the light reflected off the surface.  It's not the same as is is for hair or skin or other fabrics. get a feel for it and then it will flow. 

I started with that corner because I am right-handed: when I move to areas further leftward on the page I won't be rubbing my arm across what I've already done and possibly smudging it.  I should be using a barrier between my hand and the page to prevet skin oil from discoloring the page, but what the hell - I've only just started.

If I stop at one hour, I might be able to get more in later than my usual two hours + eyestrain.

Traces

I need a quicker drawing to kickstart me back to where I need to be.  Not a sketch but a drawing.  I will try to take a somewhat lax approach knowing that instinct will kick in and  tighten things up. 

To that end I have a photo I like of actress Sharon Mitchell, found online.  I'll do two drawings, one a profile and the other a full torso image.  First I zoomed the pic on my  screen (10 x 17.5") and held a regular 8.5 x 11.5 sheet of typing paper to it to trace the images. 

I then used a lightbox to retrace them onto pages from an art tablet, 8 x 10.  None of these contour lines will make it into the actual drawing, they will all be erased and replaced with as few contours and as much shading as possible as I go.  They are for placement alone.

The image was not a large file, so blowing it up to this size did not lend it clarity for detail.  I will refer to other sources as needed.  for example, I have a few old Avon catalogs - excellent for closeups of lip texture, eyes, etc. The jacket is black leather (yummy on women!), a  texture I've never drawn before.  I'm looking forward to seeing whether I can recreate the feel of it.

Not starting in this morning, already feel my eyes are a little strained staring at this computer screen too long.  Need sleep first too.

*******
I don't want to comment on getting through New Year's Eve.  God I fucking hate New Year's Eve.