Would it be ok if I posted drawings/engravings here for you all to critique? I am hoping that I can get some tips Again, I am beyond terrible, and I mainly just want to make better-looking doodles. Please let me know if this is appropriate or not. kevin
Posting for Critique
- Thread starter Zito
- Start date
We shall see lol. Anyway, I normally start with something like this. The scroll on the left is currently 7 ins tall by 4 ins wide. EDIT: I drew a little harder than normal so it would be more visible.Will not be a problem. BTW... beyond terrible is beyond appropriate. Don't criticize your work. Thats our job.
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Personally I would not throw practice work away, it helps to reinforce progress, date it and put it into a cheap three ring binder, hole punch and binder can be purchased inexpensively and someday that art work might mean something to someone.
Looks like you're on the right track, clean up the excess pencil lines at your backbone so that the group can see your actual intent.
I say "throw away", but I really I just add it to a gigantic stack of old doodles an such. I will take your advice and keep better records.
I will clean it up some and post update pics. Thank you so much!
Zito, By the looks of your drawings your of to a good start. J.J.
Leland Davis
Elite Cafe Member
Zito, I like what you are doing. The part that stands out to my eye is the backbone of the center scroll does not line up with the backbone of the leaf element coming up. That small misalignment is jarring to the flow you have going. You can just continue the backbone through outer leaf element until smoothly meets the leaf backbone. you also have a kink in the the backbone. All are easy fixes you are doing great. Keep posting and asking.
Leland
Leland
Thank you VERY much! I will attempt to address those issues and post again. Kevin
Of course, this is horribly copied from something that Sam did at one time. Everything I do is copied from Sam Alfano or Ken Hunt. I will play with this one a bit more before I shade, because I do not like the leaves. Please bash this, critique it, give tips, whatever you think and please be honest. I can handle any and everything. 0 feelings
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I wish i saw that lol. I think I may actually need to spend more time visualizing what I draw, before letting the pencil run.
Hi Kevin,
At some point, most kids are given a crayon or pencil (or maybe nowadays a stylus and a tablet) and some paper to keep them "busy". This activity with drawing reflects development and growth, and folks who study childhood development can fairly accurately get an idea of a child's level of development by the ability to add various details. Everyone's drawn stick figures for people, and boxes with a pointy top for a house. At some point, this was the best that we could draw. As we develop, we begin to notice refinements and details - adding fingers to the ends of the arms, adding a chimney to a house, and maybe even smoke coming out of the chimney. The longer a child sticks with drawing, the more able they are to notice the details about their surroundings and add those details to their drawings, and again, their age and development levels are evident by the nature of the details they seem to effortlessly add. Some kids just seem to stick with doodling, drawing, noticing their increasingly detailed world around them. We all remember the kids in school who always seemed to have a pencil, and later pens and they became known for their drawing abilities. Many other kids gradually drifted away from their pencils and paper and became interested in other things - toys, sports, socializing - whatever. The truth of the situation is that at whatever age one stops drawing, is essentially the age at which your drawing development stops or plateaus.
It's not that you or anyone else is actually bad at drawing, it's really that if you stopped drawing at age 7, for example, that's basically the skill and development level at which you'll be drawing when you pick it up again. The really good news is that you don't have to spend actual chronological time/years to catch up. In our example of stopping at age 7, and say you're now 30, you don't need to spend 23 years to catch up. A commitment to pick up a pencil again on a fairly regular basis will yield significantly better drawing skills in a surprisingly short period of time.
Let go of the negative self talk of "I'm no good at this" or "My work sucks", etc. The fact that you're copying some of the best engravers work and it's getting increasingly recognizable is a remarkable success. Just keep on doing what you're doing and it will increasingly become second nature.
The sincerity of your effort, your willingness to continue to try and the fact you are soliciting advice and critiques is the correct groundwork that will virtually guarantee your future success. Just keep doing it. There is no substitute for a continued application of effort with an eye towards continual improvement. You eye and hand will begin to notice subtleties and nuances that earlier passed you by and you'll begin to add these details to your repertoire. It is not uncommon to have had your life and interests veer off in any number of directions. It is fortunate and a blessing that you've raised your awareness level and are recognizing the brilliant artistry the world of engraving can create. This is truly a fortunate part of your development, and luckily, you're able to practice and work towards nurturing your own growth in this field. It doesn't happen in a vacuum. You are seeing and recognizing the beauty others have captured. We are all so fortunate to be able to stand on the shoulders of some of the most talented artists and have them as an example right in front of us. Good luck on your journey!
Best regards,
Doug
Wow! Thank you for the reply! I understand completely. My day job is mathematics, and what you described above is exactly the same process one must embrace in their journey to be a successful mathematician. I appreciate your words, and the help that everyone has offered. I will keep posting. Thank you all!
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