I mostly write about painting, but I have been practicing academic figure drawing on the side for the last few years now, guided by Jeff Watts’ atelier.
For the exercises, he recommends you use 6B pencils. But up until now, I’ve been making do with 4B pencils for no reason other than complacency. What difference could it make though, right?
Turns out, a huge difference.
I got my hands on some 6B pencils this morning and did one of the exercises. Everything went MUCH smoother. I was able to hit those dark values easier and the techniques came more fluently, whereas with the 4B pencil I had to really work for it. (6B pencils are softer and darker than 4B pencils.)
This should have been something I ticked off on day 1, yet I made it harder on myself for years.
It may be worth checking yourself. Are there any big things you forgot to tick off in the early days?
Do you have the right supplies and equipment?
Are they of decent quality?
Do you know how to hold the pencil or brush?
Do you know how to sharpen your pencil?
Do you know how to clean your brushes?
Do you know what colors to put on your palette?
Don’t make the same mistake I made.
Also, the tree workshop is nearly done. You can find a few details and register your interest here.
Regards
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
PS. Here’s the drawing exercise from this morning. It’s not yet complete, but it’s almost there.
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What I’m reading: Richard Schmid’s Alla Prima II (again).
