shade and toning assignment

Yesterday we were given the following assignment at the end of class. Create three drawings on white background of objects in or around your home that represent cubed, spherical and conical shapes. We could use either or pencils or charcoal, our choice. The lesson was on taking a line drawing and shading and toning it to create defined shape. I chose to draw my tray of orchid plants (conical shapes to the pots), the pottery that sits on the fireplace (spherical shape to the bottom of the pottery, and one of the bird feeders in the back yard. All pictures below are clickable to see them larger.

The orchid tray took the longest to do, and it was the first done. Working in charcoal is a learning experience to me.

The fireplace pottery I worked with graphite pencils and I’ve done that one several times, so it gets a bit easier (and better) each time.

The last one was the most mentally challenging. Just exactly HOW do you depict the translucency of the plexiglass that makes the birdseed stay inside the frame?

Our final drawing was a shade chart using HB, 2B and 4B pencils in 5 gradations, white to black. I won’t bore you with that one…..you can find it in just about any beginning drawing book!

Now comes the question. Do I go do my English homework that’s due tomorrow night? Do I go work on the customer quilt that’s on the frame? Or do I go take a dip in the pool, after all the Dr. did say he wants me to get more exercise and we are coming to the end of summer!!!!! You guess which one I’m going to choose……….now where’s that sunscreen?!?!?!?!?