My friend Brad Silberberg shared this photo of an Eastern Bluebird with me for my Pencil Drawing Workshop for Beginners class at CCBC. It was so lovely, I used it as a demonstration piece in class.
I limited myself to the graphite pencils we are using in class, and started with a loose gesture sketch to lay out the structure of the drawing.
Then I slowly built up more details, focusing on the bluebird, and adding loose tones in the background. I used a tortillon or blending stump (the little rolled paper tool that looks like a pencil without the graphite) to blur and unify areas of tone in the background.
Not having color to separate the bluebird from his background, I focused on using contrasting values and mark-making. I used sharper, more defined marks for the bluebird and his perch, and softened my marks for the background.
Of course, in the reference photo, the background is quite blurred, bringing our attention right to the bluebird. As I attempted to create the same effect with my graphite pencils, I felt a bit frustrated, wanting to draw the leafy shrubs behind him.
I'm not wild about this drawing, but I'm happy with the way the little bluebird turned out, and the fuzzy background that frustrated me reminds me to keep my backgrounds simple so they don't compete with the subject -- an excellent tip for me to remember for future drawings!
Quick tips on making your subject stand out:
1. Give your subject a prominent place in the composition. Check out my post on composition here for more on this topic.
2. Create contrasts in value or color between your subject and the elements around it.
3. Lavish time on your subject to bring it to life. Put more details into your subject than the areas around and behind it.
4. As always, step back often to see the whole composition. Five seconds of looking from arm's length will show you areas that are successful, and areas you'll want to work on.
And always remember, that whatever you draw, whether you love the final drawing or not, you are building what naturalist John Muir Laws calls "Pencil Miles." You are gaining experience. You learn from every drawing you make, so just keep drawing!
